Watch Neil’s interview with Gemma Butler, CIM Marketing Director
My thoughts from the CIM Sustainability Summit 2022
Neil Wilkins shares his thoughts and observations of the key marketing challenges, issues and opportunities from the CIM Sustainability Summit 2022.
Key topics discussed included circular economy, collaboration, unlocking the potential, designing the process of sustainability in our businesses, carbon literacy, normalising sustainability, changing the way we talk about marketing sustainability and why it’s important to stop using the word ‘consumer’.
Neil will be interviewing a number of the speakers from the Summit for this podcast and doing deeper dives into the hot topics in the coming episodes.
Gemma Butler said, “Progress Drives Hope”… so the message is quite simple… as marketers we need to simply begin the journey. We need to upskill, make ourselves aware of the issues and then start. Start by taking the first step, no matter how small, because progress drives hope.
The Competitive Story
70% of people purchase from brands aligned with their values
70% would pay 35% more for sustainable products
70% staff retention for businesses with strong sustainability plans
Carbon Literacy
Frame the climate crisis around where people are and their values
Systemic change comes from changing at an individual level
Get on with it and tell the story
Empower Your People
Create a sustainability network within and around your business
Drive change together, responsibly
Through empowerment, comes commitment
Circular Economy
Unlock the potential in your ‘stuff’
Consider a subscription model to replace encouraging over-consumption
Businesses have more money and potential than many countries
Normalise The Conversation
Check out the Green Claims Code
Watch out for green-hushing as well as green-washing
Own it, to believe it
What’s Your Why?
Because policy says you have to?
Because your competitors are doing it?
Because you’ve spotted an opportunity?
Be Purpose Disruptors
70% of those in advertising are concerned about its impact on the climate crisis
Open your heart and talk
Nobody has been here before, so let’s come together and do something
Share The Journey
It’s less about being the hero and more about being the host
Embrace a more feminine approach to leadership
Sit, listen and discuss, in circles
Change The Narrative
Marketing should be about helping everyone understand what they ‘need’
Stop using the word consumers to stop encouraging over-consumption
Connect in a human-centric way
Evidence-based Marketing
Do not take your sustainability expectations beyond the point of reality
Avoid broad environmental claims
Imagine what could be, not what already is
SMART Marketing Sustainability Planning
Governance – Purpose, vision, values
Workers – Culture, accountability
Community – Stakeholders, supply chain
Environment – Projects, credentials
Customers – New needs, new normal
These are the Themes and the Multipliers
Summary
Be human in your marketing and communications
Sign the Better Business Act
See sustainability as business as usual
Take little steps on the daily action list
Discuss your values continuously
Nothing succeeds like an example
If they don’t listen, go where they do listen
For more inspiration and ideas, visit The Mindful Collective website
Media and client enquiries, contact Neil
