Telling the stories of the people and forests behind FSC-certified products deepens consumers’ connections with the brands, and demonstrates the impacts of responsible sourcing. We expect this is just the beginning, due to the clear signals of consumer demand for these stories.
The Forest Stewardship Council understands the importance
of good storytelling. In partnership with leading brands, we strive to tell the
stories of the people and forests behind FSC-certified products; by doing so, we
deepen consumers’ connections with the brands, demonstrating the impacts of
their embrace of responsible sourcing.
In 2021 and beyond, we expect to produce more and more of these stories due to
the increasingly clear signals of consumer demand for them. According to NYU
Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business’ extensive 2019
research
into US consumers’ actual purchasing of consumer-packaged goods (CPG), 50
percent of CPG growth from 2013 to 2018 came from sustainability-marketed
products. Products that had a sustainability claim on-pack accounted for 16.6
percent of the market in 2018 — up from 14.3 percent in 2013; and delivered
nearly $114 billion in sales, up 29 percent from 2013. Most importantly,
products marketed as sustainable grew 5.6 times faster than those that were not.
In more than 90 percent of the CPG categories, sustainability-marketed products
grew faster than their conventional counterparts.
For further inspiration, here are a few great examples from our partners:
-
When it comes to creating engaging product stories, few are as experienced
or committed as Patagonia. When it launched the world’s first
FSC-certified wetsuit a few years ago, Patagonia naturally included an
extensive marketing
campaign centered
around it use of FSC-certified
Yulex,
which is sourced from natural rubber trees in Sri Lanka.
-
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The Allbirds company is entirely built around the pursuit of exceptional
sustainability. Using tree fibers in its FSC-certified
footwear, the company
says “Mother Nature is our muse” and trees are the “rockstars of the
forest.” Naturally, we agree — and appreciate the way Allbirds has
spotlighted FSC as a credible backer of its sustainability claims. We also
like the way the company includes the carbon footprint of its
products,
such as the FSC-certified “Women’s Tree
Toppers.” In
the future, we envision that carbon impacts of Allbirds’ FSC
sourcing may also
factor into these calculations.
-
Amazon’s 2020-launched Climate Pledge Friendly products
program
creates a customer experience that moves shoppers seamlessly from discovery
and understanding of FSC to direct purchase of FSC-certified products. It
also makes it easier for shoppers to reliably find FSC products on demand.
FSC is the only forest-based product certification recognized in this bold
new program, which included 25,000 products at launch — carrying one or more
of 19 highly vetted sustainability certifications. Climate Pledge Friendly
is perhaps the most far-reaching consumer-facing sustainability initiative
launched to date, with vast potential for global impact on consumer purchase
behavior. While most FSC-certified products included to date are consumables
such as toilet
paper
and printer
paper,
a
growing
number
of
gift
ideas
are also included. FSC continues to work with Amazon to identify and add
products to its database.
-
Another appreciated example of sustainability marketing is Pottery Barn,
which has created a “” within its
online platform. Offering a wide array of FSC-certified wood
furniture,
the company has gone a step further to offer products — a limited addition
“catchall
tray”
and coffee
mug —
that send proceeds to FSC with each sale (FSC is a 501c3 nonprofit
organization in the US).
In the months and years ahead, consumers are sure to reward brands that tell
their sourcing stories well. As natural climate
solutions
become more and more imperative in the face of continued climate stress,
consumers will increasingly “shop their values” — and those values will
increasingly emphasize sourcing.
If you are a corporate marketing professional exploring strategies and
campaigns, please keep FSC in mind. As the examples above show, there are many
great ideas to build on. In the end, it will take the full power of the
marketplace to help protect and restore forests. FSC would love to work with you
to advance our shared commitments.
Published Feb 3, 2021 7am EST / 4am PST / 12pm GMT / 1pm CET
Chris leads the Forest Stewardship Council's US marketing and business development efforts, having helped corporations make the most of sales and marketing opportunities and challenges for more than 20 years. Prior to joining FSC, Chris led US marketing and sales at Aimia, a leading global loyalty marketing solutions provider; at Wunderman, a WPP agency, providing strategic services to Best Buy and Coca-Cola; at Gage, serving Fortune 500 clients including Microsoft, Walmart, Dell, and 3M; and at Target, providing marketing strategy and management consulting services. Chris holds Bachelor’s Degrees in English and Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
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