We are living in a relatively new epoch, defined by the catastrophic impact our
overconsumption and lack of foresight have had on the planet and each other.
Without urgent and drastic measures, the future is bleak. The connections
between climate change and business are no secret. Recently, the SEC proposed
that public
companies must
declare their effects on the planet to both investors and the government; and
the IPCC’s newest
report
claims that we cannot stabilize the climate unless we lower our GDP by
drastically slowing our production of goods and services. While many brands are
putting time and money into functioning more sustainably — and in essence,
future-proofing their business — many more are slow to the gate.
At Barkley, we’ve spent the last decade studying
why some brands dominate the market. As a result of this
research, we place brands into two
different categories: fragmented and whole. Led by profit over purpose, a
fragmented brand relies more on marketing than holistic actions; and often,
there is no connection between the two. Alternatively, a whole brand is built
holistically from the inside out around a core belief that drives all actions,
from business decisions to marketing messages. And it measures success not just
by profit and performance, but by its impact on people, communities and the
planet.
“This high aspiration can future-proof a
business
for whatever comes its way,” says Tim Galles, director of The Whole Brand
Project, author of Scratch: How to build a potent brand from the inside out, and
chief idea officer at Barkley. We spoke with him to understand how to build
sustainability into a brand in holistic, actionable ways.
What does your brand stand for?
Why do you exist beyond making a profit? The answer to this question creates
your brand’s purpose — which should guide and inspire every decision you make
and every action you create, both internally and externally. That purpose should
also inspire sustainable actions.
“Purpose has to be an innovation tool that drives you to go beyond making a
profit,” Galles says. “Smart brands apply it to everything they do, including
their sustainability plan and accompanying actions. Ultimately, they are
connected to each other, which builds amazing equity for a brand.”
Consider Bombas — a company that donates a
pair
of (well-designed, somewhat pricey) socks to homeless shelters with every pair
sold. The company is fairly young (2013), but it proves the power of
purpose
to drive long-term results: It's become a $100 million brand.
“Your ‘why’ doesn't have to be as ambitious as Bombas; but if it isn't adding
good to a consumer's life, communities or the planet, you won't be around very
long,” Galles says.
Are you a brand with a mission or a mission with a brand?
Tony’s Chocolonely
is a mission — to source and provide 100 percent slave-free chocolate worldwide
— with a brand that also happens to sell delicious chocolate built around it.
Dove, on the other hand, is a brand with a mission: to make a positive
experience of beauty accessible to all
women.
What’s important is that both have built sustainability into their brand’s DNA —
and they are bringing their consumers along their journey with catalytic actions
of all sizes and transparent communication.
“As long as you are clear about your intent and stay on that path, the actions
create momentum and equity,” Galles says. “Those actions drive the entire
organization to get there faster.”
That doesn’t mean you have to have achieved your mission or be perfect. Think
Dr.
Bronner’s
— a brand that is pushing stricter definitions of organic. The company adds this
message to every single one of its new chocolate bars: “On our way to
regenerative organic certified.” It’s at once an aspiration and an admission
that it’s working toward an ambitious goal and letting consumers know where it
stands.
If you can cut it, it’s not authentic
In times of trouble, brands that have cut sustainable actions in attempts to
save money are only showing their consumers it was never an authentic goal or
even a priority. Many brands tend to function in an area where they cherry pick
what sustainable actions they want to take and ignore others. Those ignored
actions will be the first to emerge in times of stress. The beauty of whole
brands is their holistic operation.
“In the past, anything outside of the core business was seen as a bolt-on —
which is just as easy to cut it off,” Galles says. “If your purpose and
sustainable actions are baked into everything you do, it is hard to get rid of
it.”
Chipotle is an excellent example of a brand operating holistically. From its
customers — who are given a Real Foodprint
tracker
that compares the environmental impact of their choice — to only serving products
made from ingredients that meet its standards, Chipotle's mission to provide
“food with integrity” shows up even in its supply chain. These authentic actions
have protected the brand through the past few difficult
years;
and now, it is one of the top fast-casual restaurants in the industry.
The reality of living in a capitalist society is that we won’t be able to simply
cut off the production of products and services; however, the brands that will
succeed in the upcoming decades will be those that function as a whole brand
with sustainable actions built in.
“Whole brands will not only thrive; they will be on the right side of history
and the right side of the future,” Galles asserts. “These are the brands that
will succeed in the future and the brands worth building.”
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Impact Manager, Purpose + Sustainability
Formerly working in the advertising world in Kansas City, Hannah Zimmerman has now married her past experience with her passion for sustainability. When she isn't chasing her four-year-old daughter or helping companies along on their sustainability journey through consulting, reporting, communications and certifications, she is working on her master's in Sustainability through Harvard.
Published Mar 28, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST