Last week saw the first-ever Sustainable Brands conference happen in
Paris, with 2,000+ attendees from across Europe and beyond gathering to
inspire, innovate and educate one another. The conference opened with a powerful
statement from Danone CEO
Emmanuel Faber, which in large part set the tone of the discussions for the
week ahead. Faber urged brands to either “be bold or die.” He touched on all of
the planetary challenges we face, and assured everyone it would be a certain
death for our species, if business cannot rally and change. He challenged
companies to “set a bold purpose and then consistently act to deliver on it.”
In comments that were far-ranging, and while taking questions, Faber explained
his stance on several critical topics; beyond his opening statement here are
four more key takeaways:
1. The role of brands
When asked what role brands play, he stated, “Brands are the focal point for
gathering; they are places for our stories, our hearts, our minds, our ideas —
it is where all can gather and take root.”
He continued: “Brands are not exclusively about making a profit, either; they
need to prove themselves to be useful, too.” Faber then went on to explain that
by creating brands with stories that touch our hearts and minds, we can nudge
people into more sustainable
behaviors.
2. Acknowledging imperfection
Faber emphasized that with change comes learning, and that imperfections will
surface. He explained, “I am not perfect, I know my teams will not be perfect
and an organization can never be perfect; we need to get ok with saying that.”
Faber went on to explain that with constantly trying harder and working harder,
progress can be made, but that underpinning it is the fact that “we need to be
ok with our own vulnerability.”
3. Unimagined influence
Faber urged employees to not underestimate their sphere of influence, no matter
how large or small their companies are — his insight was that your influence can
never be fully measured or known. He shared a story of being inspired by
Interface CEO Ray Anderson years ago, when he was posted out in
China and searching for a sustainable packaging solution. He explained that
even though the company operated in a completely different category, “The CEO’s
vision was so bold, it inspired me — I thought if he can aim this high, so can
I. This experience is what began my journey in sustainability.”
4. A process to create change
When asked what the process was by which Danone was able to empower employees to
create change within the organization, Faber admitted with a smile that this is
still a work in progress. Instead, he explained Danone encourages employees to
become change agents and to consistently disrupt convention. “We really do not
have a defined process; we simply say again and again: ‘Disrupt.’ We encourage
change in all forms — change in our teams, change in our agencies, etc.”
In summary, with remarks that were as refreshing as they were bold, Faber
outlined how his company is championing being a brand for good — for its
employees, for consumers and for the world at large.
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Etienne is a marketing strategist, writer and sustainability storyteller. At SB, Etienne is the Founder and CEO of Let’s Create Possible.
Etienne runs a consulting business “Let’s Create Possible’ working at the nexus of sustainability and marketing to help make the impossible, possible, for a diverse array of B2B and B2C brands in the US and Europe. Earlier in her career, Etienne was Chief Marketing Officer at the Forest Stewardship Council, where she led the research, strategic and creative development of the global ‘Forests for all Forever’ rebranding. Before this Etienne held positions as VP Marketing for two US specialty retailers.
With more than 20 years of global brand management and marketing experience, Etienne has extensive knowledge in building both mainstream consumer brands and eco labels. Etienne began her career with over a decade in advertising (at agencies such as Fallon and Leo Burnett) leading award-winning, business-building marketing for a variety of global brands including Citibank, Nintendo, and Procter & Gamble.
Etienne is a native of London, England but now resides with her family in the US, working in her ‘spare’ time to restore and regenerate what was once a conventional farm, with her flock of free-range, grass fed, heritage breed sheep.
Published Apr 29, 2019 11am EDT / 8am PDT / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST