Can Marketing Save the Planet?

Episode 37: Using the wisdom of the crowd to build a sustainability confidence score - with Adam Williams, Founder - Wherefrom

“If we chase perfection… we’ll lose.” 

Amongst the 455 (and some) eco labels and sparkling greenwash, how’s a person to figure out which products and brands they can truly have confidence in when wanting to make more sustainable and ethical choices in their shopping trolleys?  What can we trust? What can we understand?

When rushing round the supermarket aisles are we realistically going to scan QR codes and visit websites for the latest carbon calculations? Unlikely…

In this podcast we find out more about the innovative tech start-up ‘Wherefrom’ - where Adam Williams, Founder, tells us about their mission to ensure every product and company in the world has a ‘Wherefrom Score’. They’re the world’s first crowd-sourced sustainability review platform, comparing any company or product on a single scale.  

Likened to Trip Advisor, the platform enables people to score and review products and connect directly with brands – it also enables brands to claim their profile and provides opportunity for them to share sustainability credentials and respond and engage with reviewers directly and transparently. As a by-product, the platform provides useful data and insights for brands around consumer opinion which can help to inform the development of sustainability strategies.

Adam shares the back story of how Wherefrom came to be and how what started as a passion project has quickly transitioned into a scalable and useful resource that is adding value at the point of purchase for people. We talk about the practicalities of how the Wherefrom score works, the rigour and the responsibility.

What’s important for Wherefrom is ‘cross-over’ appeal – because to effect scale and wider impact, we need to extend far beyond the sustainability minded echo-chambers to help reach the majority of shoppers – to educate, get them rethinking and making better more informed choices.  

As we discussed with Helen Hepworth in a previous pod, the supermarkets, as gatekeepers,  also have a significant role to play in influencing better choices – and we discuss again, the need for the need for them to be more selective and responsible about what they stock.

We also cover the important role of finance and investment – and how investors need to move away from outmoded ways of assessing where to invest – and to invest more widely in the small, innovative, impact driven start-ups – to enable a sea-change in the number of social impact businesses moving from start-up to scale-up – and making a real difference to what business looks like and what it gives back to society.  

Visit Wherefrom.org – and you’ll be hit at every level with their ethos of, as Adam puts it… ‘doing sustainability with a big fat smile’. We found Wherefrom the day they ‘broke the internet’ with people sharing their hilarious (and brain worm inducing), ‘Stop the Wash’ music video – singing out the plethora of greenwash taglines, advising brands that given those lines were now part of their ‘song’, if used they would sue for copyright! ;) [if you missed it – it’s here]. And whilst there’s a lot of humour, fun, and mockery to be had to keep things light, interesting and of course, to aide mass appeal – the fun doesn’t detract from the serious mission they’re on, bringing the customer back into sustainability strategy and progress the behaviour change they’re pursuing and the heartfelt reminder to us all of the role we play and the choices we make.  

Tune in… and listen to Adam’s answer to our final ‘quick round’ question – and you’ll know what we’re talking about.

For more information about Wherefrom visit https://wherefrom.org/

Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 36: Sustainable Media - Investing in content and channels that support greener, healthier, fairer education and behaviour.

Advertising and marketing has an important role to play in doing good in the world.’  Agree?

Well we certainly do – and in this episode, Guy Jones and Ollie - co-founders of The Goodnet, a sustainable media organisation, share their story, of how a pre-Christmas zoom drink sparked them moving away from their roles at one of the largest UK media organisations. Following their passion and values led the way to them championing sustainable media - making video ads / display ads / branded content partnerships available to advertisers across a network of sites that all operate in the sustainability space, to inspire and educate.

‘If more ad spend and marketing money is going towards publishers that produce loads of great content educating and inspiring people to live greener and healthier lives, it supports positive behaviour change.’

We discuss the complexity of sustainability – and how for marketers it’s a ‘mindset shift’ that’s required. Marketers need to make some pretty big decisions about moving away from doing what they have always done to finding alternative ways of driving more sustainable practice. Not just with the media channels they select and support, and calculating the percentage of carbon impact of campaigns, but also thinking hard about the product / service / lifestyle they’re actually advertising, in the context of wider aspects of sustainability, relating to health, wellbeing and fairer systems for all.   

“We need to see growth and performance but in a way that puts people and planet more to the fore than ever before.

Alongside talking about the practicalities of sustainable media, we discuss the realities of greenhushing and greenwashing, regulation in the industry, and as always, the role and responsibility of the marketer.  Discussing how we build demand, awareness and by proxy fund the media owners. And whilst Ollie and Guy state that it’s complex – they’re clear that it’s a complexity that needs to be embraced and change needs to happen – change around the types of products that are being marketed and the types of narratives around those products and services…

“The prize is hundreds of millions of people living their lives differently and more sustainably than how we live now”.

Tune in, you don’t want to miss this – it’s a conversation filled with practical advice, support, ideas, passion and importantly, hope.

For more information about The Goodnet visit https://wearethegoodnet.com/

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 35: FMCG - How sustainability starts with us, the shopper - Helen Hepworth, Director - Collective Stories

“The fastest accelerator in FMCG is the shopper… “

  We loved this conversation with Helen Hepworth, Director of Collective Stories – a - Category Management and Shopper Insight Consultancy

 Helen’s been an FMCG expert for many years, working with a number of retailers, with a passion for product and category management. In this conversation we discuss the role shoppers and retailers play in driving positive impact when it comes to sustainability – and of course, the role marketing plays.

 There’s so much packed into this 30 minute interview, we talk about shopping habits, consumption journeys and behaviour - how things are changing, discussing concepts such as circularity and refillable stations – and how it’s critical for retailers to think about how they involve the customer to support their own desires for more sustainable behaviour. That leads us to the concept of the retailers as gatekeepers, and why it’s important they ‘sell well’ to support people making good choices – and how loyalty cards and private label are powerful drivers in supporting sustainability, with some great examples from Tesco and Boots.

 There are some big questions raised – particularly about when it comes to product and category management – and how brands and marketing have driven so much choice. Do we need it all? And how will refillable stations, naturally narrowing choice, reducing confusion and involving customer – impact how products and categories are managed and developed or ‘de-developed’ as we move forward? That leads us into a conversation about collaboration and partnerships and discussing brands and retailers that are getting it right.

From Helen’s perspective…whilst it’s so important to celebrate all progress…

 “Nobody has got this – journeys have started, started and veered off, started because they are looking for competitive advantage, rather than being the right thing to do – we need to do better.”

 This pod is an information and insights packed episode, let’s face it, we’re all part of the FMCG world, just look around our homes at all the products, labels, brands etc – and to that end, Helen is consistent about the power of the shopper

 “FMCG could absolutely could do more. It starts with us – the shopper and then cascades UP.”

Tune in… you’re going to love it. We certainly did. For more information about Helen and Collective Stories visit https://www.collectivestories.co.uk.

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 34: Know your number - How to calculate your carbon impact - and drive change personally and professionally - Richard Campbell, Marketing Director, Giki.

“Education comes first, knowledge sparks the curiosity to change lifestyle - but what comes next? What as an individual can I do? “

When it comes to your own personal carbon impact - do you ‘know your number’? ‘Know your number’ is the mantra from the team at Giki - and in this podcast we speak to Richard Campbell, Marketing Director at Giki.

We learn about Giki’s purpose, how it got started - and how as a a purpose driven organisation it helps people to be more sustainable at work and at home.

Through Giki Zero Pro, an employee engagement resource, supporting employees and employers to reduce carbon impact at scale, and via Giki Zero, a free app for any individual to calculate their current carbon impact score - Richard explains and shares examples of how Giki is driving education, supporting people with practical advice, through personal lifestyle plans, engaging employees and importantly driving significant collective impact beyond carbon reduction.

We discuss how education is a key catalyst for people getting on board with making changes. ‘Knowing your number’, and understanding how little changes can collectively drive bigger impact, starts with education. Naturally, that leads us to the role of marketing…

“As marketers, I see driving purpose and sustainability as our job, using the expertise we have as business leaders, communicators, and storytellers to drive profits with purpose and impact.”

Whether you’re struggling with practicalities of what you can do - or what your organisation can do as a collective, or are looking for new ways to engage and unite to drive more impact, tune in. Lots of practical takeaways and inspiration guaranteed.

For more information about Giki Zero, Giki Zero Pro visit www.giki.earth and you’ll find their App on our Learning Zone to download too.

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 33: Practical Steps to Building a Regenerative Business - Russ Avery, Avery & Brown

“Something always seems more achievable if someone else has done it.”

In this highly practical and engaging episode, we speak to Russ Avery, CEO of Avery & Brown, a sustainable marketing agency, supporting businesses on their purpose driven path, putting people and planet on par with profit.

When it comes to supporting businesses to be a practical force for good, Russ and team are very much walking the talk - showing and telling.

We talk ‘regenerative business’ and what Russ and Avery & Brown mean by that term, and indeed, he walks us through the outline of their Regenerative Business Map, a blueprint for businesses to get started and consider where they can make a positive impact - and how the Map focuses on wider societal aspects, interconnecting with the UN SDGs.

