posted by Nicolette Beard @ 12:50 PM
According to Incite, a market research firm, consumers are confused about what sustainability means despite brands pushing the message through marketing.
Consumers are split over the definition of sustainability.
- 44% associate it with the environment
- 44% align it with financial security
- 12% were unable to define what the term means
Chris Wood, a principal of Incite, says the differing interpretation of sustainability has implications for brands and their communications.
Sustainability in the media is read in different ways. In the consumer world it’s not a word that’s used everyday and isn’t very clear. It demonstrates that businesses should be playing on their robustness and strength to drive confidence in their brand.
As one commenter on Marketing Week (where I first read the research) stated
Consumers don’t care about sustainability in the same way they don’t care about existentialism – it’s an abstract topic, whose definition may not be understood because it’s not in their everyday language, and its immediate relevance to their relationship with a brand probably isn’t immediately clear.
But if you ask them if it matters to them that a brand isn’t abusing workers or degrading the environment you’ll get a clearer answer, because it’s clear what you’re on [sic] about.
Brands need to champion specific issues not generic topics. It’s the only way they will engage people, and it’s the only way they’ll become credible and differentiated in this space.
In the pre-Internet days, sustainability was called corporate responsibility and companies placed image advertising in thought leader publications to get there message across. It’s morphed into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and so, I think a single word like “sustainability” is an attempt to provide a succinct word to describe an area that includes numerous complex business functions.
When you view the interactive sustainable and corporate responsibility reporting we’ve created for Sysco Corp. and Spectra Energy, then you can begin to understand the complexity of corporate sustainability and how far traditional messaging has come.
When I think about sustainability, I like to think of it in even simpler terms and boil it down to the 3Ps:
When a company can balance those three, then they can say they are a truly sustainable company.
* The triple bottom line is made up of “social, economic and environmental” the “people, planet, profit” phrase was coined for Shell by SustainAbility, influenced by 20th century urbanist Patrick Geddes‘s notion of ‘folk, work and place’. (Wikipedia)
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5.03.2010
posted by Nicolette Beard @ 3:29 PM
Harvard Business Review published a provocative article regarding compensation and sustainability and pointed out that most companies are still not talking with investors and their boards about sustainability.
Today’s global realities — a changing climate, rapidly emerging economies, and the expected arrival of some two billion additional humans — demand new business models. If we fail to address the serious risks facing companies now, we will not only face another financial-sector meltdown, we’ll encounter environmental and social upheaval on a scale never before seen.
Mindy Luber, HBR blog, April 21, 2010
She cites three models: Intel, National Grid and Xcel Energy who are forging a sustainable path in different ways.
For a roadmap to achieve global sustainability, visit CERES.
To see some of Savage’s work on sustainability, we share with you the new Spectra Energy’s Sustainability website. If you’d like a copy of the 2009 Sysco Corp. Sustainability Report, please give Bethany Haley or Street Kaigler a call at 713.522.1555.
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4.19.2010
posted by Nicolette Beard @ 8:00 AM
Design News announced their 2010 Golden Mousetrap Winners this month and I’m blown away at the innovation among the competitors.
What’s even more exciting is knowing that companies exist who not only embrace design but find ways to marry it to technology that helps create a more sustainable future. How cool is that?
SolidWorks designed a sustainability module that is tightly integrated into the core CAD system. Engineers can gauge in real time the environmental impact of their design choices right from their computer.
This much-appreciated recognition is almost more about the era we’re in right now than it is about any one product,” said Kishore Boyalakuntla, manger of simulation product management at DS SolidWorks Corp.
Environmental consciousness came almost out of nowhere to become a major consideration for consumers making buying decisions. Product designers who want to respond to that shift need tools to evaluate their designs’ environmental impact. We’re glad to have been among the first companies to meet that need.
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4.01.2010
posted by Nicolette Beard @ 12:08 PM
Sustainability, or sustainable development, as defined in corporate America refers to a company’s ability to balance the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations by balancing the environmental, social and economic demands of all stakeholders. The economic buffeting we’ve experienced in the U.S. specifically has Americans embracing sustainability on a very personal and singular level.
According to a recent study of post-recession consumer sentiment, sustainability is the new American dream.
Among the key findings is that “having it all” is an unrealistic goal with 75% of those surveyed saying they would rather get out of the rat race than climb the corporate ladder – and instead, 76% said they would rather spend more time with family than make more money.
The recession has revealed important new consumer priorities with quality of life and peace of mind at the top and a focus on living life in a more sustainable way both from an environmental and financial point of view.
“Consumers didn’t fully understand the idea of sustainability until they found themselves living unsustainable lives themselves – working too hard, carrying too much debt, and not living or planning for the long term. Now consumers are re-imagining their lives for a sustainable future for themselves and their families,” said Manila Austin Ph.D., Director of Research, Communispace.
Complicated & Cautious Consumers
Consumers have increased dramatically the research they conduct before making purchases, large or small. Not surprisingly, trust in banks, established institutions and media continues to shrink. They also view themselves as self reliant, in control and the ones who will help pave the country’s way out of the recession, not the government or banks.
As hearth and home continue to resonate with consumers, brands must tap into building relationships and focus on more one-on-one marketing. Creating a positive experience and celebrating a customer’s self-determination should be part of your promotion and brand messaging. Communicating your value proposition clearly and educating the consumer is more important than ever.
Marketers with their head in the sand want to start paying attention. Consumers’ worldview has moved past the recession, but many marketers are still projecting the stresses of the economy.
The study entitled, Eyes Wide Open, Wallets Half Shut, quickly tells the story in the title. Navigating the challenges of connecting with a post-recession consumer may take more time.
*Source: Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago and Comminispace
For a PDF download of the consumer study, visit the Energy Bulletin website, a program of Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the world transition away from fossil fuels and build sustainable, resilient communities.
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3.09.2010
posted by Nicolette Beard @ 6:10 PM
As the earth’s resources continue to decline or, more correctly, as the world’s population continues to expand, sustainability is top-of-mind for many industries.
Launch: Water is the first in a series of forums NASA formed in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. State Department and Nike. Experts will gather at NASA’s Space Center in Florida from March 16 – 18, 2010, to “identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to sustainability.”
Organizers have begun a global search for visionaries whose innovative technologies or programs show promise in making tangible impacts on environmental sustainability including water, air, food, energy, mobility and sustainable cities.
Many in branding and corporate communications roles know that Savage has been creating sustainability reports for years. They’re often known in the industry as Health, Environment & Safety reviews or Corporate Compliance reports. Not too “exciting sounding” compared to LAUNCH: Water. It could be the name of a new Theme Part. The title grabbed my attention.
“NASA offers a culture of problem-solving, deep technical expertise on sustainable systems such as the International Space Station, and a unique capacity to capture and analyze data about our home planet,” said NASA’s Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and host of the forum.
For those unaware of our work in this area, we recently completed both a print and online sustainability report for Sysco Corp. presenting ways they’re reducing miles driven and fuel consumed and broader corporate responsibility initiatives like fighting hunger.
The sustainability forum will be broadcast live.
UPDATE: The folks at SmartPlanet.com have a list of the 10 entrepreneurial innovators in the water sustainability department.
