Most consumer brands still don’t really care about sustainability. It is something that sits outside of their business, physically and psychologically.
These brands may well be doing OK, succeeding even - for the time being anyway. But as the world moves on, they are going to become the brands of yesterday.
Other brands (particularly among the top 1000 listed companies) know they have to ‘get to grips’ with the whole sustainability thing.
They well may have hired a ‘Head of Sustainability’ to deal with all the knotty ESG reporting and disclosures, but often (with exceptions) they will have stuck them on the edge of their company, siloed and without the resources they need or the remit to make meaningful, systemic change in the rest of the business.
These are the brands in transition. Some are making the changes willingly, others reluctantly. They could go either way - back to business as usual or make a successful transition to a greener future.
The most progressive brands though, have recognised that sustainability isn’t just taking care of ESG obligations. It is a vital psychological and ideological shift that means fundamentally changing how their business operates.
It means giving sustainability a C-Suite level importance, affecting everything from the nature of their products and their supply chains, all the way through to their communications and marketing.
It means upskilling, educating and looking after their staff and consistently tracking their collective progress as a company. These are the brands who have moved sustainability to the very centre of their business.
These ultimately, are the brands that will thrive - the brands of tomorrow.
What kind of brand are you working with or for? Is your brand's sustainability where it needs to be?
We can put our heads together to work out the following:
1. Sustainable value propositions: What is the right hierarchy of benefits for your SVP?
2. Transforming Business Models: What would it mean for your business to transform to a Green Growth business model?
3. Redesigning the Value Chain: How might you rethink your business, the ecosystem in which you are a part of and who in your value chain will join you in that journey?
4. Sustainable Customer experiences: How might you integrate sustainability across the customer journey, through nudges, choice editing and helpful interventions?
5. Sparking people’s imagination: How might you inspire people to make greener, more inclusive choices?
Re-sharing two previous pieces, where I explored how founders and leaders can start to take action on their brands and businesses. You can find them both here and here.
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