Solitaire Townsend
“Humanity does not change in a linear way; we change in an exponential way,”
Futerra co-founder Solitaire
Townsend told hundreds of eager
changemakers on day 2 of Brand-Led Culture Change.
Townsend’s new book, The Solutionists: How Businesses Can Fix the Future,
sets out what it takes to join a new generation of entrepreneurs, CEOs and
leaders transforming business to create a more sustainable society. History has
shown that culture change happens in stages, sometimes at the expense of
ambitious goals. Currently, we are on track to bust through the 1.5°C target
set by The Paris Agreement, bringing to light the reality of the culture we
find ourselves in. Fortunately, major brands have the potential to shape the
culture of today for a more hopeful tomorrow (which is exactly what we’re all
here to discuss this week). Consumers want brands to help them lead a more
sustainable lifestyle, with 98 percent believing that brands have a
responsibility to contribute to changing the world. Townsend said that behavior
change begets attitude change — the more we do, the more we will believe it.
When it comes to bringing behavior changes to light, we must first reflect on
the mental models that guide our current actions. Making the shift from focusing
on problems to creating the desire for solutions can unveil the potential
benefits to be reaped by everyone.
How General Mills is creating a movement of good
the exciting potential of cultivated, fermented and plant-based protein innovation
Join us as Aleph Farms, the Better Meat Co, the Good Food Institute and Plantible Foods discuss the latest advancements in cultivated, plant-based, and fermentation-derived proteins — and how incorporating alternative proteins can help brands significantly reduce environmental impacts, while conserving natural resources — Tuesday, Oct. 15 at SB'24 San Diego.
Mary Jane Melendez and Sam Monnie
In an onstage conversation with Sustainable Brands’ Samuel
Monnie, Mary Jane
Melendez — Chief
Sustainability & Global Impact Officer at General Mills — expanded on this
by sharing how sustainability informs the inner workings of the company.
Melendez explained the importance of internal engagement about what
sustainability means to the brand and how employees can do their part — citing
as an example the company’s goal for all of its packaging to be recyclable or
reusable by 2030 (they’re currently at 92 percent). When it comes to driving a
better culture forward, Melendez stressed the importance of being intentional in
how to engage with the many stakeholder groups out there.
The power of Responsible Marketing: How to reach for more & keep it real
Lola Bakare
Intentional stakeholder engagement is also vital when it comes to responsible
marketing — which tells real stories and creates real opportunities. Lola
Bakare, founder of impact-driven
marketing-leadership consultancy be/co, highlighted
that responsible marketing itself is multilayered — as it focuses on social and
environmental issues. According to Bakare, 74 percent of consumers say it's
important for brands to help audiences see beyond stereotypes. In the wake of
social tensions and an uptick in natural disasters, multicultural marketing is
now mainstream; Bakare stressed that reaching today’s conscious consumer
audience must be rooted in authenticity and transparency.
Storytelling in the anthropocene
Etienne White
The morning plenaries continued with a discussion of the critical point we have
entered in our history as a species. The
anthropocene
is the most recent period in Earth's history, when human activity started to
have a significant impact on the planet's climate and ecosystems. Our actions
have led us here and how we respond can play a big difference in how it’s
handled going forward. But unfortunately, marketing has not caught up: As
storytelling has evolved to present our lived experiences across society, so too
must it present the truth of our planet’s reality. According to climate
scientists,
holding the global temperature to 1.5°C is likely not possible moving
forward. Approaching this phenomenon with a delayed reaction or willful
ignorance will not do any good — but by facing the situation with acceptance, we
can enable a radical re-wiring of how we approach our future.
Today, many claim to connect with visuals and
emotion
rather than hard facts. “We need less statistics and more storytelling,” said
Etienne White, founder of Let’s
Create Possible — a consultancy working at the nexus of sustainability and
marketing. White suggested there needs to be a fundamental shift from a culture
of harm to a culture of creating community.
“Talk is cheap; listening is expensive. The attention of listeners is scarce,”
she said.
With effective listening, storytellers can speak to the future state to work
towards. Future thinking unlocks creativity — which allows us to reflect and
establish the steps needed to get to the future we all wish to have.
Uncovering Unilever's experimentation engine
Unilever's Uncovery incubator has yielded brands such as Mojo Wellbeing — personal-care products for women experiencing perimenopause | Image credit: The Uncovery
And what we want is a future that is inclusive and empowering. As Laura
Fruitman, CMO of The
Uncovery — Unilever’s engine of
experimentation and brand incubator for its beauty and wellbeing units —
asserted: “We want to over-serve the underserved.” Building on the growing trend
of brands actively collaborating with consumers to improve their
products,
Uncovery’s purpose is to develop meaningful beauty & wellness brands that
positively impact people and the planet — driven by input from consumers, who
help the company pinpoint voids in the marketplace.
By approaching change with curiosity, experimentation and a willingness to
discover the process, brands can help create a culture of community with
consumers — one in which we co-create the future we want to see.
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Demitri Fierro recently earned an MBA in Sustainable Solutions from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. For the last two years, he has served as Program Manager for the Consultancy Shadowing Program, as well as sustainability consultant for a variety of clients. Determined to apply his background to bring sustainable solutions to storytelling and media, he is a contributor for the Environmental Media Association in Los Angeles. When he is not working to solve the climate crisis, he can be found journaling, enjoying a nice hike, watching a basketball game or learning about anthropology at a local museum.
Published May 24, 2023 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST