Can Marketing Save the Planet?

If legacy is defined by the choices we make today, how can Marketers and communicators reframe "business as usual" to align with planetary survival before it's too late? In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet? we welcome back Sangeeta Waldron, a communications expert, three times published author, and Founder of Serendipity PR and Media. Sangeeta discusses her latest book, ‘What Will Your Legacy Be?' - expanding on her previous book by reaching a broader audience beyond the business and PR world. It's a book that is so easy to get lost in and a wonderful, empowering hope filled read - reminding us just how much collective climate action is taking place across the world by people from all walks of life. The book features 36 global conversations with scientists, indigenous leaders, business professionals and activists all working toward meaningful environmental change. Sangeeta shares her learnings from her research and writing journey and the moment she realised what she was creating was a book of hope. She tells us, "if you don't have hope, how will you change anything? If you just give up with despair, you're not going to make change." This ethos drives her book, emphasising the power of storytelling in raising awareness and letting people know that they too can take action. Sangeeta explains that a big takeaway from the book was, it made her realise that legacy starts young - the point when you make begin making choices, she shares, “legacy is no longer what we're thinking about as we get older, legacy is now as young as the age of 14, once you can make your own informed choices in what you're buying and doing, that's your legacy, because that is now connected to your carbon footprint.” We discuss many areas in this episode - from the hidden climate cost of war, where conflicts disrupt weather patterns and food systems, to nature's intelligence and how ecosystems thrive on balance, a principle humans have ignored. We dive into the important role of local journalism in educating and empowering community action, and how businesses must adapt for example, seasonal marketing and supply chains need climate-conscious strategies, yet, these aren't currently happening. Sangeeta also shares her transformative experience with Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, underscoring the need for global collaboration. Despite political and corporate resistance, she remains hopeful, urging communicators to speak boldly about the climate crisis. Reflecting on her mission, she explains, "I wrote this book not for the converted, but for those who have no idea, or maybe aren't even interested - because the climate crisis is interconnected with everything." Tune in as we talk to Sangeeta about: How we should learn from indigenous wisdom, where sustainable practices are rooted in reciprocity, something that can guide modern solutions. The critical role of local media and their position and responsibility to inform, tell the truth and build community resilience. The need for strategic thinking when it comes to marketing in today's operating environment, we can't just keep doing what we're doing. How we need conversations which spark change (beyond the echo chamber), and create ripples of action. How everyone has the opportunity to make changes and take action – one person can do so much. For more information, connect with Sangeeta via LinkedIn - and her book can be found globally, in all good bookshops and online, via booksellers. Link here: For more information about Al Gore's Climate Reality Project - Link here: Enjoy - and if you love the podcast, share with your friends, family and colleagues. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

Agencies and green claims – Walking the talk or just talking? In our final episode of our four part mini-series on navigating green claims and greenwashing we speak to Adrian Ma, founder of Fanclub PR, about the role of agencies in green claims and the rise of purpose-led marketing. Adrian shares his insights from working with impact-driven brands such as Who Gives a Crap, Music Magpie, SMOL and many more, and dives into the challenges agencies face in balancing creativity with compliance. Adrian talks us through the journey Fanclub PR is on and notes the ‘purpose-led' space is gaining a lot of traction, but with a big question mark over the authenticity and ‘trends' many are jumping on. Adrian explains how at a recent roundtable event he attended, many introduced themselves as ‘purpose-led agencies', in addition to that, Meta descriptions of 450 agencies revealed the number one trend was all related to … you guessed it… purpose. However, as Adrian states, “there's a huge, huge disconnect here when it comes to awareness of green claims, I think the awareness is low and the trend is that most agency people are led by the clients (which is fine), but agencies have a duty of care to their own staff to make sure that they know stuff.” At Fanclub PR Adrian and his team work closely with organisations such as Clean Creatives (two-time guests on the podcast - EP 24 and EP 67), and Creatives for Climate, with whom they have helped create an agency guide to greenwashing to support knowledge, education and awareness. (Linked below). On greenwashing vs. greenhushing, Adrian believes, "good creative agencies should help brands be transparent, giving them the confidence to talk about what they're doing”. We discuss the importance of good communication, something we are very passionate about at Can Marketing Save the Planet, given effective communication is critical to driving engagement and change, both internally and externally. Adrian agrees that communication cannot be underestimated as part of the green claims process, telling us “that process of interrogation is only going to make the work stronger”. As well as good communication we also touch on the future of marketing where Adrian is a firm believer in, "if brands stay consistent with their commitments year after year, they build communities, confidence, and leadership—that's where real change happens."  Tune in as we talk to Adrian about: The need for agencies to educate their teams on greenwashing to ensure compliance and ethical, authentic storytelling. How transparency beats perfection and how brands should be sharing both successes and challenges to build trust. The disconnect between sustainability teams (focused on data) and agencies (focused on messaging) and the need for collaboration to bridge that gap. How consistency builds impact and creates deeper engagement than those jumping between campaigns. Why good communication is critical both internally and externally and the need to challenge will only make the work stronger. For more information about Fanclub PR and the work they do… visit https://www.fanclubpr.com/ And here are some related links discussed in the podcast: Creatives for Climate Anti Greenwashing Guide for Agencies Big Brand Came and Stole My Purpose Video case study – Mount Recyclemore Video case study – Winnie The Pooh: Deforested Edition   Across this mini-series you've heard some fantastic insights and we've provided plenty of signposts to training and resources. Don't forget… if you're looking to upskill your team with the green claims landscape - you can also check out our 3 hour Greenwashing 101 short training course via our Sustainable Marketing Training Hub. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

In this episode of the Can Marketing Save the Planet? podcast, we continue on our navigating green claims and greenwashing mini-series speaking with Katie Wetherall, a lawyer at ClientEarth about the brilliant work they do and taking a deep dive into the world of plastics, packaging and recycling. It's no secret that marketing tactics in this area are long overdue a review. Clever marketing can mislead consumers with what are essentially false sustainability claims - particularly, when one takes into account the bigger picture and lifecycle of the product they appear on. Katie shares with us her insights from legal actions ClientEarth has taken against major corporations such as BP, Total Energies and KLM for misleading claims. In the case of KLM, she explains, “the Dutch court ruled that their claims about the sustainability of flying were misleading and in fact the judge said they painted a far too rosier picture about these kind of high emission activities and the company's compliance with things like the Paris Agreement.” A lot of Katie's work focuses on greenwashing legal actions and increasingly the area of plastics and consumer goods. The reality of plastic recycling is woeful, Katie shares, “only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, yet companies continue to label products as "100% recyclable, and even in the UK which has got quite an established sophisticated waste management system the stats hover at around 55%. So I think as an organisation, we argue that that green loop, (sometimes it's a triangle), but that circular symbol, gives a misleading impression of the circularity of plastic.” We go on to talk about the many different challenges of single use plastic; packaging, descriptors and labelling which we see everywhere on products across our everyday lives. Using green symbols and imagery is an area that Katie advises, “I would discourage Marketers from putting the recyclability of a product at the forefront of its marketing, because this is a process they have no control over and which statistics suggest does not work.” There is a lot of great insight and advice shared in this episode which will apply to a lot of organisations, Marketers and products. Tune in as we talk to Katie about: The problem with recycling symbols and should they even be allowed when they don't guarantee recyclability? The need for Marketers to consider the green claims they are making across the lifecycle of their products. The need to prioritise transparency Shifting to reusable packaging models – not relying on broken recycling systems Supporting people to make informed decisions How greenhushing doesn't solve the problem   For more information about ClientEarth and the great work they do - visit https://www.clientearth.org/ And, if you're looking to upskill your team with the green claims landscape - be sure to check out our 3 hour Greenwashing 101 short training course via our Sustainable Marketing Training Hub. One more episode in this mini-series to follow, talking ‘agency side' with Fanclub PR. Stay tuned.   ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

In this episode, the second of our greenwashing mini-series we chat to Guy Parker, Chief Executive of the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), about green claims and the role of responsible advertising in sustainability. Guy explains that the ASA's mission is to, “make sure that ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful. We care about ads not misleading people, not harming them, not offending them and being socially responsible.” Guy highlights that with rising concerns about climate change, the ASA is focused on environmental claims balancing the need for businesses to communicate sustainability efforts without misleading consumers. We discuss the line between greenwashing (exaggerated or false claims) and greenhushing (staying silent due to fear of backlash), and how Marketers can absolutely tread the middle ground between the two. Guy emphasises how businesses should communicate sustainability progress— modestly and precisely, “being a bit more modest in the claims and being a bit more kind of real world in terms of what this means for your customers and your prospective customers, can actually go a very long way.” Focus should be on tangible, near-term actions rather than distant net-zero targets. Most greenwashing isn't intentional - it stems from lack of education and understanding. Guy points out that Marketers must know the rules and follow the guidance, (ASA's codes, CMA's Green Claims Code), collaborate cross-functionally with sustainability teams to ensure accuracy and make use of the breadth of ASA resources (rulings, guidance, and free training), to avoid pitfalls. There is information and knowledge out there for everyone and it's all very accessible. Guy's message is clear, businesses must keep talking about sustainability, but do so, responsibly. Tune in as we talk to Guy about: The green claims and advertising landscape. The need for organisations to be transparent and share their sustainability journeys. Why less is more when it comes to green claims - specific, evidence-backed claims are safer. Keep communicating, silence helps no one - we need to talk about it to drive change. Where greenwashing complaints can come from and, how to make a complaint. Why strategies and processes are needed. What resources and guidance are available to support Marketers and organisations considering making green claims.   For resources check out the ASA's CAP Advertising Guidance, their training and their recent rulings - all of which can be found here. And, if you're looking to upskill your team with the green claims landscape - be sure to check out our 3 hour Greenwashing 101 short training course via our Sustainable Marketing Training Hub. More in this mini-series to follow with conversations still to come with ClientEarth and Fanclub PR. Stay tuned.   ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

In our 100th episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet we kick off our ‘4 part mini-series on greenwashing and navigating green claims' with Cecilia Parker-Aranha, Director of Consumer Protection at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Cecilia joined us back in 2021, and so it was great to have her join us again to discuss the evolving landscape to provide an up to date understanding of where we are with greenwashing. Since the publication of the Green Claims Code in 2021 significant progress has been made however, challenges remain. Cecilia tells us that since we last spoke, the CMA has taken action against misleading claims in sectors like fashion and fast-moving consumer goods prompting businesses to reassess their environmental messaging. She highlights how technology can be used to aid businesses in tracking supply chain data, but the human part remains crucial to ensure claims are accurate and not misleading. We discuss how consumers are increasingly distrustful of green claims and how now is the time for organisations to focus on making sure what they are saying is accurate and evidence-based. Cecilia again explains that the CMA's role is not to punish but to guide organisations toward compliance through education and support. However, under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, everyone needs to be aware that the CMA can now impose fines directly and these can be up to 10% of global turnover for breaches and - breaches including misleading green claims. Cecilia explains, “so from April this year (2025), we'll have the power to reach our own decisions on whether or not a business has breached consumer law. The second thing is that at the moment there aren't any financial penalties for breaches of consumer law, at least those pursued through the civil route. Again, from April this year, it will be possible for the CMA to impose financial penalties on businesses who break the law.” Cecilia stresses the importance of collaboration between marketing and sustainability teams to ensure there is clear, accurate communication. She recommends that Marketers test claims with consumers to avoid misinterpretation and ensure transparency. Sharing so much knowledge and advice in this episode Cecilia believes Marketers should start by measuring their impact and build claims from solid evidence. And, this isn't just for those organisations operating in the UK, and as many organisations sell into other countries, she advises ensuring alignment with global standards like the EU Green Claims Directive. Tune in and listen as we talk to Cecilia about: The current green claims landscape as we progress through 2025 What organisations and Marketers should be thinking about when considering making green claims Where to go to stay informed and up to date Digital products passports and how they align with green claims The use of technology in supporting green claims The need for Marketing teams to work cross-functionally Why it's important for organisations to talk about what they are doing   For resources check out the CMA's Green Claims Code and on their website you'll find lots of information, such as - what has happened in cases and what advice and agreements were reached. These real world cases further provide guidance on the changes organisations need to consider to ensure they are being responsible when making green claims. More in this mini-series to follow with conversations with the ASA, ClientEarth and Fanclub PR. Stay tuned. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

Round and round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows… and that's a really good thing if it means it doesn't end up in the unmanageable waste landscape we humans have created for ourselves. In our 99th episode we're joined by Neda Hashemi and Andrés Olivia from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation where we explore why Marketers are key facilitators in the transition to a circular economy. Neda and Andrés talk about their latest research and explain the different ways that the circular economy can future-proof and scale businesses, drive efficiencies, reduce emissions and help to ease the burden we place on biodiversity and the planet. Andrés explains that their are many different ways to implement circularity, “the first one is about selling access rather than ownership for example, a washing machine, what if you rented it instead of owning it? We also have monetising of product through life extension for example selling repair services. And finally, and this is the last resort, once products are no longer fit use, reuse or repair can they can be recycled and turned into new products?” Neda and Andrés share how B2B is leading the charge when it comes to circularity, but in the B2C world, whilst there is plenty of innovation - it is not scaling at the levels required. A reason for this Neda explains is “the demand isn't happening because behaviours are not consistent.”  She goes to say, “don't be intimidated by the concept of the circular economy and circularity, all need to do is understand the simple premise of what the business model entails, which again, they have been doing forever and inject their creativity and human understanding into it. And then the potential is huge for them to engage with it.” It's not rocket science, when you remove the word circular economy and focus on what people value and want, then there's plenty of scope to unlock the opportunities. Tune in to hear us talking about how: Bringing in the marketing function as problem solvers and the key communication interface between the brand, the organisation and the consumer is key. The role of education and how Marketers are critical in driving this. The key areas coming out of the research including their “Four Action Pathways” How Marketers can make circularity desirable, irresistible and remove the barriers for adoption. The ‘Why' we need to build a circular economy. How focusing on upstream demand should bring in multiple perspectives to take the innovation forward and bring everybody together to organize themselves around the common objectives. Metrics – from circular sales to increased loyalty and lifetime transaction values. Core resilience of the business is often not brought into the business case for circularity. For more information and resources visit the Ellen MacArthur Foundation The Marketing Playbook for a Circular Economy you'll find here. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

“It's fair and square - every square essentially helps you hit three ESG metrics with a single product.” In this episode of the Can Marketing Save the Planet podcast, we are joined by Rob Cobbold, Founder and CEO, of the brilliant organisation, Native - a platform which allows people, groups, communities and organisations of all sizes to protect the planet – one square at a time! The platform enables the purchase of ‘squares' from a range of terrestrial or marine habitats including rainforests, mangroves or coral reefs. Rob talks us through why he founded Native, “we're an evolution I suppose on binary one-dimensional carbon markets. We're trying to do things with a bit more transparency, a bit more holistically, and a bit more fairly as well.” We discuss the fact that when it comes to protecting the environment, how we are all responsible. We discuss the importance of decarbonisation, but also the reality that carbon isn't tangible, you can't see it and you can't connect to it and this creates a challenge when it comes to understanding and engagement. Rob tells us that we, (humans) have a very ‘left-brain bias', “we like to break things down into their parts so that we can manipulate them, control them and make use of them.” We talk about the unique features of Native and the fact that you can view your square(s) in real time, watching them grow and evolve. However, Rob also talks about the fact that you can also see the reality of what is happening in the places you're investing in… - “in the map of our first project in the Solomon Islands, you can see the forest, and you can also see active logging, just 50 kilometers away.” It's both exciting and sobering. Rob has so may plans for Native when it comes to how people and organisations can get involved; from everyone being able to drive positive impact and take action - seeing the impact of their investment in real-time, through to employee engagement programmes, gifting, gamification and overall creating a big talking point - bringing friends, family and partners on the journey with you. From as little as just £3 per square - there is no way you won't be motivated to buy a square or two (or more) by the end of this episode. Indeed, we're already ‘in' –and so if you invest, do let us know! Tune in and listen as we talk to Rob about: Native – the platform, it's purpose and why it's truly ‘fair and square' Why it is so important that we all take responsibility about protecting the planet How Native enables organisations to hit the environmental (E), Social (S) and Governance (G) all in one solution Why transparency and fairness is critically important How going beyond carbon brings impact to life - (literally) The need for better stories and engagement The need to measure impact in different ways The need for better more accessible funding across a broader range of projects For more information about this nature based solution visit Native And to connect with Rob to find out more and discuss your ‘squares' - connect via LinkedIn. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

“The more people bring AI in-house the better it will be for the environment”… “You've got to spend the money to take advantage of the opportunity – and you can say but AI is free, but it isn't - that's just bad AI”… “AI allows us to do the art of marketing without marketing” … A slightly longer episode this week, but boy is it an interesting one! In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet we bring together two of the biggest conversations in the world today; AI and sustainability to find out if they are friend or foe. Joined by tech futurist Dan Södergren and sustainability guy, Russ Avery, we discuss questions around, is business and society responsible enough to use AI? Why AI policies a must for organisations - and, how can Marketers use AI in an informed and meaningful way? As with any big subject matter we jump straight into the challenges and opportunities. When it comes to challenges we of course go straight to the environmental impact where Russ explains, “AI -driven data centers are projected to consume 90 terawatt hours annually by 2026, which will be a 10 -fold increase from 2022 levels, which is only three years ago. And for context, that's equivalent to the energy uses of some entire countries.” Only part of the story - but something we should all be aware of as we all look to AI and how it will increasingly become more prevalent in our lives. Dan agrees that energy is definitely something we need to be aware of, but more importantly, “it's more the fact of what you do with it. En-masse if you just take it out by itself and you add it on to the marketing you're doing, then yes, by its very nature, you're going to be creating more problems because you are going to be using more energy.  But on the whole, he believes AI can make the world a better place (caveat - if the good guys use it). The ‘fifth industrial revolution' also comes up a lot in this conversation, but you'll need to tune in to find out more. We talk about the need for more education, upskilling and awareness. Training is another area that we keep coming back to. Russ talks about the need for education and using AI responsibly, “we should not be using AI for socially useless mundane purposes' – Take note Marketers! Dan agrees that education and understanding is critical if we want to be more productive and less wasteful. Both share hints, tips and ways we (Marketers) can all be using AI more effectively.   Russ believes that Marketers can use AI effectively if they “lean into their curiosity and understand the foundations of what you are using”, he goes on to explain, “I would just encourage Marketers to learn about the fundamentals of AI because it can only benefit your understanding how these things work and how they actually came about”. Dan talks about the need for better prompt engineering, an understanding of language models and, the need for culture change, moving away from specialisation and IP to considering, “how does your organisation incentivise not just the use of AI, but actually incentivise the best practice use of AI? Say I've created a great prompt, what's in it for me to share that knowledge with the rest of the team? Now, that's something we've never really had.” There is simply too much in this episode to summarise here in a way that does it justice, you'll just need to tune in and get your pens and pads ready….and then click on the links in the show notes to take advantage of the offers from Dan…we certainly will be. Tune in and listen as we talk to Dan and Russ about: The challenges and opportunities around AI The ethics and dilemma - Humans vs AI in the workplace Data with intelligence can help us do all the things we've been talking about for 20 years The need to train and upskill your employees The purpose of organisations and business The green tech revolution The need to understand how we use AI What skills and knowledge marketers need to have to use AI effectively The need for organisations to have AI policies Small language models vs. large language model and the benefits that can come from that for organisations How marketers, agencies, organisations can use AI in the RIGHT way A truly informative and thought provoking episode. Tune in, enjoy it, share it - and of course, share your comments. For all the links / offers Dan shares: The AI Marketing Course  https://www.letslevelup.app/course/TheAIMarketingCourse  200 off:      AIMarketing200OFF The Prompt Engineering Course  https://www.letslevelup.app/course/PromptEngineering  To access Dan's books visit Dan Sodergren #FutureOfWork use the code TRAININGTHANKYOU  and get any one book downloadable for free. Books here: How to effectively use AI to market your business in one day a month THE NEW INTELLIGENCE The 5th Industrial Revolution https://dansodergren.medium.com/the-free-first-chapter-of-how-to-thrive-and-survive-in-2025-e4518b3525ec And free to download at www.aileadershipcourse.com And here is an audio version for free if you would like that…  The Free First Chapter Of “How to Thrive and Survive in 2025” A #leader's guide to the times of #ai. You'll find Dan on LinkedIn here You'll find Russ on LinkedIn here ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

“90% of Marketers agree that sustainability agendas need to be more ambitious.” We are back to 2025 with a bang and a full-on schedule of fantastic guests and riveting conversations. In our first episode of the year we're joined by Ozlem Senturk, Senior Partner at Kantar's Global Sustainable Transformation Practice. Ozlem shares so many interesting insights from Kantar and the World Federation of Advertisers study ‘Sustainable Marketing 2030', where they identified what Marketers need to do to transform faster, the structural challenges and lack of internal resources that need to be overcome and the need for a P&L that factors in planet and profit. We explore the need for new economic frameworks and how circularity plays a pivotal role in both driving and supporting that. Ozlem shares with us, that there is a clear skills gap when it comes to Marketers, she explains, “it's a lot around the daily challenges and people having to understand the value chain and its impact”, and that, “there is a need to speed up the adoption of the circular economy, but Marketers are having a harder time in understanding it, plus they are still quite focused on traditional moments of consumption. We need to expand the understanding of the value chain for marketing.” The need for Marketers to also focus internally and understand what is happening throughout the organisations they work for is becoming increasingly more important. In addition, Ozlem explains that “sustainability drives meaning and difference”, so Marketers should be considering sustainability KPIs as an integrated part of the communications process. “We need to think big when we communicate” … she tells us. There is work to be done, and skills to be honed, but with that comes opportunity. Download the study to find out more! Tune in and listen as we talk to Ozlem about: The range of findings from the study Why Marketers need to understand the circular economy How internal focus is a key requirement to understanding the opportunities Why we can't shy away from talking about what we are doing Marketing's brain print How from a creative brief perspective – sustainability remains at a low level Setting sustainability KPIs as an integrated part of the communications process The barriers to engagement with sustainability This really is an inspiring but highly practical episode to start our 2025 conversations. Tune in, enjoy it, share it - and of course, share your comments. Find out more information about the Sustainable Marketing 2030 report. Connect with OzLem Senturk on LinkedIn. We've got plenty more terrific conversations coming in 2025. Stay tuned… here's to more. ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

“We need to get back to classic marketing – what matters to our audience is a must. Even those people who don't ‘buy into' sustainability – up to 70% of them are actually engaged in sustainable behaviours – they just don't label it as sustainable….” In this episode were joined by Denise Hicks, Global Climate Lead at strategy and insights consultancy, C-Space. We were particularly interested in a very soon to be published piece of research titled, ‘The S Word'. Denise shares insights from the research findings, highlighting the ‘dysfunctional love triangle' that exists between brands, their stakeholders and regulations and the tensions and frictions which are causing trust issues. We explore some of the key highlights from the research (due out January 2025), Denise reveals, “consumers are frustrated, the problem is stuff – there is too much stuff and brands / manufacturers need to start taking responsibility”. She also talks about, “the increasing amount of skepticism at all level at the ways the S word is used for commercial gain”. Denise shares some brilliant examples of brands who are showing up in this space and engaging with their customers however, whilst they have sustainability high up on their agendas, they aren't leading with it – rather they are leading with good old fashion marketing tactics around what benefits their customers. The fact they are also sustainability focused is an added benefit. Denise explains, “the need to get back to classic marketing – what matters to our audience is a must. Even those people who don't ‘buy into' sustainability – up to 70% of them are actually engaged in sustainable behaviours – they just don't label it as sustainable.” Sustainability paralysis is very real, the need for strong listening, insights and learning about what truly matters to audiences has never been greater. This episode is a MUST LISTEN TO for all Marketers….packed with plenty of food for thought! Tune in and listen as we talk to Denise about: The importance of research. Sustainability paralysis and why it is very real. Why it is so important to understand the views of everybody and where they are at. The need to drive mutual benefit and work together collectively. How regulation plays an important part - but we can't just wait for it, all stakeholders need to keep moving forwards. Why brands / Marketers need to be asking - is sustainability a big part of our identity as a brand? The need to meet your audiences where they are at and focus on what matter to them – elements which aren't necessarily sustainability related. What it means to behave more responsibly and asking what's the role of responsible products and services in achieving a ‘better life'. This really is a fantastic episode to wrap up all our 2024 conversations. Tune in, enjoy it, share it - and of course, share your comments. Find out more information about C-Space and the work they do. Connect with Denise Hicks - and you can register to receive The S Word research once published. We've got plenty more terrific conversations coming in 2025. Stay tuned… and here's to more. ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

Businesses need to be asking themselves – “What could this business be, redesigning it from the ground up?” Start with the opportunity as opposed to the challenges. We know communication and engagement is critical to driving change, a su bject we have explored many times on the podcast, but there's always something new to learn. Hence why we really enjoyed meeting Laurence and Graeme from Litmus Sustainability to talk more deeply about a subject which is very close to our hearts. Setting up their business with the aim of helping creative and ambitious organisations integrate sustainability into the core of what they do, Laurence and Graeme are working across a wide range of areas with communication playing a vital role. The need to focus on the long term vision, understand the short term wins and, navigate the challenges and confusion when you're told one thing is good (e.g. offsetting) - and then finding out it's bad, are all part of the complex learning curve when it comes to sustainability. Graeme talks about the need to level up your game, he explains, “businesses need to do something really exciting that capture people's imaginations, so thinking what could this business be, redesigning it from the ground up.” An approach and way of thinking which drives long term vision and opportunity to do something unique, as opposed to starting with the challenges. We discuss the need for climate skills and how mobilising an army of climate champions can drive hope and motivate people who then often go on to become experts in the field (of sustainability). Laurence, talks about the fact that technical expertise isn't always the most impactful thing. He explains, “the greatest climate skill I think is communication, one piece of research into what makes a great sustainable leader revealed it's skills like collaboration, negotiation, influence and effective communication, once engaged this is what brings great ideas which can be uses on the ground”. And of course these are all key traits of Marketers. We delve deep into communication with both Laurence and Graeme sharing many insights and examples...a great conversation and source of knowledge for Marketers everywhere.  Tune in and listen as we talk to Laurence and Graeme about: The barriers to sustainability – ‘it's not easy being green'. How businesses are integrating sustainability into the core of what they do and as a result taking their organisations forward. The 9 principles of effective climate communication - taken from their work and evidence of what works for different people and psychologies. The need for Marketers to start and change the conversations. The difference between communication and engagement. How communicating and influencing other people has a much greater impact than acting alone. How we need to level up our knowledge about good communication and link it back to the core values of what drives a person's behaviour. What your unique superpower is in bringing ‘good' to the world. For more information you can contact the team via : https://litmussustainability.com/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/litmus-sustainability/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvMk_MGGoooRGnfn3uzcb9A Dr Graeme Heyes was also involved in a piece of work with a local community group looking to embed Doughnut Economics across Greater Manchester through engagement with communities. You can find out more here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/transform-gm ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

“We don't 'speak for young people, we let them be the voice and share their perspective.” We keep coming back to the S – ‘social and societal impact' in many of our conversations with clients, leaders and marketers, we're discussing the role of business, both in how they operate and what they are doing for society. In this episode of the podcast we have a chat with the brilliant Kian Bakhtiari, Founder of The People, a Gen-Z consultancy. We were keen to know more about the work Kian does both with the youth generation and businesses, how he brings those worlds together (which is very much needed). Kian explains, “We've applied such a narrow lens to how business can be done, how marketing can be done that we've lost track of the opportunities and all the ways that we can create a more flourishing society and more sustainable future.” Kian tells us about how the younger generation feel and think about the world they are growing up in, making the point, “Wealth inequalities are a bigger determinant of your future than your education and how hard you work.” Kian and his teams bring Gen Z insights into the boardroom, they want to close the gap between as he says, “those who make the decisions and those whose lives are impacted by the decisions”, opening up opportunities to share knowledge and insights both ways and, and create a space to explore how we can change business. A new author, Kian has recently published his book, ‘Marketing for Social Change – How to Turn Purpose into Business and Social Impact' , a book which explores and asks the question – What is the role of marketing in the 21st century? Like us, Kian firmly believes that marketing has a significant role to play and if harnessed in the right way can accelerate social change. “We need to find ways to bring business and communities together.” When asked how he would measure social impact, Kian shares, “There are lots of different lenses on social impact- start by being neutral, then bring in meaningful connection and impact.” “Start small – it can be really overwhelming at a system level. What is something you can do today which might have an impact and go from there.” Tune in and listen as we talk to Kian about: The importance of the role of marketing in driving positive impact on society. Why he wrote his new book ‘Marketing for Social Change' and what he learnt. Thinking about the way things are done, outside the ways things are currently done. The work he does with the youth community and, diverse communities. Understanding what businesses want from the future. What unifying factors young people are finding challenging. Social impact and how we can approach it and measure it. For more, follow and connect with Kian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kianbakhtiari/ And to find out more about The People and the work they do - here https://www.thepeople.work/ Kian talks about Earth Watch -and more can be found here: https://earthwatch.org.uk/ And check out his new book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marketing-Social-Change-Purpose-Business/dp/1398616842 ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

“When it comes to food systems, Marketers can be the most valuable in providing extraordinary consumer insights so that assumptions are not made in what people want.” To maintain food security, food systems need to change. They need to be more sustainable, less impactful on the planet, healthier and way less wasteful. But, there is still a huge amount of education and awareness that needs to happen if people are to truly understand why food systems are at risk and, how we choose what we eat really does matter. In this super informative episode, we were joined by Ali Cox, CEO and Founder of Noble West, an agriculture and food ingredient marketing agency taking on a big challenge. Ali believes that, “the biggest challenge is that consumers (in the USA) are confused. Research shows that people make their food choices based on price, taste and availability – climate is a very distant fourth.” Socioeconomic factors are definitely a challenge, however how we market food also needs to change. Ali shares with us her experiences both as a fifth generation farmer herself and the experiences of the farmers and organisations she works with. Truly passionate about ingredients and telling great stories, Ali wants the food industry to play the role it should be playing in educating and being part of the solution when it comes to tackling the enormous challenges around food security.   Ali shares so many examples of projects she has worked on and the brands she believes are getting their marketing right. We explore the need for shared value and the importance of meeting people where they are at. Tune in and listen as we talk to Ali about: Imperfect food and the difference between food loss and food waste. The significant business opportunity being missed when it comes to waste. Why upcycling is the future. Whether we really need so many options when it comes to food? The need to tell the origin stories and why we should absolutely want to know where our food comes from. How Marketers need to understand what people really want so that they can bring those insights back into their organisations. For more, follow and connect with Ali here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicox/ And to find out more about Noble West and the work they do - here https://wearenoblewest.com/

It's the final episode in our mini-series on sustainable leadership and in this episode we're joined by Professor Chris Marquis. Chris talks to us about his experience studying, writing about and working with organisations on sustainability. Author of, “Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism,” we explore Chris' first experience of B-Corp, a movement setting new standards for how business should operate. Chris believes we can learn a lot from B-Corps, “we should be studying B corporations, companies that are putting the social at their core.” We discussed the critical component of the internal pieces which need to happen to “align with the idea of mindset and leadership,” but aren't necessarily “the remit of just the leaders around ability and driving the impact.” As has been a consistent theme throughout this mini-series, “leadership can happen anywhere.” So, if you are looking to find out more about the B-Corp movement, are curious about what steps you should consider or, want to explore internal engagement and sustainable leadership a bit more, then tune in and have a listen! Join us on this episode as we talk to Chris about: The B-Corp process The B-Impact Assessment (link below) The challenges of being a leader today Key skills of a sustainable leader The importance of internal communication and engagement The need to be accountable to a broader set of stakeholders For more, follow and connect with Chris on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-marquis/ B Impact Assessment - can be accessed here: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/programs-and-tools/b-impact-assessment/ Thanks to Chris for a great episode to conclude our Sustainable Leadership mini-series. Stay tuned for more episodes and mini-series, we've got a packed schedule. And if you love the podcast, do share with colleagues, peers and friends.

As we continue to discuss and explore the role of leadership in our ‘Sustainable Leadership' mini-series, what better than to gain the viewpoint from someone with sustainability at the core of everything they do. This led us to Kevin Dunckley, Chief Sustainability Officer at HH Global. Kevin's passion for what he does is crystal clear and we loved our conversation with him talking about the practicalities of being a hands-on CSO - what's involved, where the challenges lie and more importantly, unearthing the opportunities. Kevin shares, “the sustainability strategy for our organisation is my responsibility - along with my team, what that looks like and also how it comes to life with our clients.” We further explore the stakeholder chain and how important it is that everyone is aware and knows the role they play in driving the agenda, from supply chain partners to clients, customers and colleagues. There's a critical role internal engagement plays, an area Kevin has been placing a lot of focus on, driving collaboration and enabling invaluable different perspectives. Kevin explained, “everything's interconnected in terms of sustainability. Something goes wrong over there and the ripple effect can be huge. Likewise, if something goes right the ripple effect can be really positive. You have to kind of de-compartmentalise it and put it in buckets in your head, so it doesn't feel as daunting. But, you don't have to do it alone.” Driving internal engagement and ensuring everyone understands the objectives and direction of the sustainability agenda should be a priority for every organisation. From driving progress through to shaping a culture that's inclusive and makes people want to work for you has got to be at the top of the list. And as we discuss, this is an area we see missing so often - organisations focus on outward facing agendas, yet missing the critical internal piece. We take a deep dive into this and so much more, so headphones on. Join us on this episode as we talk to Kevin about: What you can achieve if you mobilise all your employees and stakeholders. How enormous capacity and capability is unlocked when everyone is armed effectively and engaged through shared knowledge and bringing people together. The role of marketing as creative problem solvers. The need for a common language between sustainability and marketing to minimse the risk of greenwashing and maximise understanding. How every function has sustainability in their role. What you need to be a sustainable leader. Tune in and have a notepad and pen ready! For more, follow and connect with Kevin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindunckley/ Another great episode in our Sustainable Leadership mini-series. One more to come. Stay tuned. And if you love the podcast, do share with colleagues, peers and friends.

Continuing with our Sustainable Leadership mini-series, in this second episode we're joined by the brilliant Jon Miller, author and Partner at Brunswick Group, leading their Sustainable Business Practice. We wanted to catch up with Jon to talk about a subject which led him to co-author the book, The Activist Leader. Join us as we dive into the activist mindset and how anyone can becoman activist leader, something business and the world needs right now. Jon shares five key archetype activist leaders, what they are and how they show up – something all our listeners can explore and find out which Activist Leader archetype you are. Jon states that “there is more than one leader in an organisation and having the spirit of activism is what creates you as a leader, and that is the animating force of leadership – the definition of leadership.” Leadership isn't just for the c-suite, when it comes to people and planet, we can all (and should) be leaders. The need for more than one activist leader and connecting them is fundamental to progress and change, Jon talks about “pockets of activism” which can be found all around organisations, and how input from these activist leaders is critical to commercial imperatives and enabling the long-term sustainability of a business. Every organisation needs to be asking, “what are the consequences of not doing this?” We could have talked to Jon for hours, he shares so much of his experience as well as giving great examples of brands, leaders and action. Tune in and have a notepad and pen ready! Join us on this episode as we talk to Jon about: How organisations are inextricably part of the big issues, and how they can be part of the solutions too. The five key archetype activist leaders – which one are you? How to find your activist leaders. The role of marketing and the need for strategic rigour and creative courage. ·How Marketers are bad at marketing themselves. Learning how to think ‘systems' in order to drive progress. How Marketers can change the conversation. For more, follow and connect with Jon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmillerxx/ Visit The Activist Leader website for more info on finding out about his book and the 5 archetypes. Open for Business - The initiative supporing LGBTQ rights Another great episode in our Sustainable Leadership mini-series. More to come. Stay tuned. And if you love the podcast, do share with colleagues, peers and friends. ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

It's another mini-series and this one is all about leadership, something which is incredibly important as we come together and take on the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced (and nope, we're not being overly dramatic). Sustainable leadership is about making a positive impact, contributing to society and the environment and, driving long-term performance for business. Sustainable leadership is a big role and a role which is open to everyone, something you'll discover as we go through this 4-part series. To kick things off, we're joined by Karen Hamilton, former Global VP for Sustainability at Unilever. Karen spent over 30 years at Unilever and worked alongside Paul Polman who believed, “sustainability can be part of the way that we fix the business”. Karen played a key part in driving the organisation to ‘make sustainable living commonplace', deliver the the Unilever “Sustainable Living Plan” – a 10 year plan with 50 time-bound targets. Karen shares how this was the start of the journey to change the organisation. Throughout this episode, Karen generously shares her wealth of knowledge and experience, talks about the different approaches she took, how sustainability was cascaded through such an enormous network of people and gives some great practical examples. Join us on this episode as we talk to Karen about: Karen's role and journey at Unilever How to mobilise and engage a global network of employees and suppliers Why transparency is so important when it comes to communicating your sustainability agenda The role of ambition when it comes to sustainability Why we all need a leadership mindset The role of marketing in driving sustainability For more, follow and connect with Karen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-hamilton-a1393a27/ A great first episode in our Sustainable Leadership mini-series. More to come. Stay tuned. And if you love the podcast, do share with colleagues, peers and friends. ________________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 

In the final episode of our ‘greening your marketing activity' mini-series, we caught up with some of our original guests to the podcast, Ollie Deane and Guy Jones from The GoodNet, the ethical intelligence company, focusing on helping ethical brands and products grow. The Goodnet firmly believe that advertising can do good in the world and, we agree with and support their mission! Ollie and Guy shared their journey since last coming on the podcast a couple of years ago, sharing what is happening in the media space. They introduced us to GoodIQ, their intelligence tool which measures sustainability metrics. They share their advice on what brands, agencies and Marketers need to be considering when it comes to making ethical media choices which not only support their organisations sustainable agendas, but help their audiences lead better, more sustainable lives. Join us on this episode as we talk to Ollie and Guy about: Ethical media, sustainability and advertising GoodIQ, their media planning and measurement tool Being more sustainable with your marketing spend and how to measure the results Upcoming regulations and how they are driving focus and conversations Whether ads are driving more awareness and sustainable behaviour in line with changing market needs? For more information about The Goodnet and GoodIQ - visit https://wearethegoodnet.com/ And to connect with them on LinkedIn - Ollie Deane and Guy Jones A great final episode in our greening your marketing channels mini-series. We did cover a few more areas in our latest book too - so you can always pick up a copy for more practical solutions. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“When it comes to including sustainability in events - we're finding the focus on sustainability is increasingly part of the client brief.” As we continue with our greening your marketing activity mini-series, we wanted to turn our attention to events. Events can be fun, they allow us to learn and connect, but they also come with a considerable footprint and impact, mainly from travel, food and that infamous swag. However, the events landscape is evolving and sustainability is an increasingly growing focal point. We met up with Matilda Riley, an expert in sustainable events. Matilda talks openly and frankly about all the different areas that events impact and how there are sustainable alternatives and choices for pretty much every element when it comes to planning and running an event. Matilda tells us that she now sees sustainability on the majority (approx. 90%) of all briefs coming in from clients, which is a big and positive step change. Sharing so many ideas, solutions and ways you can make your event not only more sustainable but, more creative, engaging and successful, you won't want to miss out. Join us on this episode as we talk to Matilda about: What you need to consider when planning and running an event How sustainability is now included on the majority of briefs How events are part of your scope 3 emissions so need to be part of your standards How to be proactive and not reactive Getting creative and doing things differently in a way that brings new life to your events for your organisation and, your audience. For more information about ECO3 and From Now - visit https://from-now.com/ And to connect with Matilde via LinkedIn - she's here Another great episode… and still more to follow in this greening your marketing channels mini-series - so stay tuned. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.        

“There's something like 7.5 million data centers around the world now, and most of them are still powered by coal and gas. One of the easiest things you can do is move your hosting.” Welcome back to the second part in our mini-series on ‘greening your marketing activities' and this episode we explored smarter, greener websites with Sepas Seraj, Founder of Pixeled Eggs. With the amount of activity that takes place online today purpose-driven digital is a must, and it's not difficult, in fact, it's super efficient, usable and can dramatically improve your organisations' performance - (giving it a ‘digital edge' as Sepas refers to it) - whilst simultaneously supporting your sustainability agendas now and into the future.  There is a staggering amount of waste when it comes to websites and many of them are woefully inefficient, yet we can start to make changes immediately, improving performance and reducing negative impact. Sepas shares tools, resources and practical advice in abundance, we can't recommend this episode enough. Join us on this episode as we talk to Sepas about: The impact of digital Understanding the opportunities to optimise your website Green hosting, videos, images, page weights and variable fonts Ways you can make your website greener, more efficient and improve its performance The need for more conversations between design teams, developers, Marketers and sustainability teams Sustainability driving improved performance time and time again Best practice, tools and resources For more information about Pixeled Eggs - visit https://www.pixeledeggs.com/ And to connect with Sepas via LinkedIn - he's here https://www.linkedin.com/in/sepasseraj/ Another great episode… and still more to follow in this greening your marketing channels mini-series - so stay tuned. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Have you ever considered the carbon footprint of your email activity?  Welcome to the first in our ‘greening your marketing activity' mini-series!  Did you know that your digital activity has a carbon footprint? Are you aware that there are better choices you can make which mean your marketing activity is greener and more sustainable, without compromising on performance and quality? Well, that's what we'll be exploring in the next few episodes. Every organisation will have to commit to decarbonisation targets, regardless of sector or size. When writing our latest book, research identified that behind R&D, marketing has the largest proportion of organisational budget. Therefore, Marketers need to consider their marketing carbon footprint if they are to align with and support their organisations' sustainability agendas. We wanted to kick this mini-series off with the second most used online channel in the world (after instant messaging) - email. Why, because we send a LOT of emails, over 300 BILLION emails a day and, as well as needing to develop better and more efficient and responsible practices when it comes to our email marketing activity, there is also the practicalities of the carbon footprint to consider. So, we spoke to James Gill, Founder of EcoSend a platform that delivers, ‘Better email campaigns. Fewer emissions.' Join us on this episode as we talk to James about: The concept  of  digital  sustainability  and  how our online  activities  have  a  carbon  footprint. The importance of understanding your email activity and how you can improve it from both a performance and sustainability perspective. What goes on behind the email platforms you use. Improving your email behaviours and practices – professionally and personally. How to drive efficiencies. How EcoSend can make the platform switch as painless as possible. This episode is packed full of insights and practical information which will get your brains whirling, so dive in and get your notebooks ready. For more information about Ecosend - visit https://ecosend.io/ And to connect with James via LinkedIn - he's here https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesjgill/ Another great episode… enjoy. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.        

Every other breath you take comes from the ocean … How much thought do you give to the products you use to clean your home? We recently took a metaphorical deep dive with Amanda Horn into her love of the ocean as part of World Ocean Day and Ocean Week (in Canada), and how important the ocean and water is to our lives. Following our chat with Amanda, we then we explored toxic free circularity with Paul Arellano Foulkes. In this episode, we continue the theme of caring for our oceans, speaking with Adam Parker over at OceanSaver, a brand on an incredible mission to “save Ocean life from the plastic pollution and harmful chemicals in 28 billion plastic cleaning products created every year.” OceanSaver make plastic-free, plant based cleaning products, and as customers, we can vouch for how good they are! Adam talks about the big picture, how the ocean itself is drowning from overfishing, plastic pollution and harmful chemicals. We discuss the need for solutions and products which do less / no harm and the need and role for us (Marketers), especially those working in the FMCG space, to think about the responsibilities we have and the stories we tell. Adam shares his experience, the approach they take at OceanSaver and the journey they are on to keep making ecofriendly cleaning products accessible, affordable and a no brainer choice for consumers. They also donate 1% of profit for ocean conversation! We love how innovative, creative and vibrant OceanSaver is, so be sure to tune in and, get them on your shopping list, you won't be disappointed. Kind to wallet and the ocean - and very effective. Tune in to hear us talk with Adam about: How we need to reconnect people with the ocean and keep educating folks on how incredibly important it is to us How to make better product choices more accessible Working with the grain of human psychology and behaviour Letting people on auto pilot make more sustainable choices Showing that sustainable choices are affordable and that people are looking for them The critical role of retailers What Marketers can be doing to support the business case for change For more information about Oceansaver - visit https://www.ocean-saver.com View their latest, fun and informative ad - meet Gareth… and enjoy the sea shanty And to connect with Adam via LinkedIn - it's here… Another great episode… enjoy. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.      

Degrowth equals greater profits – and big disruptions are coming… In this episode we got to talk to the brilliant Paul Folkes Arellano about circularity, and not just circularity, but toxic free circularity. Paul shares his knowledge, insights and experience in a space which plays a significant role in sustainability, business and societal behaviours. Paul share with us how he got into the toxic free circularity space, and shares so many examples of organisations who are doing great things with circularity, and also how collaboration and partnerships are critical to building the business case and turning circularity into meaningful business solutions that can scale. We talked about the need for Marketers to get involved, to get to grips with and understand their product lifecycle assessments by spending time with their R&D teams, and as Paul says it, “sticking your hands in the compost”. A critical part that brings with it a wealth of stories. Paul also talks about degrowth and the fact that degrowth equals greater profits. Circularity drives efficiencies, greater loyalty, less waste and, there is also huge amounts of capital to be gained from waste. This episode left us feeling uplifted and full of motivation and confirmed, once again, why we are such big advocates for circularity. Join us on this episode as we talk to Paul about: The circular economy and toxic free circularity. The opportunities and the business case for circularity. Why Marketers should be spending time in R&D labs to truly understand their products The great work being done in circularity and why full product life cycle assessments are imperative for marketers to be part of. The need for more good stories to be shared. The future of sustainability and circularity and long-term planning. For more information about Paul's work visit Circuthon Consulting. And follow his insights and great conversations via LinkedIn too. A great episode… enjoy. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

The need to reconnect to water and rebrand the ‘Big Blue'… World Ocean Day falls on June 8th and for those who haven't heard of this event, it's about “catalyzing collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate”. The ocean's role is one of the most important there is, and, water security is a real concern. But, to make such events successful in reaching global goals and targets around our oceans and water, we have to take notice, understand the challenges we face and importantly, be prepared to take action. We met with Amanda Horn, a brand marketer who fell in love with water and found a deep connection, which as she shares in this episode, changed so many areas of her life personally and, professionally when she turned her passion into a circular business looking to solve problems in the beauty industry, with water at the heart. Amanda is a strong advocate for protecting water, raising awareness of the challenges and opportunities and as she says, ‘rebranding big blue'. Water conservation – Ocean conservation – plastic solutions -  waste - water consumption – they are all connected and we have to take responsibility for them, and more importantly understand the challenges and how our behaviors and choices either speed up progress, or slow it down. When Amanda began her journey to build a responsible brand, she didn't realise how epic it would be at every single stage. She shares her learnings from the resources needed, commercial understanding, packaging needs, materials sourcing, collaboration and co-creation and what happens at the end of life of her product to make it truly circular. Join us on this episode as we talk to Amanda about: The power of connecting with water and the parallels between humans and the ocean. The importance of ocean literacy in meeting the global goal of protecting 30% of the world's ocean by 2030. The need to protect water at all costs through increasing our knowledge and conversations around what it is the most important resource we have. The “10 Challenges of the Decade”. How Marketers can make connections through story and emotion as Amanda puts it – “Rebranding the big blue”. Evolving her passion into a circular business – and how understanding every stage of the product lifecycle is critical to not only the product but the story. And here's a rallying call to action for you, our listener to get involved: World Ocean Day  https://worldoceanday.org/about/ in the lead up to World Ocean Day, explore and see what you can do. Amanda also shares her tips!  World Ocean Week  https://oceanweekcan.ca/ if you're in Canada, then you have Ocean Week, which is a public celebration of the ocean from coast to coast. Wherever you are, even if you are nowhere near a body of water, it is connected to your life, so commit to understanding a bit more, raising your awareness and taking steps to be part of the solution. For more information about Amanda Horn and Ocean Literacy, click this link. Enjoy… ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

We're only consciously aware of 0.0004% of everything around us at once…read that again! Fake news, real news, social media, pickup artists. With all the messages we see and decisions we make every day, have you ever thought about how we are constantly being nudged towards one thing or another? In this episode we explore behavioural science with Patrick Fagan and whilst all communications are design to influence and manipulate in some way, how can we (marketers / communicators) use skill, creativity and influence for good? When it comes to marketing, our role is to understand needs and desires, tune in to what people want and then talk to them about how our products and services benefit them, meeting those needs and desires and helping them to feel a particular way to purchase or engage. But, as we've talked about many times on our podcast series, we need to rethink the role of marketing, we need to evolve our stories, drive awareness, educate, shape new behaviours and get people to care enough to want to make different choices, or change behaviours. There is SO much for Marketers to take away from this conversation with Patrick - from frameworks, steps and examples to connecting the dots. It's a must listen. Tune in as we talk to Patrick about: The nuances of language and how they are ordered Nudge theory and Cialdini's 6 Principles of Influence Types of nudges - the most used and the most powerful What we can do as communicators to change behaviours through choice architecture Fear messaging Creating campaigns which cut through the noise Finding out about brain's ‘memory bouncer' For more information about Patrick Fagan, the books he's written, and the work he does - you can follow him on LinkedIn or visit https://www.patrickfagan.co.uk/ Enjoy… ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Honing in on the ‘S' of E S G – a critical component of the sustainability journey ESG – environmental, social, governance, a subject that has been an increasing topic of debate and discussion, but what about the S? In this episode we speak to Beth Knight, a leading figure in social impact and sustainability, with over 15 years' experience in purpose-led business transformation – Beth shares incredible insights as we take a deeper diver into the ‘S' for social - an area that, whilst often the least talked about, is critical for key stakeholders (employees, customers, communities) who are looking to gauge whether they want to engage. With information being more accessible, people are more vocal, and therefore, it is no longer enough for organisations to simply broadcast messages that stakeholders take at face value, without question. Beth speaks about the rise of data and sentiment monitoring to understand if your brand is doing well beyond the campaigns and how looking at the full health of your organisation is now a critical part the sustainability journey. We discuss the challenges faced by large corporations who have teams dedicated to ESG and sustainability and Beth shares some insightful ‘hacks' for SMEs who perhaps don't have the resources, but need to start or accelerate their journeys. Beth's commitment to making a positive impact is unwavering – and with her wealth of experience, we could have picked Beth's brains for hours – so many insights and examples. Tune in to hear Beth talk about: How we raise the profile of the S in ESG? The acceleration of the social impact conversation and the opportunities that align with that social side. How we advance the conversations and narrative both internally and externally. The importance of understanding the materiality assessment of an organisation and the social impact indicators within that. How as a Marketer you should be helping your organisation plan how you're going to proactively engage with key stakeholders on the ‘Social' topics. The challenges being faced by SMEs and the ‘hacks' to navigate them. The role of Social Marketing (not to be confused with social media marketing) in educating, driving awareness and changing behaviours. For more information about Beth Knight - you can visit her site. Enjoy… ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“Be the voice of the consumer who wants to do more.” ESG – environmental, social and growth, (yep you read that right), growth rather than governance. We absolutely loved that take from Sandy Skees, Purpose and Impact Global Lead at Porter Novelli. We've wanted to talk to Sandy for some time since we came across their research on the ‘Intention – Action Gap - the ‘Rise of the Conscious Consumer', when writing ‘Can Marketing Save the Planet - 101 Ways to use Sustainable Marketing as a Force for Good'. This particular piece of research looks at people's willingness to adopt changes to their behaviours, and not just by purchasing ‘green' products. Sandy shares example after example of the significant shifts that are happening with consumer appetite and behaviour - shifts which are some of the biggest indicators yet that things are starting to change, and quickly. Tune in and listen as Sandy shares many fascinating insights from the data and research and, her vast knowledge and decades of experience in this space. You'll learn: What the pressure points are in driving new mindsets. What Marketers need to do and why a focus on culture change is critical. Why one of the most important roles of business is to change societal behaviours and how communication is the most powerful way of doing this. Why communication has to be intentional. What is holding brands back. What some of the biggest challenges facing marketers are. For more information about Sandy Skees - you can visit her site. To view the research The Gap Between Say and Do - see here. Enjoy… ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“If you can change how people spend their money, you can change the world.” Social Impact, sustainable business, creative ideas and changing behaviours, these are just some of the areas that we explored with Chris Baker, strategist turned entrepreneur and CEO of Serious Tissues. With behavioural science sitting behind so many successful business models Chris talks to us about his experience across a number of social impact businesses and initiatives that he is involved with, and how a simple switch can make such a positive impact. You'll hear us discuss the growing momentum behind sustainable toilet rolls and tissues both within B2B and B2C, bamboo vs. recycled paper and the challenges and opportunities that he is currently seeing. We discuss Chris's upcoming book exploring social impact and how it's becoming more fundamental than ever for organisations, the rise of impact investing and how doing good is becoming a competitive advantage. Chris talks about the journey writing his book took him on as he spoke to multiple change brands working towards securing a more sustainable future. Chris shares so many examples, this episode will leave your minds brimming with ideas and inspiration. Join us as we talk to Chris about: Social marketing and behavioural science and why they're at the forefront of driving commercial and social good. The challenges of changing behaviours and the approaches you can take. How little changes add up and can open the door to bigger lifestyle changes. When it comes to change, the need to look at what you are doing through the lens of opportunity – and framing them as such, as opposed to a threat. The intriguing concept of disrupting from within. The need to put the right metrics behind innovation to avoid setting it up to fail from the get go. The rise of impact investing and how it can scale the good. For more information about Serious Tissues https://serioustissues.com/ And to tune in to hear Chris talking about the latest Which report about ‘loo roll', provenance and greenwashing tune in here. (You can connect with him on LinkedIn there too!). Enjoy… ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Did you know that 20% of the world's fish and meat is consumed by our pets? We didn't… and so yet again, the learning curve continues. We love having conversations with amazing brands who are pioneering, disrupting the norms and thinking outside the box with a focus on delivering social and environmental impact. Food security, the impact of food production and what we eat is an area of significant focus when it comes to wellbeing for all and transitioning to a sustainable future - something we cannot afford to ignore when considering food consumption for humans, but what about our beloved pets? We invited Alessandro Di Trapani from Grub Club onto the Can Marketing Save the Planet podcast to dive into this very subject and find out more about their insect based pet food products, the benefits to pets (and the planet) and, the important role marketing plays in the narrative and behaviour change around insect based food. We learnt so much in this episode so tune in to hear about: The only real way to drive sustainable change is to change where people spend their money. And, how we need to provide people with the options to drive change. Why having a vision and a belief in what you do can allow you to shake up an industry. Marginal and incremental steps to being more sustainable is so important and can drive real progress. How Grub Club has approached changing the narrative and telling their story which is key to overcoming some of the challenges both in terms of educating people, and changing mindsets which then leads to behaviour change. The importance of staying close to your customer - how to drive loyalty when building a community through wrapping a service around your products. Addressing the challenges of transparency, price points and education. Why creativity is so important in telling your story and how Grub Club try new ways and, channels.  For more information about Grub Club visit https://mygrubclub.com/ And connect with Alessandro via LinkedIn here. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Proving unequivocally that waste can build capital, UpCircle is a truly inspiring organisation built on circular economy principles. The circular economy presents a huge opportunity for both business and the environment so we were really excited when Anna Brightman from UpCircle, a skincare and beauty brand built from waste and, focused entirely on the circular economy principles joined us on the podcast. UpCircle fully owns the concept of circularity and builds it into every strand of their business. They have learnt how to turn waste not only into a succesful business, but a global successful business, which is continuously testing the limits of what can be done. As you'll hear, their marketing knowledge and know-how is an exemplar on how to engage with community to grow whilst doing good for the environment - which is no easy task when you consider some of the staggering impacts the beauty industry has on the planet, from the 120 billion pieces of packaging they put out every year, through to the questionable product testing practices which are still happening even in 2024. Join us on this episode as we talk to Anna about: How UpCircle entered one of the most competitive industries in the world and now sells in 50 countries, created a full packaging return scheme and grew a dedicated community who embrace not just the products, but get fully involved with the refill initiative. The challenges along the way and how they overcame them. How they built, incentivised and drive a successful refill service which their tribe as Anna calls them want to get involved with. What it takes to build an engaged community, building brand loyalty with high levels of retention and ongoing two-way conversation. The importance of working with your community on everything from product development through to growing share of voice and raising awareness of circularity and the need for behavior change. Why metrics are so important to ensure your business is moving in the right direction. Brining sustainable and commercial objectives together and how commercial metrics can deliver social impact. How every product at UpCircle is collaborative by nature – and through building partnerships with industries you might not ever put together has delivered so much impact commercially and socially.Enjoy… For more information about UpCircle visit https://upcirclebeauty.com/ And connect with Anna via LinkedIn here. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

When you view something as a competitive opportunity, you look at it totally differently - how can we go above and beyond? How can we get a real angle on this? How can we bring people with us along this process? We've had a bit of a focus or mini-series on biodiversity and nature over the last few episodes of Can Marketing Save the Planet because it is so so critical that we start to understand, talk about and most importantly take action in reducing, removing and restoring the damage that we (business and society) are doing to the environment. So, we were delighted when Gavin and Rob over at Pinwheel agreed to come back on the podcast to talk about the solutions and actions that are available today that businesses can make part of their sustainability agendas, and the compelling business case this type of investment can build across, acquisition, retention, collaboration, competitive opportunity, sales and profit. As Gavin says, these projects give, “access beyond value chain mitigation projects which repair and restore our climate and ecosystems.” The damage that has been done is staggering, there has been a 69% reduction in living species since 1970 globally and, in the UK we currently only protect 3% of land 8% of seas, well behind the 30% global target needed by 2030 set out at COP15. Biodiversity and climate are not mutually exclusive – as with everything it's all interconnected. Tune in and listen as we cover: The opportunity for brands to really get involved and for marketers to be able to tell the stories of the projects their organisations support as well as that all important progress. ·The fact business can take action now, we can start to reduce the damage, remove the legacy damage and, restore habitats immediately. Consumer demand, investor demand and changing regulations will force business to do this eventually, so why not be a pacesetter. Why investing in biodiversity is a competitive opportunity. How biodiversity is different to carbon in so many ways, yet they are so inextricably linked and addressing one helps the other and vice versa. ·Why B2B organisations are moving quickly on this. The data and insights that come from investing in biodiversity projects builds a compelling business case across the board. Enjoy… For more information about Pinwheel - see here. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“We are totally dependent on biodiversity to survive – this is not a ‘greeny' concern, this is an everyone concern.” Given nature and biodiversity is SO important to the future of humanity, we wanted to dive deeper into this important area. Following our recent episodes with the brilliant Alexandra Pimor, who works with organisations to give nature a voice and a seat at the boardroom table, we jumped at the chance to chat with Dr Sam Sinclair, a conservationist and expert on biodiversity. Sam starts with explaining what biodiversity is, and just how totally dependent we are on biodiversity to survive. There are more people and cattle than on earth today than there are wild animals – which is terrifying. We've reached a critical point where nature can no longer be a nice thing to look after. And we discuss how biodiversity loss poses a real threat to humankind. “The biodiversity field has absolutely exploded in the last year and companies all over the place are now questioning and thinking about this in really serious terms, asking what is my businesses impact on biodiversity and what can I do to reverse it?” As you'll hear we talk about developing a biodiversity strategy, and importantly how organisations can take action and make different choices. A key point Sam raises is that, “biodiversity is different to carbon as there is no single metric of measure…it's very context specific.” He goes on to explain, “what a good biodiversity strategy should do is take all the frustrating complexity and make it not frustrating…here's how it all comes together and this is where we are and this is what good looks like.” Sam talks about the shift he is seeing from organisations moving away from individual projects, towards holistic programs and it's at this point we talk about how for marketing this presents an incredible opportunity. Why? Because, people actually care about biodiversity. “Everybody has a story, everybody has a personal connection to biodiversity. This gives marketers those opportunities to craft narratives and people want to do the right thing, which is share by organisational culture.” Who doesn't want to tell engaging stories which resonate and capture people's attention, inspiring them to want to be part of the solution?”| We ask Sam about tree planting and the context and effectiveness around this well-known initiative. He explains that it is an important element, but it is a small piece of the solution. “Tree planting has great PR so people can get it, it is one unit of nature and they can see it. People don't look at grasslands and soils in the same way, understandably. Tree planting captures the imagination.” Sam shares so much wisdom and insight in this episode, it really is one for everyone so we'd encourage you to listen, and share no matter what sector, industry or role you are in. Enjoy… For more information about Sam and Biodiversify - see here. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Are you using your career to fight for the future?  In this episode we talk with Claire Osborne who has a fascinating job as a sustainability career coach. Claire works with people who are increasingly looking at where and how they work, questioning the role they can play as climate change, climate action and sustainability continue to rise up the world's agenda.   Claire talks about the challenges both business and people are facing and the research from David Graeber's work around ‘bullshit' jobs. Claire tell us that research reveals that, “37% of all roles are done by people who themselves rate them as having no positive impact in society”. She goes on to explain, there are box tickers, duct tapers, flunkies and many more categories, all of which open up many questions about the roles we spend most of our time doing. Claire shares the trends she is seeing such as people defining their own roles and setting their own purpose in work, as well as asking, how one applies the role to drive meaningful impact. Claire works with people who are trying to change the status quo, and shares with us some of the challenges that come with doing that and what you can do to feel supported, capable and less isolated in the sustainability space. We also talk about how to influence and build the business case for change and Claire shares some key principles around this and things people can be doing such as, “1. Seed-bombing, 2. Doing your research and listening for certain things within the audiences you are talking – what are their aspirations, ambivalences do they have, and what anxieties do they have? And 3. Listening in the moment, to find the 10% that the other person is right and explore that.” We dive into effective communication skills and the need to listen more, to share and have conversations, as opposed to purley broadcasting and talking ‘at' our audiences. Claire shares her view on marketing and the skills Marketers have that can be put to great use in the sustainability space, explaining… “there is a ballsy-ness and incisiveness, which we could all do with applying.” Claire believes, “Marketers can use their knowledge, the insights and research they have access to, to create clear, rather than clever messaging to help with understanding, and to bring in a rigour that doesn't overwhelm, but sells the next action, the next thing to do.” There's a lot of advice Claire shares, and she busts open some of the most prominent myths in the sustainability space, giving a wealth of practical things for listeners to take away from this episode. Enjoy and any questions… simply get in touch. From Claire's website: Working in sustainability is tough - the scale and urgency of the climate crisis can make it tough to keep moving forward with energy & focus. Frustration, exhaustion, uncertainty & overwhelm drain energy and make it harder to bring your best thinking to the challenge. One thing is for sure though; we need experienced Sustainability Leaders on the pitch. Your expertise is essential to steer the debate and drive action. Use the latest in neuroscience and behavioural psychology to set you up to be a force for change on climate. If you feel like you want to speak to Claire, you can find more on her website here: https://www.claireosborne.co.uk/

Part 2 - “We have to find the courage to do something different…” Following on from Episode 1, we delve further into the role of law in sustainability. 2023 saw a marked rise in legal cases being brought against businesses and governments, as well as the tightening of regulations and guidelines around not only what businesses can do, but what they can say. The reality Alexandra explains is “the law takes time; for case law we need the means, will and resources to bring cases forward and for legislation we need governments to listen.” Earth Law Centre supports the law, “very rarely will the law be the real generator of change, for example, the EU Green Deal – the law won't drive change at the core, the law is what will influence change, it will force it. The law is a tool, and it can be a carrot and it can be a stick.” This raises a big question for business, ‘are you going to be a pacesetter or are you going to wait to be regulated?' We definitely need more pacesetters. Alexandra talks about “Four circles of service” looking at nature on the board, in professional practice, across project development and within cultural evolution, and a need to drive the real change towards an eco-centric approach and way of thinking. She explains that, “nature governance, is about responsibility, accountability and wisdom – we have all the knowledge that we can ever want, we have access to data, expertise and technology and we know what we have to do and stop doing – the question is, do we do that?” We naturally progress into the role of leadership and the need for honesty to make the right decisions to do something good. And, also the role Marketers play, and the need to be more responsible when it comes to the stories they tell and how we need to break away from some of the conditioned thinking so that we get creative and use our imaginations again. Marketing's role in Nature governance is still very much a concept, but we need to be open to it and start to think differently. The need for a shift in consciousness is now. We discuss how ‘you' can be the change and the need to have the right conversations to grow our understanding to get to the experience you want to create. Alexandra poses another big question, which we'll leave you with, “what needs to change today in order to achieve the vision for tomorrow?” - We'd love to hear your thoughts! For more information about Nature Governance and the great work Alexandra and her team champion see here: And for more about Faith in Nature and putting nature on the board, see here: Enjoy…  

“What does business have to do with nature? The next two episodes of Can Marketing Save the Planet go DEEP! We suggest you wrap up warm, pop in your headphones, and go for a wintry walk as we catch up with Alexandra Pimor, Director of Nature Governance at the Earth Law Centre. Despite preconceptions, we (humans) are part of nature, we are not above it and we need it – it is indeed our greatest ally. We talk to Alexandra about how reimagining and reengineering our systems from a nature conscious perspective and delve into her work, looking at how we offer nature a voice, a place and a stake in our systems – for nature to be both heard and represented. Alexandra talks about a responsibility based framework - “where there is a right, there is a responsibility.” We discuss how humans and business can no longer ignore the damage we are doing and how we need to take action to address the situation collectively. As Alexandra says, “if we give nature rights, we are responsible for making sure those rights are not only upheld but understood.” Climate change may be the big headline, but climate change is a result of the loss of nature and biodiversity. Alexandra told us about her amazing work putting nature on the board, when it comes to, “tackling the temperature of the planet and addressing the core”. She believes, “there are enough of us out there to do it, but we need more cooperation and collaboration with each other and it is not a linear approach we need to address or take, it's a systemic one.”  We discuss how humans treat every earth community on the planet as a commodity, how the current systems would not exist if humans had not thought them up, and why we need to look at human behaviour and motivation to understand why we behave as we do. There is a fundamental need to let the natural systems do their thing and, there is a huge opportunity to rebuild these systems and get back to basics, being responsible human beings. Alexandra talks about the practicalities of how business can become more conscious, and makes the point that business is 100% reliant on nature. She talks about the work she did with the brand Faith in Nature, giving nature a voice, and the process they went through to make that happen. Alexandra shared the 3 critical questions which had to be answered: Legally - Can this be done within the legal framework of the UK – and what kind / type of director can nature be? The articles of association for the organisation (structural framework) – what needs to change? What do they (Faith in Nature), need to do? What are their obligations? Culture - What does the governance and practice on the ground actually look like?  Answering each of those questions and finding a way led Faith in Nature to be the first organisation to legally put nature on the board, giving nature a voice and a vote, ensuring better and more informed decisions are made. This was a truly inspiring discussion and one which couldn't stop at just one episode! Tune in and go for that walk and who knows… maybe you'll be considering putting nature on your board too. For more information about Nature Governance and the great work Alexandra and her team champion see here: And for more about Faith in Nature and putting nature on the board, see here: Enjoy… Part 2 to follow on 24th Dec ;) ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“Marketing is the management science of empathy - we need deep empathy if we want to take humanity and our economy through this massive change that we are facing.” Marketing will not save the world, but we will not save the world without marketing. In this episode we talk with Nicolas Lambert, author of, “Can Marketing Save the World”, (we know… a title very close to our hearts) and no surprises that it's a book all about marketing and sustainability, An experienced and passionate marketer, he was CEO of Fairtrade Belgium, marketing executive at Unilever, AB InBev, Heineken and BBDO - and more recently, author and lecturer. We loved delving into the practicalities of sustainable marketing with Nicolas. “Sustainability and marketing, two things that don't work together, but they should and now have to.” Nicolas places marketing as the engine of an organisation and explains the opportunity for Marketers is to “broaden the scope of interaction”. Expanding their view to include the broader stakeholder chain so they don't leave themselves with a large blind spot in their strategies. When it comes to people, planet and profit or as Nicolas calls it, “the ménage à trios” he believes this needs to be at the core of what Marketers do, but acknowledges the challenges and underlying tensions that exist in the relationship between organisations and their stakeholders as we look for solutions and balance. We covered so much in this episode with Nicolas as he shared his insights, experience and knowledge on the role of regulation, the need for Marketers to support their organisations' sustainable agendas and, that all important missing sense of urgency. Of course, we couldn't talk sustainable marketing without discussing greenwashing which Nicolas believes, “most of the time it's not because of cynicism of companies, it's not because they want to be seen as greener than they are and manipulative, I think people are just being clumsy. They have a lack of knowledge and are applying traditional marketing tactics to sustainability, and that doesn't work, and then they are surprised – because they just don't get it.” Once again the need for Marketers to be more aware and educate themselves couldn't be clearer. So, tune in and check out resources such as Nicolas's framework, the “fourteen levers to make marketing more sustainable.” he mentions which can be found here. (And don't be fooled by the title of the slide - the document is in English ;)). ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.   Marketing - The Management Science of Empathy, with Nicolas Lambert, Expert, Author, Can Marketing Save the Planet, Author, Nicolas Lambert - Can Marketing Save the World?    

“We need people to communicate in a way that gives all of us an ability to move forward in a positive direction.” The built environment – it's a massive subject, a massive industry and a massive contributor of emissions, (buildings and construction are responsible for approx. 40% of global energy related and carbon dioxide emission). There is a lot of work to be done and the challenge requires collaboration, knowledge and action at scale. We had the pleasure of talking to Brigette Clements, strategic lead at The Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) and managing director at Lowkey Architecture and Developments. With both a technical and creative background, Brigette works with, “impact driven investors on projects simply, that I believe in, and that hit the highest metrics of sustainability.” We wanted to explore the role ACAN plays and the work they do in trying to drive “change”. Brigette explained they have three main aims, 1) decarbonise now, 2) ecological regeneration and 3) cultural transformation. The focus of ACAN is across a broad range of issues, from the circular economy through to existing buildings and retrofit and climate literacy and professional standards. Big on action and output, their work delivers resources, knowledge and awareness across their network and beyond (you don't have to be in the built environment to be a part of ACAN and their work). With policies, trends and needs changing in the built environment faster than ever before, the need to be educated, aware and up to date is critical. But, as Brigette points out, it's one thing sharing how great you are on social media, but, “nobody is really coming out to talk about their failures or their lack of knowledge which is something we need. We need to build on the knowledge of others, learn from the mistakes of others.” Something Brigette is challenging as it slows progress. And a common theme from many of our podcast guests - calling for shared, lived experience. A highly complex industry we discuss the issues, the politics, the activism, the challenges and the opportunities. Brigette shares her knowledge, experience and views on what is happening and what needs to happen. A firm believer that communication and the stories we tell are some of the strongest tools we have, Brigette adds, “we are designers and we are problem solvers, we are thinkers, we've got all the tools around us, we've got a lot of knowledge, we just need a bit of energy and collective action to make it happen.” Whether you're a professional in the built environment or a citizen who lives in it, tune in to hear for yourself why it's critical that we understand what is happening and take responsibility in driving progress towards a more sustainable future. More information about ACAN can be found here. Where you'll find information about their work and meet-ups. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“There's really no way you can say you don't know this is a dangerous activity at this point” Making a return to the podcast, we caught up with Duncan Meisel, founder of Clean Creatives, so we could talk about the newly published F-List. For anyone unfamiliar, Clean Creatives, is a movement of advertisers, PR professionals, and their clients cutting ties with fossil fuels.The F-List is a body of research and report which documents agencies who choose to continue working with fossil fuel organisations despite the scientific consensus that what they do is destroying the planet. It really doesn't get much clearer than that. We dive straight into this conversation finding out what has been happening with the Clean Creative campaign, its progress and of course, that infamous F-List. Duncan reveals that over 800 agencies have now taken the pledge including their first large agency (over a 1000 employees). When looking at the agencies who have made the bold commitment no to work with fossil fuel organisations vs, those who are on the F-List, Duncan points out, “there's really no way you can say you don't know this is a dangerous activity at this point” – the F-list is just highlighting to people those agencies who are choosing to ignore all the warnings. The F-List has evolved over the last 3 years, with more focus on the data, the sources and as Duncan explains, they were able to do both a global and multilingual search this time. They also had a much shorter reporting timeframe, “this year we tried to be really precise and look for agencies that were doing work right now in 2022 and 2023, the hottest years in human history.” We discuss the fact that despite all the evidence, the F-List agencies continue to try and defend their work, and the role the 800+ agencies committed to the Clean Creatives pledge have in telling their stories about change and progress. The more we share our work on the good stuff, the solutions and the opportunities around that the more we can work together to move away from those things that do the most harm. This conversation is one not to miss, whether you work for an agency or with agencies, it's important to be aware of the F-List and the work that Clean Creatives are doing. For more information about Clean Creatives - https://cleancreatives.org/ And if you catch this podcast in time to join Duncan and the Clean Creatives team in London for their Happy Hour on the 31st October - there's an invitation and more details to that event here. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together.

