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Marketing & Communications

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

Article
The Next Big Leap: Keys to a More Proactive, Creative and Brand-Branding Sustainability Strategy

No matter how often it happens, when a new idea or insight opens up entirely new pathways and possibilities in our minds, there’s always a sense of exhilaration. ... View More

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What Chief Sustainability Officers Can Learn from Screenwriting

If all the world’s a stage, according to Bill Shakespeare, then one needs to look no further than the c-suite for some of its highest drama. A new, fairly misunderstood protagonist has entered this mercurial world where survival typically goes to t... View More

Article
Global Reporting Initiative Releasing Updated Guidelines

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) last week announced that the next generation of its Sustainability Reporting Guidelines will be unveiled at its 2013 Global Conference on Sustainability Reporting in Amsterdam on May 22. ... View More

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Hershey Says It Will Meet or Exceed All 2015 Sustainability Targets

Hershey on Monday released its most recent CSR Scorecard, which reflects substantial progress on a range of sustainability programs and new initiatives over the past year.The company says it is on track to meet or exceed all of its 2015 sustainabilit... View More

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The Future of Sustainability Is Design, Not Communication

When it comes to building brands and driving change, effective communication is a prerequisite. Unsurprisingly then, communications are often the first port of call when it comes to the unique challenges and opportunities that sustainability represen... View More

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Report: Environmental Externalities Cost Global Economy $4.7 Trillion Annually

Agriculture, coal power, steel manufacturing and several other high-impact business sectors face an economic loss when accounting for damages to natural capital, according to a study released by the TEEB for Business Coalition during the recent Busin... View More

Article
Sky Rainforest Rescue: Engaging Consumers to Purpose While Creating Clear Business Benefits

The trick to communicating sustainability is to start with the right ingredients. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Of course, we all know that it’s not so straightforward in practice.There is a raft of urgent economic, social and environmental needs... View More

Article
Proposed Laws Would Require 'Not Recyclable' Label on Biodegradable Plastic Containers

In an effort to mitigate consumer confusion and help maintain the integrity of recyclable materials streams, three laws proposed in North Carolina and Alabama would require containers made from biodegradable or compostable plastic to be labeled “no... View More

Article
Research: Choosing the Right Strategy for Sustainability Communications

A new report by UK-based analyst firm Verdantix says most companies have inadequate budgets for sustainability communications and are running risks by failing to integrate sustainability themes into their brand identities. The report, “Rethinking S... View More

Article
AT&T, Mattel Top CR Magazine 100 Best Corporate Citizens List

CR magazine last week released its 2013 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, which ranks companies based on disclosure and performance measures covering environment, climate change, employee relations, human rights, governance, finance and philanthropy.... View More

Article
Sustainable Education Brands: How Learning Institutions Are Attracting Values-Driven Students

For the centuries that tertiary education has been part of society, further education was a privilege afforded those who could afford it. But with the advancement in recent years of communication technologies and speeds, the battle for the student do... View More

Article
Les Bêtises et Les Vaches: Two French Brands Use Humor To Engage Consumers in Sustainability

French consumers want to know more about where their products come from to make more sustainable choices. Besides, trust in business is higher when brands take action for sustainability, demonstrate their achievements and communicate well. ... View More

Article
Emotion Is Currency: A Five-Point Plan for Effective Sustainability Communications

"How will it deliver value?" is a commonly heard response to a proposal for a new sustainability communications campaign.Behind this innocent little phrase is a dangerous assumption that sustainability communications is a separate strand of... View More

Article
Nike, North Face, eBay, IKEA, Levi's Among Companies Urging Congress for Climate Regulation

As President Obama prepares to unveil his budget for the coming year, 33 multinational companies, including eBay, IKEA, L’Oréal, Nike and Limited Brands, have signed a “Climate Declaration” urging federal policymakers to take action on climate... View More

Article
EthicMark Awards Accepting Nominations For Best Environmental, Sustainability Campaigns

Ethical Markets, the World Business Academy (WBA) and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business recently announced they are accepting nominations for the 9th annual EthicMark Awards for ads and media campaigns that “uplift the human ... View More

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Sprint Teams Up with the NBA To Tip Off 5th Annual Green Week

The National Basketball Association and Sprint last Thursday launched a weeklong green initiative featuring community sustainability projects, recycling programs, green giveaways, special on-court apparel and auctions to encourage fans to “go green... View More

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Less Than 100: How Percentages Show True Understanding of Green Trends

In early March, Cone Communications teamed up with ORC International to conduct a survey of over 1,000 adults to better understand how consumers interpret and grapple with the flood of environmental information coming their way. The survey included m... View More

Article
Communicating Sustainability: It’s Time To Get Emotional

Starting this month, Sustainable Brands will bring you a treasure trove of insight, examples and opinions on communicating sustainability, all to help you persuade, motivate, nudge and inspire people and brands to do things differently. That’s a ve... View More

Article
Lost Confidence: Can Ratings Help Brands Rebuild Faith in Big Business?

A 2012 Gallup poll reported sobering news for Corporate America — only 19 percent of the public has significant confidence in big businesses, 41 percent has some and 39 percent has little or none. The only institutions doing worse in the public’s... View More

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Bacardi Cuts Water Use in Half, Energy Consumption and GHGs by a Third

Bacardi Limited has achieved a nearly 50 percent drop in water usage and roughly 33 percent reductions in both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the last six years, according to its latest corporate responsibility report, released online Wed... View More

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