Marketing & Communications

How brands are successfully communicating their sustainability efforts — and how their stakeholders are asserting their own needs and preferences

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
PSA Illustrates Potentially Hairy Effects of China's Air Pollution
PSA Illustrates Potentially Hairy Effects of China's Air Pollution
Published on March 2, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Air pollution in China is unavoidable, and a huge health problem. Last year, a Berkeley Earth study found that deaths related to the main air pollutant, PM2.5 particles, total 1.6 million a year or 17 percent of China’s mortality rate. ... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Patagonia's 'Tools for Grassroots Activists' Also Offers Lessons for Business, Marketing Leaders
Patagonia's 'Tools for Grassroots Activists' Also Offers Lessons for Business, Marketing Leaders
Published on February 29, 2016
About a 5 minute read

Earlier this month, Patagonia released a new book aiming to offer environmental advocates best practices in grassroots activism. While it may seem counterintuitive for a big brand to be talking about grassroots activism, it’s widely known that Pata... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
China’s Biggest Movie Ever Is an ‘Eco-Fable’ Rom-Com About Evils of Human Development
China’s Biggest Movie Ever Is an ‘Eco-Fable’ Rom-Com About Evils of Human Development
Published on February 24, 2016
About a 3 minute read

A new romantic comedy with an environmental message has become the highest-earning film ever shown in China. The Mermaid, a Chinese-Hong Kong co-production, raked in an impressive 2.7 billion yuan ($417 million) in its first two weeks in theaters. ... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Touching Your Soul: Responsible Brands, the Survival of our Species and the New Nutty
Touching Your Soul: Responsible Brands, the Survival of our Species and the New Nutty
Published on February 18, 2016
About a 9 minute read

Great brands don’t stop at connecting with mere outward expressions of who we think we are or what we want to be. The very best brands connect with long-held mystical beliefs underlying our rational selves, the parts of our sub-consciousness that m... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Wendy’s New Campaign Suggests Local Sourcing Is What Makes Its Burgers ‘Deliciously Different’
Wendy’s New Campaign Suggests Local Sourcing Is What Makes Its Burgers ‘Deliciously Different’
Published on February 17, 2016
About a 4 minute read

In 2014, nearly 90 percent of Americans said they consider where a food product is produced when making a purchasing decision, and about two thirds said they would pay more for food that is produced closer to home. As the local food movement continue... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Artists Covered Sweden’s Tallest Peak with a Blanket to Help Slow Glacial Melting
Artists Covered Sweden’s Tallest Peak with a Blanket to Help Slow Glacial Melting
Published on February 11, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Climate change is threatening Sweden’s highest peak. The glacier atop Mount Kebnekaise, the country’s tallest mountain, has been shrinking by an average of a meter a year for the past 15 years due to rising temperatures. As a symbolic gesture, ar... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
VW to 'Generously Compensate' 600,000 U.S. Diesel Vehicle Owners
VW to 'Generously Compensate' 600,000 U.S. Diesel Vehicle Owners
Published on February 10, 2016
About a 3 minute read

On Friday, Volkswagen (VW) postponed the publication of its 2015 results and delayed its annual shareholders' meeting “due to remaining open questions and the resulting valuation calculations relating to the diesel emissions issue.” Despite the u... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
McDonald’s Giving Books Instead of Toys in Happy Meals Through Valentine’s Day
McDonald’s Giving Books Instead of Toys in Happy Meals Through Valentine’s Day
Published on February 9, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Through Monday, February 15, McDonald’s stores in the U.S. will be swapping toys for books in its Happy Meals. Four children’s books have been specially printed to fit in small Happy Meal boxes, and some stores will have Spanish versions availabl... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Play Your Part: Activating on Purpose Key for Successful Engagement for Sports, Brands
Play Your Part: Activating on Purpose Key for Successful Engagement for Sports, Brands
Published on February 6, 2016
About a 5 minute read

The popularity of team sports in the U.S. — and the idolatry surrounding star players — makes them a perfect platform for reaching fans and encouraging behavior change on a massive scale. With 190 million fans expected to tune in on Sunday, the S... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
4 New Year’s Resolutions for Sustainability Marketers
4 New Year’s Resolutions for Sustainability Marketers
Published on January 14, 2016
About a 4 minute read