Carrying on from Part 1, this episode jumps straight into the tactical side, where Caroline shares her views on the opportunities around digital, making the point that, “listening for a business is such a wealth of value which can be done in an automated way, and is the way forward to be commercially successful.” Moving on to metrics and measures an area with many questions but not enough answers yet, we talked about how we have to go beyond the corporate metrics of revenue and profit. Whilst these are still important metrics, the need to broaden out what we measure and what ‘good performance' looks like is critical. Caroline explains that influence was a big deal at IBM, influence and reputation metrics are valuable both from a B2B and B2C perspective. But….and this is important, Caroline points out in when it comes to why people buy from and engage with you, “the big challenge for marketers is, those reasons have to be authentic, they have to be real, there has to be credibility behind them.” The ability to look broadly, do the right thing and meet all the points of value creation are what make marketing and indeed this conversation so interesting. Caroline shares some top actions she believes marketers need to be doing and of course we ask her that all important question, ‘Can marketing save the planet?' This is not one to be missed, it will leave you with so much to think about and take forward, so tune in, listen and tell us what you think… ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“There are four questions every business needs good answers to. Why would anyone want to buy from us? Why would anyone want to work for us? Why would anyone want to invest in us? Why would anyone allow us to operate in their community, society?” It's another two-parter and in this episode (Part 1), we dive into the role of CMOs and leaders when it comes to the sustainability agenda. We were joined by Caroline Taylor OBE, former CMO for IBMs international business and a huge advocate for ‘adding value in many other places in the world.' Already aware of sustainability back in the early 2000's Caroline got really focused in the mid 2000's when IBM was doing work in ‘green IT' and 2% of global carbon emissions were attributed to IT. Caroline explains, “I was very struck with the notion…but what about the other 98% and how we might use technology to mitigate that?” It was at that point she fell down the sustainability rabbit hole and started looking into how IBM could become a greater part of the solution whilst at the same time, find new ways to differentiate. As well as looking for answers externally, Caroline talks at depth about the need to changes hearts and minds on sustainability internally, and raises the important point that to do this effectively requires conversations which focus on, “why this is a business opportunity as opposed to being a really important thing to do.” Caroline explains, “learning how to shift my focus from here's a brilliant marketing idea, to here's a brilliant business idea that's going to make us money, our shareholders will love us, but it's going to be tapping into something that is really important societally at the same time, is a win, win, win.” And, when it comes to stakeholder engagement we have to understand that, “enlightenment is important but the self-interest is real – we have to think about all of our stakeholder and what's in it for them” The need for leaders to recognise and see the opportunity in sustainability is so critical to balancing the triple bottom line and protecting the sustainability of their business. This episode explores the need for investment, the shift away from short-term thinking and strategising and the very real, tough choices and prioritisation that organisations need to make. Caroline also shares her insights into the role B2B marketing and business plays….for marketing she says it's about “taking all the smart marketers that care and taking them outside of their day jobs to figure out how to use all those marketing skills to educate and engage and empower people to make better choices.” And, we couldn't agree more, the case for education and awareness and the significant role and opportunity marketers and leaders have really shines through in this episode. So, tune in and listen, and don't forget there's Part 2 in two weeks time where we continue the conversation, delving into the tactical side of marketing, the importance of listening and the challenge of what to measure when it comes to value creation around driving a more sustainable marketing agenda. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“Being sustainable is a story of assumed negatives, but it's actually a story of discovered positives.” We were joined in this episode by Simon Garnett who has been on a personal journey with consumption, one which he started when he realised his own habits were unhealthy, a journey he continues and has taken into his professional life as well. Simon shares with us the moment he decided to reappraise his consumption with ‘new' and how after a year it moved to him reappraising his consumption overall. Simon explains, whenever he tells anyone his story he gets asked two questions “after a year of not consuming, what was the first things you bought and, what did you miss?” These questions only made it clearer for Simon that, “the engagement with this story, the engagement with the concept of not buying new, is absolutely, integrally rooted in a concept of loss. But, from his perspective and experience it was the total opposite, and as the headline to this episode highlights, “It's a story of assumed negatives, which is actually a story of discovered positives.” We go on to explore the tensions that exist once you embark on a more sustainable way of living and the challenge of taking what you've learned to influence others at scale. Simon explains that he wants to create meaning around consumption and highlight that is isn't about success and it definitely shouldn't be viewed as inconvenient if you decide to cut down or buy second-hand. For Simon, marketing has been primarily about “driving consumption of new, and consumption of new is what equals success.”  Sustainability is often associated with having less, or being told you can't have something and Simon acknowledges that the message we need to consume less is a strong one, but given how much we waste, how can that be a loss if we don't even use what we do buy.  Michelle shares a recent room refurbishment, something she found incredibly creative, down to the paint which she got through the sharing app, Olio. Through this journey Michelle discovered a number of services she didn't know existed and that sense of not just taking the convenient route brought a deeper feeling of fulfilment. However, she points out the reason she hadn't heard of these services, is because they are not being talked about enough. There are so many stories not yet being told. Simon worries that the sense of “build it and they will come” risks relying on platforms and infrastructure to deliver and make re-commerce successful with a great user experience but it's not, it's about the stories we need to be telling. Simon explains, “what we're competing with is not just inconvenience, but decades of messaging that new equals success and second hand is a bit dirty and undesirable.” Marketing has such an important role, and Simon believes we can rewrite the story. There are many discovered benefits to sustainable living. What is your experience? Tune in and listen to this episode and make it a personal objective to share your personal stories and experiences, after all, we all need to be shouting louder when it comes to the benefits. And to join the Re-commerce Revolution LinkedIn group Simon mentions - the link is here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14191082/ _______________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“Through marketing campaigns we can bring sustainability and growing smaller more sustainable brands to the front and drive capital away from big brands.” Where better to get the viewpoints from Gen Z about climate concerns and consumption habits than directly from a Gen Z'er. On this podcast were joined by Estella Struck, Founder and CEO of the first Gen Z Sustainable Product Marketing Agency based in New York. Estella found herself on the right side of TikTok during the lockdowns of 2020 and it was from here that her passion for sustainability was ignited.  Coming out of the pandemic armed with her increased knowledge of the challenges around sustainability, Estella noticed the shifts in weather patterns. She also became more aware of what brands were saying in order to try and influence where Gen Z spend their money and drive consumption. Whilst Estella acknowledges there are some barriers when it comes to sustainable brands engaging with Gen Z such as location, accessibility and levels of disposable income, she believes there is a huge opportunity in reaching Gen Z through social media in a way that can raise awareness and change behaviours, encouraging them to put their money into sustainable brands supporting them in making sustainability more affordable. Estella tells us, “what we see and what we consume influences what we do and how we act in our daily lives, our recent research revealed that Gen Z is more likely than any other generation to shop via social media”. Long form content may not always be an option on social, but creating a series is a powerful way to build awareness and knowledge whilst as she puts it “still provides that dopamine hit from the action of scrolling and seeing a new video.” Estella believes her generation are sceptical of large corporates who launch sustainable lines or schemes, but more than that many Gen Z work in retail and see first-hand the levels of product, packaging and waste. She would like to see corporations doing more to reduce their impacts and address issues in their supply chains. Until they start doing that it will always come across as a cash grab and greenwashing. Estella is all for supporting and growing smaller more sustainable organisations, she is a believer in social movements putting pressure on brands to change, but sustainability isn't as front of mind as it needs to be, but as she states, “I know through marketing campaigns that we can bring it to the front and drive capital away from big brands.” Estella shares her knowledge of social media both from a personal and professional perspective, and the work her agency does to ensure authenticity is an absolute priority. She is conscious that large audiences are left out and explains, “my goal to start an agency was to make the sustainability community more inclusive and encompassing so they felt like they had a place here because in the end sustainability isn't just an environmental issue but an everyone issue”. Wise words indeed. This is a podcast we encourage organisations big and small to tune into if they are serious about wanting to drive change. Estella and her generation have the most to lose if we do not change the course we are on, they are also a key driver of change across people, planet and profit. The fears are real and we all need to take responsibility and play our part.  For more information about Estella and Viviene NY see: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viviene-new-york _______________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“Building a culture of trust around green claims is the most important thing marketers, business and brands should be doing, using advertising self- regulation as a tool, making sure everyone is upholding those standards.” As regulations and guidelines in and around sustainability continue to evolve, tighten up and support a better future around managing both what we do AND say, we spoke to Laura Brett whose remit is to lead the US system of advertising self-regulation looking at advertising claims to make sure what is being said is the truth, (like the Advertising Standards Agency – ASA, in the UK). Laura makes it clear from the outset, that as a body, they look at one simple standard, and that is, “that advertising claims are truthful and not misleading, which also means you have to be transparent when advertising to consumers.” Greenwashing continues to make headlines globally with organisations being called out, investigated, or having their ads banned, whether due to misleading information, not telling the full story or only focusing on the ‘good' whilst omitting the bad. All of which is incredibly damaging to people, planet and the organisations themselves. Laura begins by explaining that actually, most complaints about claims in the US are brought to them not by consumers, but by competitors, one organisation challenging another. As she puts it, “the adversarial system is alive and well!” Laura goes on to explain that “the BBB National Programmes also open claims themselves both from consumers and from their own observations.” During our discussion we discuss how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are currently in the process of reviewing their ‘Green Guides' and inviting comment. Whilst the FTC do this every 10 years, Laura explains that this time round it feels particularly important because advertising needs to be held to a certain standard if we are to make progress in tackling the social and environmental challenges we face. The ‘Green Guides' are incredibly valuable for Marketers in terms of providing guidance, they can also be used to highlight what is being talked about and where gaps in knowledge might be. Any marketer looking at the guides should as a baseline know what the terms in them mean, and if they don't they need to go and find out. Laura talks about organisations who make carbon neutral claims without an achievable plan, and how if claims are going to be made, a plan has to be in place to show the pathway they are taking to meet that claim, even if that plan changes. Laura believes the FTCs focus is on closing the gaps in the ‘Green Guides'. The real issue however in amongst all of this isn't whether one gets into trouble with the regulator, but the continued erosion of trust and that is where the damage really impacts brands in terms of reputation and culture - making them unfavourable to consumers and people not wanting to work for them.  Another valuable episode for both Marketers in the US and, Marketers marketing to the US, providing advice and support to you as key stakeholders in supporting your organisations' sustainable agendas, as Laura states, “building a culture of trust around green claims is the most important thing marketers, business and brands should be doing, using advertising self- regulation as a tool, making sure everyone is upholding those standards.” So tune in and listen! Marketers can stay up to date with what is happening across advertising in the US by visiting: https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings https://bbbprograms.org/programs/advertising/all-programs#decisions _______________________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

How do you get a return on your investment for your business, AND at the same time deliver a return on investment for the planet, ensuring everyone benefits? In this episode we're joined by Gavin Sheppard and Rob Cheesewright from Pinwheel, an organisation focused on projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere, restore habitats and protect biodiversity - to discuss that very question. Given there's a lot of terminology that can become quite confusing, we kick things off with some jargon busting diving into offsetting, carbon capture and, carbon removal. Offsetting has been the subject of controversial debate recently, as some argue it's ineffective and many schemes are a ‘license to pollute', and so it's really important do the homework around what is out there, not taking things at face value, and remembering that the focus has to be on reduce, reduce, reduce. When it comes to carbon capture and carbon removal, these are very different things, but, again there is confusion with the terms being mixed, up, used interchangeably and not really telling the story that allows informed decisions and progress to be made. Whilst they both make up a critical part of the Net Zero journey, they also play very different roles (you'll need to listen in to find out more!) Gavin tells us, “the science tells us that businesses need to do three things. The first is, reduce your own emissions and the impact on the planet, but it's much broader than carbon, and that's inside your value chain. Outside of your value chain you need to do two other things, remove legacy carbon and waste, investing in projects that do that in a high quality way, and the third thing we need to do is restore, and it's these last two parts that Pinwheel helps with.” It is the high quality restoration projects that have a conclusive response to the sizeable issues we are facing. Where marketing comes in (as we talk about so often on this podcast) is the communication piece around what are complex solutions, translating in a way that is engaging, motivating and helps people understand, and more importantly, want to understand and take action. The carbon removal projects Pinwheel fund around the world do just that. Not only are they are effective and restorative, they are a massive opportunity to tell some really inspiring stories which grab the attention of people, build trust and make them part of making a positive difference and, they make you smile. [Indeed, Can Marketing Save the Planet is investing in such projects for that very reason - and you can get involved in that too - more on that later!]. From a marketing perspective, it's all about shifting mindsets, a vital step if we are to change behaviours. Rob raises the point around the mindset shift to ‘contribution' being so important, he explains, that it, “decouples the harm being done on one side to the good on the other, the problem with compensation approaches, or offset or carbon neutral is it aims to say, don't worry, the harm hasn't happened, we've neutralised it, the contribution mindset says, we just need to contribute to the biggest impactful things we can, it is not seeking to edge away the other stuff.” The bottom line is, we need to create a balanced ecosystem where life can thrive on this planet, and as Gavin simply says, “stop covering up the shit that we've done”. So, where to start? Pinwheel recommends the WWF blueprint… (link below). And we, working alongside Pinwheel, encourage everyone to not only listen to this episode, (it's full of advice business needs to know, and start doing), but to also go over to our Can Marketing Save the Planet investment fund - and get involved and start making a difference. Every £ helps. We're focused on three projects: Seagrass restoration - ocean based - big impact  Wolf protection - critical and seldom talked about Forest restoration in the Andes - we need to support forest restoration desperately. Get involved here: https://www.pinwheel.earth/can-marketing-save-the-planet For more projects head over to the Pinwheel website. Remember, this isn't a cost, it's an investment in the future of everything. WWF Blueprint - https://www.wwf.org.uk/blueprint-pr19 ____________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“If you ever think you are too small to influence change on a global scale, just look at what Wales are doing.” We were intrigued and excited to have the opportunity to chat with Sophie Howe, the first and only (for a period of time) ‘Future Generations Commissioner' in the world! Sophie was appointed Future Generations Commissioner for Wales in 2016. Wales has committed to 7 long-term wellbeing goals for future generations. This is all about a long term vision, preventing future problems, working collaboratively and involving citizens, (and importantly, it's a legal obligation - rather than a pledge). As Sophie advises… “It's the law, you have to do it,” - and this is the difference, tangible accountability! As Sophie shares how the commitments have come into play and the practicalities of embedding them, she explains how Wales has committed to stop spending money in building roads which when taking a long-term view, is a public health intervention. 14-15% of emissions in the country come from transport, and by reducing emissions from road transport there are multiple future benefits triggered, from emissions reduction through to health and wellbeing and opportunities being opened up for investment in a better public transport system - all of which collectively benefit society now and in the future. Sophie raises many important points and examples around the interconnectedness of the challenge we all face when it comes to building a more sustainable future and how we need to make those connections when building strategies, planning investment, timescales and resource; “By not taking a joined up approach, we're completely missing opportunities - so, we need to be thinking about what we do, and how its going to affect both now and into the future, asking how does it make the biggest contribution to wellbeing.” The Future Generation Goals have brought people together, its changed the conversation both for the public sector and the private sector, Sophie tells us how industries operating in Wales are coming to them to ask how they can be part of delivering against the wellbeing goals. This has had a positive impact on how business is planned and operates, from point of tender through to selection and delivery, providing more security and stability. When it comes to communities it's a bit more of a mixed bag, with views being divided (as you'd expect) depending on the impact to where people live. However, it is bringing politicians, businesses and communities together, awareness is growing, and the opportunity to educate is also increasing as people look to understand why decisions and actions are happening. The heart of this conversation and the actions taking place in Wales clearly evidence that we are all responsible for our future, and as Sophie points out, “as much as we criticise our politicians, actually we as citizens are as much to blame because we often demand that they do short term things.” Brave leadership, shared communication and participation is an absolute must. We recommend everyone listens to this episode, it is a wonderful example of rising to the challenge of making meaningful yet challenging commitments and leading the way. By the end of it, we had our bags packed ready to move to Wales (well I did, Gemma is considering Costa Rica ;)).   For more information about The Future Generations ‘Acting today for a Better Tomorrow' - see here: https://www.futuregenerations.wales/ And to stay connected to the great work Sophie is championing - her LinkedIn profile is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-howe-57a62186/ ____________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.    

The challenge for the marketing team is, “needing to take what are serious and complex issues and convey them in a format that is easily understandable.” Want to know how marketing can drive a “people powered movement for change?” THIS is the episode you don't want to miss. We jumped at the opportunity to talk to Jackie Marshall at Fairtrade an organisation with market leading levels of audience recall, awareness and engagement. One of the most trusted and recognised ethical labels out there today across a multitude of products we see as we do our weekly shop, from coffee to cocoa and wine to flowers. Coming up to their 30th anniversary, Fairtrade have always placed workers and farmers at the heart of their work using their platform to facilitate and amplify their voices fighting for their rights, land, health and future. Their transition to a new global branding called ‘The Future is Fair' is, as Jackie tells us, “all about embedding the purpose of our work into the brand and moving to a more optimistic lens for the future and enabling a unified approach, which is really important given the increasing global connectedness of the challenges we are facing.” Supply chains are a critical part of the value chain and they are facing increasing challenges and direct impacts from climate change, Jackie talks about how farmers have a wealth of knowledge in tackling climate change but increased heatwaves and drought, combined with strong rainfall and flooding is placing huge pressures on them, and when you add to that the fact that many don't earn a living wage, (a cocoa farmer can earn as little as 74p per day), the work Fairtrade do is so needed in ensuring farmers are paid fairly and receive the Fairtrade Minimum Price which is consistent and enables them to not only live their daily lives, but to plan ahead and come up with solutions to keep their crops alive and thriving. You'll have to tune in to hear some of the incredible ways they do this. At Can Marketing Save the Plane we're consistent about the significant role marketing plays in driving a more sustainable future and the importance of the words and language we use. Jackie explained how the marketing teams at Fairtrade's biggest challenge is, “needing to take what are serious and complex issues and convey them in a format that is easily understandable.” You'll hear how they wrap their messages into marketing activation which is relevant and motivating to their audience, and critically in a way which makes people care about something that they don't see and that happens thousands of miles away. Now that is powerful marketing! Showing the impact of what buying Fairtrade products does, large campaigns, using research and insights from their audiences and shared activations are just some ways the marketing team meet their objectives, and their results speak for themselves. Tune in to hear the details – SO MUCH value and learning that all Marketers can take from this. We love Fairtrade and all the wonderful and important work they do, they and their marketing teams are a true exemplar in driving a “people powered movement for change”. This is sustainable marketing at its absolute best! For more information about The Fairtrade Foundation… Linked in - The Fairtrade Foundation  Twitter- @FairtradeUK URL - www.fairtrade.org.uk And to connect with Jackie Linked in - Jackie Marshall  Twitter - @J_Marshall__ ____________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.        

