Sustainability and marketing: a match made in heaven?

objectives
Share Forums latest thinking on WHY collaboration between sustainability and marketing is needed
Provide a framework to make the case for marketing and sustainability teams working together

Inspire with case studies how to (and how not to) create initiatives between these two teams
Co-create vehicles/tools to make the case for sustainability and marketing teams joining forces

agenda
4.15 4.20 4.45 4.55 5.15 5.25 6.05 Welcome and introductions Brands and sustainability Make the case Table discussion Break Inspiration from speakers A word from our hosts-Vizeum

6.05 Group activity 7.00 Final reflections

7.15 Close

Jonathan Wise >>

The Comms Lab

the roundtable 2012

What does good look like in practice?

the roundtable 2013 (kick-off)

How can we reflect what we do in what we say, and vice versa?

the roundtable 2012 (continued)

How can sustainability and marketing goals turbo-boost one another?

Extremely useful to hear insights on how other organisations are dealing with sustainability. Reassuring its not a company, but an industry challenge. Can learn from each others experiences. Marketing

Weve had separate meetings with Pret. We are half competitive, but the Roundtable gives us a safe place to express challenges, trust each other and carry on beyond that. We wouldnt have talked otherwise as were always in a commercial situation. Marketing

We now know what we want to move forward with. Im keen to focus in one particular area next, and do some real work on it together. Sustainability

Our shared journey.

bathrooms
Bathroom system designers and manufacturers

Personal hygiene goods manufacturers and retailers

House builders

Plumbers and decorators

DIY retailers

Tissue and towel manufactu rers

Energy companies

DIY advis

Water / utility companies

Local authorities

Users

Furniture retailers

Lifestyle magazines 12

Introductions

What sparked your interest in todays workshop? What would you like to take away from today?

Brands and sustainability

Overview

From MTV to revolution?

The only systems we can afford to employ are those that rationally serve the planet first, then all humanity. Not out of some woolly, bullshit tree-hugging piffle but because we live on it, currently without alternatives...

Path to a sustainable business

Shaping the context for a brighter future

Innovating to win on that path

The three levels of brand-led innovation

Lead the consumer

Connect with R&D to spark innovation

Create the conditions for change

Lead the consumer on sustainability

short-term investors disengaged citizens lack of enabling policy

Apple

Method

Connect with R&D to short-term investors disengaged citizens spark sustainable lack of enabling policy innovation

Wandular
A device for life

Core Nest Play View Wear Wand

Create the conditions for change

short-term investors disengaged citizens lack of enabling policy

A match made in heaven?

Sustainability and marketing

Reasons marketers dont promote sustainability

Customers aren't asking for it

It's risky

When we give it to them, they don't want it

Sustainability is boring, too complicated and too expensive

We need to communicate our core attributes

B&Q survey

INTIMIDATING COMPLEX RELEVANCE ROI INTEGRATION VISION

No FOMO*

Its new (but not in a good way)

Sustainability is new, so is uncertain and appears risky

No new evidence is created sustainability remains novel

We want more information to quantify the risk

The information isnt available, so brands get stuck

Business as usual seems safe

Projected cash stream from doing something different

C

we often think pink

Assumed business as usual

More likely business as usual

we dont think VUCA

Adapted from Innovation Killers, Christensen et al, HBR Jan 2008

34

Exploring the case for sustainability in marketing

Jonathan Wise, CommsLab

Forum Brands Roundtable: Making the Case

27th November 2013

getting better at making the case

3. Do you have a long-term view of how the company creates value?

1. Do you have a journey to build on?

Yes

2. Do you have the right senior executive leadership?

Yes

Yes

4. Do you have a specific business rationale?

getting better at making the case

3. Do you have a long-term view of how the company creates value?

1. Do you have a journey to build on?

Yes

2. Do you have the right senior executive leadership?

Yes

Yes

4. Do you have a specific business rationale?

Making the case

Head: Providing the specific business rationale

supplemente d by.

Heart: Changing the conversation

Head: Providing the specific business rationale

Framing

I can help you be better at your job

Stimulate Demand for sustainability: Using a classic marketing technique

FROM CURRENT TO DESIRED FUTURE

Think Feel Do

Think Feel Do

What is the shift you are seeking? For example:

FROM CURRENT TO DESIRED FUTURE

Think I think that sustainability and CSR can be important and is gaining momentum, but I cant really see how it can help me. We dont speak the same language. Feel I feel disconnected from them

Think Sustainability and CSR can help me do my job better to unlock demand and drive growth for the brand and longterm health of the company Feel The CSR/sustainability team get marketing and the brand and I need to work with them Do Put in a meeting with them

Do Be nice to the CSR/sustainability team, but spend my time on other things that are more core to my job

How do you stimulate demand?

What do marketers want?
then How can you frame CSR/sustainability so that it delivers what they want?