A new year means four more quarters to pitch, market and advertise your sustainable product or brand to eager consumers across the globe. The world is shifting toward environmental consciousness whether you believe it or not, and reaching consumers i... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Kind Bars CEO Isn’t Nuts about FDA Label Rules
Kind Bars CEO Isn’t Nuts about FDA Label Rules
Published on January 13, 2016
About a 5 minute read

Since March, snack food company KIND Snacks has been facing scrutiny over the labeling of its products. The company has built its brand on its use of natural ingredients in healthy snack products, but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administratio... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Nat Geo, Aronofsky Aim to Create 'Inspired Stewards' of the Earth with 'One Strange Rock' Series
Nat Geo, Aronofsky Aim to Create 'Inspired Stewards' of the Earth with 'One Strange Rock' Series
Published on January 12, 2016
About a 2 minute read

21st Century Fox's National Geographic Channel has teamed with Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky for “One Strange Rock,” an event series exploring the conditions that make Earth the only planet known to sustain life. The project i... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Campbell Will Disclose GMOs on All Labels, Urges Feds to Make It Mandatory
Campbell Will Disclose GMOs on All Labels, Urges Feds to Make It Mandatory
Published on January 12, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Whether or not you believe that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are safe for human consumption, the fact remains that the majority of American consumers support the labeling of GMO foods. Genetically engineered crops might be here to stay, but ... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
FTC Fines 4 Major Retailers Collective $1.3M for Falsely Labeling Rayon Textiles as 'Bamboo'
FTC Fines 4 Major Retailers Collective $1.3M for Falsely Labeling Rayon Textiles as 'Bamboo'
Published on January 6, 2016
About a 3 minute read

The Federal Trade Commission announced complaints and proposed court orders barring four national retailers from mislabeling and advertising rayon textiles as made of “bamboo,” and requiring them to pay civil penalties totaling $1.3 million. ... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
EPA Accused of 'Covert Propaganda' for Social Media Campaign Behind Clean Water Rule
EPA Accused of 'Covert Propaganda' for Social Media Campaign Behind Clean Water Rule
Published on December 16, 2015
About a 4 minute read

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broke the law with its social media campaign to promote the >Clean Water Rule, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruling from earlier this week. ... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Video: ‘Koch Brothers’ Sponsor Star-Studded Climate Denial Anthem
Video: ‘Koch Brothers’ Sponsor Star-Studded Climate Denial Anthem
Published on December 11, 2015
About a 3 minute read

A satire music video in the style of the 1985 collaboration “We Are The World,” highlights the flawed thinking of climate change deniers, with the help of some celebrities. Mocking the ultra-wealthy Koch brothers, Beau Bridges plays both David an... View More

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Marketing & Communications
Report: How 15 Major Consumer Brands Are (or Aren't) Effectively Leveraging Sustainability Communication
Report: How 15 Major Consumer Brands Are (or Aren't) Effectively Leveraging Sustainability Communication
Published on December 10, 2015
About a 3 minute read

It’s commonly assumed that mainstream Main Street isn’t interested in sustainability. Shoppers will buy on price, performance and reliability. They’re swayed by celebrity endorsements and some of them want to be associated with stuff that’s c... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
COP21: Challenges from UN, MIT Seek Climate-Resilience Solutions from Around the Globe
COP21: Challenges from UN, MIT Seek Climate-Resilience Solutions from Around the Globe
Published on December 8, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Today at the UN Climate Change conference (COP21), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Climate CoLab, in collaboration with the United Nations Secretary-General, announced the launch of a series of global, online contests to help strength... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
Add Transparency to Boost Your Bottom Line
Add Transparency to Boost Your Bottom Line
Published on November 26, 2015
About a 3 minute read

Transparency is a new playing field that many companies will find themselves on, whether or not they want to be there. Rather than resist and risk failure, companies and the customers they serve will benefit by embracing transparency today. In fact, ... View More

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Marketing & CommunicationsMarketing & Communications
How to Communicate Sustainability at a Brand Level
How to Communicate Sustainability at a Brand Level
Published on November 19, 2015
About a 4 minute read

SB ‘15 London’s third and final afternoon kicked off with a colourful session with Matthew Yeomans, founder of Sustainly, a knowledge consultancy and advisory platform based around bringing together the worlds of sustainability and communications... View More

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