How brands are successfully communicating their sustainability efforts — and how their stakeholders are asserting their own needs and preferences
What makes a good company successful in an age where we are blessedly cursed with a wide selection of products in every category? With technology being a widespread disruptor, the business landscape is rapidly changing and making some companies obsolete almost overnight. Do you recall Blockbuster?
It should come as no surprise that purpose — defined as your company’s aspirational reason for being beyond profit — plays a key role in the direction of your business on multiple levels. Purpose is an overarching “north star” that serves as a guidepost for decision making.
Budweiser is launching a new initiative to communicate its commitment to sustainability to consumers and kickstart an industry-wide movement. The AB InBev brand has created a renewable electricity symbol that indicates when its beer is brewed with 100 percent clean energy.
The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), whose members include REI, Iron Mountain, Patagonia, The North Face and Timberland, is producing a new film series that shares the stories of outdo
Cross-Posted from Finance & Investment. Environmental and social issues are increasingly being used to shape business practice as companies recognize the link between strong ESG performance and profit. But for those that continue to put up resistance, investors and financial institutions are playing an important role in driving change.
In a bid to put people on the path to better health, CVS Health has made significant changes in its retail stores, such as ending the sale of tobacco products, embracing healthier food options and committing to remove certain chemicals of concern from all st
In response to the success of its “Blue Planet II” nature documentary series and the substantial social media response that followed, the BBC will launch two new programs that explore the impact of plastics and textiles on the environment.
Cross-Posted from Consumer Behavior Change. Sustainability is increasingly becoming an integral part of business practice, but consumers continue to hold the key to achieving long-term change — a concept that has been widely observed by consulting firms and multinational corporations alike. New data from online search behavioral specialist Hitwise reaffirms this and demonstrates how mainstream television can be used to inspire consumers into action.
A new mapping tool created by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and China’s Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) is ushering in a new era for transparency in China. The IPE Green Supply Chain Map — the only of its kind in the world — openly links multinational corporations to their suppliers’ environmental performance.
Financial security company Northwestern Mutual has launched a new brand campaign with the aim of reframing people’s idea of the #GoodLife, by helping them plan for their financial futures and feel empowered to make the most of enjoying life every single day.
From #DeleteUber to sexual harassment allegations, the Greyball scandal and a recent European court ruling that declared it a transportation business and taxi service, it’s fair to say 2017 has been a pretty rough year for Uber.
The food industry is in transition, with new technologies, programs and initiatives targeting everything from food waste to resource efficiency and traceability emerging almost daily to nudge the sector towards greater sustainability. Though symbols of progress, these advancements are just a drop in the ocean. Many consumers are still unaware of the issues affecting the global food system, which poses a considerable challenge to progress.
Last week, in response to President Trump’s decision to scale back Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, outdoor retail brand and sustainability leader Patagonia in turn announced it would be suing the President, a definitively bold move — even for the likes of the brand that brought us “Don’t Buy This Jacket” an
Today’s customers are more cynical than ever when it comes to the intentions of big business. How do we create experiences for these customers that feel truly genuine? To Maria Moraes Robinson and Simon Robinson, the answer lies in a fusion of Western and Eastern thinking that acknowledges at its core the human need for connection on a deep level.
Furthering its mission to create a kinder, healthier world — one snack at a time — KIND has launched a new video campaign that explores the courage it takes to be kind towards strangers in an effort to kindle a conversation about what it will take to overcome the issues currently dividing the US. The video release, in conjunction with a nationwide contest, is part of KIND’s effort to explore the differences between being “nice” and being “kind” — an oft overlooked distinction that has tangible implications on how we act towards one another.
Digital news organization NowThis is rolling out a new food-focused channel that aims to explore food as it relates to culture and the environment. NowThis Food builds on the brand’s already extensive digital offerings, which include NowThis News and NowThis politics — the third and fourth largest video channels on Facebook in terms of engagement, according to Business Insider.
Uncertain times are finally starting to take their toll — according to a new report from Ford, more than 60 percent of adults globally say they feel overwhelmed by the unrest, upheaval and other changes taking place around them. The mobility company’s 2018 Looking Further with Ford Trends Report examines the issues responsible for this unsettling climate — and the coping mechanisms that are emerging as a result.
If I was given a dollar for every time I saw the Sustainable Development Goals’ multi-colored icon grid in a sustainability presentation, I would be a rich man. But the SDGs are a great example of how ubiquity doesn’t necessarily equal a successful communications/engagement strategy.
Despite mounting evidence for the business case for integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into brand strategy, a new report released by Corporate Citizenship shares some alarming trends in how corporate action on the SDGs is evolving.
For the last 5 years, my firm has tracked the sustainability goals of the world’s largest companies. These thousands of targets commit multinationals to do many important things, such as slashing carbon emissions in half (or to zero) or bringing the percentage of women in management up dramatically. The project, managed in part by my colleague Jeff Gowdy, keeps the public and free website www.pivotgoals.com humming.