What do marketers want? Examples:

Financial Increase sales Increases price premium Slow down decline Audience Create a new audience Sell more to existing audience

Competition Gain competitive advantage Not lose competitive advantage

Brand Deliver/enhance the brand promise Strengthen with brand reputation/loyalty/brand metrics Risk management will weaken brand metrics is seen not to be more sustainability focused

What do marketers want? Provide rationale

Financial Increase sales Increases price premium Slow down decline Audience Create a new audience Sell more to existing audience

Examples from category or similar categories/brands they respect where brands have financially gained from following a sustainability path Evidence that share price can be linked to prosustainability brands
Examples from category or similar categories/brands they respect where brands have increased audience size Evidence of increasing number of consumers more likely to buy green or sustainable products Own customer groups propensity to buy is going up

Competition Gain competitive advantage Not lose competitive advantage

Brands in category or similar categories/brands they respect are beating competition by pursuing this path Demonstrate that acting sustainability is becoming a hygiene factor for competitiveness

Brand Deliver/enhance the brand promise Strengthen with brand reputation/loyalty/brand metrics Risk management will weaken brand metrics is seen not to be more sustainability focused

Articulate why and how adopting a more sustainable approach is aligned and enhance the brand promise How this can drive key brand measures The sequence that other brands are incorporating sustainability dont be the unsustainable one

What do marketers want? Examples:

Product Development A sustainability focus can open up NPD Talent Attract better people Retain good people

On trend Sustainability as the next business standard and marketing as core driver to this Emerging strategic business direction

Personal reputation Sustainability as something that leaders in marketing are doing Other brands are on this, so should you/dont let us get left behind

What do marketers want? Provide rationale

Product Development A sustainability focus can open up NPD

Talent Attract better people Retain good people

How sustainability has opened up new products/services for others in category/similar categories How sustainability can open up growth for brand How the best talent wants to work for brands that has a strong sustainability focus Staff survey on desire to be more sustainability minded

On trend Sustainability as the next business standard and marketing as core driver to this Emerging strategic business direction

Sustainability as key trend of future business success as identified by business leaders/academics

Personal reputation Sustainability as something that leaders in marketing are doing Other brands are on this, so should you/dont let us get left behind

Personal success is being achieved by marketers moving into this area e.g. awards/public profile Highlight examples where not acting in a more sustainable fashion has lead to marketing personnel on those brands getting in to trouble

I can help you do your job better: Whats the compelling narrative? E.g.:
Enhance personal success and reputation
Increase sales, growth & key brand metrics

Drive brand preference amongst existing/new audiences

Delivers competitive advantage

Building sustainability into the brand can enhance the delivery of the brand promise
Sustainability is a key business trend that the company should be exploiting

Building a compelling narrative: The difference between means and ends

A great sustainability story: Walkers sourcing British ingredients

For marketing: A different story home grown ingredients

Advert: The Great Taste of Home

Walkers believe you cant beat the taste of home-grown food

For marketing: A different story home-grown ingredients

Advert: The Great Taste of Home

Walkers believe you cant beat the taste of home-grown food

Questions
What do your marketers want? How can you articulate CSR/sustainability in a way that helps them do their jobs better?

How can you work with them on this together?

Head: Providing the specific business rationale

supplemente d by.

Heart: Changing the conversation

Coke CSO example

Bea Perez is married to an executive of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in America He bought someone home for dinner a scientist studying chronic illness and their children were in the same school together The conversation lead Bea to understand Cokes responsibility in the obesity debate and creating a personal desire for Coke to be part of the solution She has helped start many uncomfortable conversations internally about Cokes responsibility around obesity
Guardian, 7th June 2013

From Bea
The fact is that we are all afraid of hearing the truth and of not being able to do something about it; after all, we are human beings. "Being vulnerable is a very scary place. You have to sit and think through how you can handle it. The most important thing is the actions we take and there is no question we believe we have to act. "We cannot solve the problem on our own and it cannot be solved by one action. It will take courage for every company to stand up and for every individual to take action."
Guardian, 7th June 2013

How is what you at work helping towards the future that we want?

I Good job, great people, interesting work, well paid

WE Helping clients grow, helping the agency grow, helping Britains creative reputation I Good job, great people, interesting work, well paid

PLANET Getting people to buy more and more stuff drives Per Capita Consumption. A major cause of Climate Change WE Helping clients grow, helping the agency grow, helping Britains creative reputation I Good job, great people, interesting work, well paid

Without a Planet, there is no We or I

A tension I needed to resolve

WE Helping clients grow, helping the agency grow, helping Britains creative reputation I Good job, great people, interesting work, well paid PLANET Getting people to buy more and more stuff drives Per Capita Consumption. A major cause of Climate Change

HEAD

HEART

Questions
How can you engage the marketing team in a way that emotionally engages them as people? How can you create a different awareness of the effects of Stimulating Demand? Can you frame it as a tension that they can take responsibility to resolve and provide the opportunity to begin to resolve that tension?

Group discussions
1. 2.

What stands out from what youve just heard? Share your own experience internally of making the case

(break)

Sharing insights
Tom Berry Kimberly-Clark Sarah Westwood Our Design Agency

Make the case challenge

Pair up with the other person from your organisation Singletons join a group

Foundation for a beautiful relationship..

My brand
In pairs, share your main takeaways from the day Discuss: what can I do tomorrow that will help me to achieve my objectives?

outline of the year

Workshop 5
Revisit 2012 and planning together

Workshop 6
Behaviour change

Workshop 7
Storytelling into action

Workshop 8
Marketing vision

Workshop 9
Deep dives and Individual challenges

April

May

June

September

October

Workshop 10
Turning insight into action Meeting generation 2

Workshop 11
Campaigns that go BOOM Meeting generation 2

21st January Innovations that go BOOM

November January

To the pub!