“Climate change isn't a game that anybody wins – we either all win or we all lose and I'd much rather we all win”. Where to start with an overview of this insightful, practical and hugely inspiring conversation. Simon Dawes, environmental professional for over 20 years and working in the field of sustainability for the last 13 years, is generous in sharing with us the practicalities of how a public sector organisation is transitioning to Net Zero - and inspiring, supporting and sharing knowledge and best practice with others along the way. We discuss the commitment to net zero, and importantly, how the organisation has had to figure out exactly how to meet 2030 targets. Which in his own words has meant a ‘fundamental change to the way we think, act and make decisions in the business.' The lion share of most organisations' emissions lie in the supply-chain (Scope 3) - and so too with the Environment Agency, around 84% of their emissions. And Simon tells us how it is important that suppliers are also on the same net zero journey - and how for public sector for large contracts (any contract for over £5M), suppliers have to provide a carbon reduction plan and without that in place they won't make it onto the tender list. This leads to discussion about how there is room for the Environment Agency to help and drive change in the supply chain.. “Delivering on our own footprint would be good – but if we can influence a whole lot of other companies to do the same, that's even better.” Diving deeper into the practicalities of the transition, we talk about how the Environment Agency has designed and rolled out Carbon Literacy. “We want everybody in the orgnaisation to understand that their job is actually a climate job they are helping us achieve net zero.” Simon shares how they planned, designed, communicated and rolled out Carbon Literacy training - starting with senior execs and how within a relatively short period of time, their voluntary programme has engaged 9300 of their 12,000 employees - and shares how this is changing the culture of everyone understanding the role they play - and the results they're achieving. {They've also made the programme available to their suppliers - supporting their education, awareness and transitions too - and Simon chairs a climate action charity, where the Carbon Literacy programme is also being delivered, giving people the knowledge and language to work things through in their own minds and apply to their own worlds). “Carbon Literacy is helping people to understand I can do something about this. I might not be working in the sustainability team – but I can do something.”   We then dive into the Environment Agency's approach to carbon budgets. Every director int he business owns a chunk of the emissions, and therefore owns the actions. He tells us ‘‘We're very used to making decisions about finite amounts of cahs, so exactly the same principle applies with a finite amount of carbon. Can I afford this? Have I got enough cash? Can I afford this? Have I got enough carbon?” The design of carbon budget has raised a whole new set of questions, can you overspend, do you borrow from next year or other divisions etc - and he shares how they have created frameworks and dashboards to help people understand that the decisions they make have carbon consequences as well as cash consequences. We talk about where the ‘right' marketing can really help with shifting mindsets to a different way of operating. The cultural change piece particularly around the business model. Encouraging different behaviours both internally and externally - moving away from take, make, dispose to circular models. Helping people to understand that there is huge value and kudos in circular and regenerative principles. And how marketing has an amazing role to play in making that socially cool rather than having a new shiny thing.   Regardless of size or sector, there is so much packed into this conversation about decarbonisation, net zero road maps, employee engagement, supply chain engagement and the power of participative leadership, generosity and collaboration. And in our usual three questions Simon leaves us with the urgent and important reminder that…  “There is no business on a dead planet.' “Think slow, act fast.”   For more information about Simon Dawes - his LinkedIn profile is here . And for more about The Carbon Literacy Trust - and the spotlight on the Environment Agency - see here . ____________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

  Less than 10% of the FTSE100 mention sustainable pensions in their sustainable strategies.   We have been supporting and following the work Make My Money Matter do for quite some time now, so we were thrilled to be joined by Holly McElhone to delve a little deeper into the trillions of pounds that are circulating everyday across investments and pensions and to learn more about what business and indeed individuals can do to drive positive change. Switching to sustainable pension providers can have a massive impact on transitioning to a more sustainable future, but as Holly explains, ‘one of biggest barriers to more organisations getting on board is an awareness issue followed by apathy and the moving of investments being seen as a bit of a ‘hassle. However, greening your pension is TWENTY ONE times more impactful than going veggie, stopping flying and switching to a renewable energy provider'. It's a no brainer! Holly believes, “ESG isn't an option, it's not a nice to have, it should be across your whole portfolio and your default investment funds should be sustainable. As we look to transition, fossil fuels will become a stranded asset.” During the conversation we explore how to communicate more effectively, Holly explains, ‘firstly, we need more choice, better communication and jargon needs to be removed to make way for more action'. Then there is a need to consider the different audiences we have, making the story relatable and using influential people to raise awareness. Holly talks about the campaigns Make My Money Matter have rolled out (see show notes for links), all designed to educate, raise awareness and encourage action through simplifying the message. We also discuss how collaboration is critical to progress, with Make My Money Matter approaching and working with individuals, influential figures from their founder Richard Curtis, actor Emma Thompson through to climate leaders such as Christiana Figueres, and then Government focusing on policy and regulation. This episode has something for everyone and if there is one message we ask our listeners to take, it's go to Make My Money Matter's website, find your pension fund (it takes a couple of clicks) and ask them in an email to make sure they are committed to Net Zero. Holly explains that currently the infrastructure can't support a mass ‘switch', the power begins with getting the providers onboard to ensure the infrastructure is in place as soon as possible. The investment figures you'll hear are eye-watering! Some action steps for listeners: Write to the CEOs of the Big Five UK high street banks and ask them to stop financing new oil, gas and coal projects – it's just two clicks. https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/openletter/ Contact your pension provider and ask them to drive real climate action – it's just two clicks. https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/21x/ Sign their petition calling on UK pension schemes to commit to tackling deforestationhttps://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/what-is-your-pension-paying-for/  Make My Money Matter can't give financial advice – however individuals who would like to make a more immediate change and switch can find some great guides over at Good with Money. Top 9 ethical funds - https://good-with-money.com/2023/05/12/top-9-ethical-pension-funds/#:~:text=Top%20performers%20with%20strong%20sustainable,the%20Pictet%20Multi%2DAsset%20Portfolio. You can also look to switch to a bank that doesn't finance the fossil fuel industry – of which there are a select few already out there! ____________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player and via The Marketing Society. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

“Consistency of message is what builds trust and we're going to need that come 2028 when we realise how badly we failed.” Sam Taylor, grew up on the factory floor (literally). From her lived experience and passion, she has gone on to become founder of The Good Factory an organisation involved in everything from consulting, sourcing and development and lifecycle assessments in the sportswear industry. Sam talks about how whilst studying, she was told after delivering her final project that, she “didn't understand the clothing industry”, - in reality, she was way ahead of everyone else and could see what was coming much earlier. In this episode we dig into lifecycle assessments and why they are such an important part of the business process, and something marketers increasingly need to have a greater awareness and interest. We talk about sustainability frameworks, why they need much more work, a more consistent approach and a massive dose of rigour around them, as well as the importance of bringing in localised information. Sam talks about controversy around the Higg Index, [rebranded May 16th to Worldly], a suite of tools developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coaltion (SAC) to help companies in the leather, footwear and apparel value chain measure sustainability, - and why some brands are ditching it…, she explains, “the reason they are removing consumer facing information is because it was found to be misleading, they couldn't support the information with enough data, so had to go back to the drawing board and bring in more experts”. This is an all too common issue when it comes to sustainability data, but as you'll hear, Sam is hopeful that the right data can support better practice. We go on to discuss regulation and its role in making the landscape fair and comparable. Sam believes, “governments play a lot bigger part than the industry would like, and it will get bigger, and, “where it will become more enforced is through import laws, as opposed to being marketing based, around claims.” Talking more about regulation, we move on to talk about the lifecycle of products, an area where things have changed considerably, but why? And as Sam explains, “we (the brands) are determining the lifecycle.” This episode covers a number of topics in the apparel industry - which of course are comparable and relevant to so many other industries; lifecycle assessments, carbon budgets and the creativeness surrounding them, data - what is and isn't available and the realities of transparency. Sam advises all marketers when presented with briefs, ideas, instruction and campaigns - to ask and to keep asking, “where does this fit into our sustainability strategy?” A real eye opening conversation on so many levels and one we will certainly be delving into again with Sam in the future. ____________________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and if you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

A sustainable creative agency on a journey to make positive change, we caught up with Rob Minto, managing director of The Onlii. Rob talks about his own journey into sustainability, how he was inspired by the B Corp movement and why he set up the Onlii. Aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Rob discusses how these really helped to embed the environment and the bigger picture into the business strategy, he explains, “as part of the collective we went through a process of selecting some of the UN SDGS that we as a business would proactively target and that we could proactively influence”. He goes on to talk about how they work with those SDGs, and how every decision is done through an SDG lens, even going so far as to aligning them and embedding them into everyone's personal objectives. Something that has been hugely inspiring and motivational. Making The Onlii a ‘force for good', Rob talks about how they are continuously learning all the time, and that sustainability is more than just a one off campaign, “we all need to be more aware and look at the whole picture”. In relation to clients, Rob acknowledges that there is a lot to do and that some clients may not be ready for a sustainability focus yet, but they are trying to edge them onto that journey.  We talk about how there are still many challenges around business and marketing transformation in the sustainability space and why it's more important than ever to continue asking big uncomfortable questions and coming up with solutions that ultimately drive things forward. As is the essence of our work, marketing and advertising has a huge role to play in positioning things differently, really considering its impact and very simply, doing what you say you're going to do. We all have a responsibility to do better and educate ourselves and Rob believes this needs to be led from the top. The appetite to change has got to improve otherwise as Rob explains, “those agencies and brands who don't come on the journey will get left behind and won't be here in 10 years”. If you want a great example of how to truly embed sustainability into your business, motivate those around you and get people thinking differently, then tune in and have a listen. There are some brilliant ideas in this one!  Since recording we noticed that all the team on The Onlii took our ‘100 Points Challenge' - and they gave us some excellent feedback on how it's inspired them to keep learning. A simple take away you can do for yourself - or indeed create as a team challenge. More on our 100 Points challenge here - and more on Rob and The Onlii here. ________________________________________________________________ You'll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and if you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We're all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

  “How can organisations treat people as citizens, not just as consumers? How can organisations invite people into their agency and creativity to shape the world and not just sell them stuff?”   When Jon Alexander, author of the brilliant book ‘Citizens' joined us on Can Marketing Save the Planet, we got straight into those questions! The subject story, the consumer story (where we are right now), and the citizen story, (the place we need to get to). Jon explained how we are currently trying to solve such disconnect from within the consumer story - “you just can't solve an inequality crisis from a story of competition and status, or a story that says humans are separate from nature.” And, “What are we doing to ourselves when we constantly call ourselves consumers?” The citizen story is all about taking ownership and getting involved, with everyone participating sharing their ideas, creativity and energy. And why is that so important, well because as Jon puts it, “all of us are smarter than any of us.” We talk about the role marketing has played in the consumer story and what it will take to mobilise people in a different direction. Jon is a massive advocate for giving people space, ‘cognitive oxygen' - and believes we can't even begin to look at the role marketing plays until we stop and allow people to pause and think. He raises that perhaps we need to look at where marketing shouldn't be in people's lives, asking, “should there be a limit on advertising to children, and limits on outdoor advertising and product placement?” Jon thinks these kind of conversations are powerful and interesting, both for people and organisations, and we were in absolute agreement, these are the kind of conversations which bring about transformational thinking and change. We delved into what the role of marketing might be in the citizen story. Jon believes the people in marketing can play a series of important roles, but people ‘need to be treated as participants in the process', an area Marketers need to focus in on more. We raised questions such as ‘what happens when you give people a role and how do you collaborate and co-create to give people solutions that matter?' We talked community, hearts and minds and the process of ‘respect, connect, reflect and only then direct'. Jon shares story after story, packed with ideas, insights and stuff that not only motivates, but will make you smile. The idea of a future based on the Citizen story is one which fills us with hope and joy, and one where we can dare to imagine a fairer, better and more sustainable future. There is so much to take in, so we'll leave you to tune in and reflect. For more on Jon and his work visit…https://www.jonalexander.net/ And the How to Citizen project he shared with us via Baratunde - see ‘How to Citizen' here https://www.howtocitizen.com/