Russ shares the practical steps he’s taken to understand their carbon impact as an agency, how they chose independent verification and support and how they’re partnering with their local community and wider initiatives to drive change. Practical steps that all businesses can be inspired to take.

Of course, as a small start-up agency, he recognises there are many areas that have been significantly simpler for them - but so too, it’s inspiring for micro and smaller businesses to hear first hand the practical steps they too can take to make a significant collective difference. After all, climate change and responsible business is not someone else’s problem - and it’s going to take effort from businesses of all shapes and sizes to drive necessary and urgent shifts.

This conversations provides plenty of food for thought, inspiration and call to action. Great energy… you’ll be glad you spared 30 mins to tune in…

For more information about Avery & Brown - visit: www.averyandbrown.com and to access their Regenerative Business Map - visit our Learning Zone here. Russ references The Better Business Act and more on that can be found here.

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 32: Carbon Literacy - The Value of Climate Action, with Phil Korbel, Co-Founder Carbon Literacy Project

“We can’t be naive about the the cost of climate action, but the value of climate action is the key thing Carbon Literacy brings clarity to.”

Before you dive in to take a listen to the podcast to learn more about The Carbon Literacy Project and why being carbon literate offers a much needed cultural shift - embedded into our everyday lives and thinking, giving all of us a meaningful carbon instinct and motivated to take action - first, we ask you to ponder the question; how carbon literate are you?

According to recent research findings, sustainability is now the ‘fourth functional skill’ - and a recent CIM study, showcased that 40% of marketers said they did not have relevant sustainability qualifications, but would want one, revealing a desire to skill up.

Climate change impacts everyone and everyone has a role to play – and Carbon Literacy is the glue that helps bring that together.

In this highly informative episode, we speak to Phil Korbel, Co-Founder of The Carbon Literacy Project and Director of Advocacy. Phil shares exactly what the Carbon Literacy Project and the Carbon Literacy Trust is, how they work with organisations, and why the impact they drive with those using their frameworks to educate and embed learning, is both urgent and important.

We discuss real-world case studies where organisations, such as AutoTrader, have engaged with Carbon Literacy - and how it is now embedded strategically as part of workplace competence. Phil walks us through the process of Carbon Literacy training and, whether it’s the C-suite or shop floor, the many personal light bulb moments gleaned that drive meaningful impact.  

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing, we discuss key challenges, and the many misconceptions around climate action. Phil tells us…

Acting on climate is not about having less – it’s about more… more connection, personal connection to the people, communities, and things around us that truly make us happy.

As usual, we reflect on the role of marketing, and in Phil’s view, marketing’s role in communication around carbon literacy is nothing short of essential.

Beside the enormous ethics around climate action – we talk about the role of business and leadership, and how leaders need to get on board with climate action to thrive and succeed in business, and do the right thing. 

At any level Carbon Literacy is going to change the way you work and live…

Tune in… 

Carbon Literacy.com info@carbonliteracy.com

For more information about Carbon Literacy - visit: www.carbonliteracy.com which provides loads of useful info. We’ve also designed a certified, Carbon Literacy Training for Marketers - which you can find more about here, and if you want to email the team at Carbon Literacy - their email is info@carbonliteracy.

Phil references, the CIM Summit, the wonderful work our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto Partners, Purpose Disruptors are doing (their podcast is here too) - so we’ve made those links accessible here in the show notes.

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 31: Circular Computing - Because IT shouldn’t cost the earth - with Head of Sustainability, Steve Haskew

“Our demand for new IT is not driven by a real need. The result is excessive pollution and e-waste…”

In this episode, we speak to Steve Haskew, Head of Sustainability and Client Engagement at Circular Computing.

Circular Computing has been operating for over 30 years, providing circular IT solutions to organisations with significant hardware and ewaste concerns.

Steve walks us through circularity in action – take a once used product, put it through a re-manufacturing process to produce the product back to an as-new state for reuse. Delivering without compromise, a laptop computer that looks and works like new.

We discuss the challenges aligned with transitioning from a linear to circular economy, and our very linear ‘laptop’ buying behaviours and expectations.

Steve shares many staggering statistics - such as ‘for every laptop made it is incredibly water intensive 190,000 litres of water to make one laptop from extraction to sitting on your desk- and he makes a strong business case around the many benefits to organisations of going circular - showcasing the very real commercial benefits, but as importantly, or more so, the wider piece around global responsibility and significant CO2 savings, as we transition towards net zero targets.

We talk about the enormous challenge of E-waste – and the annual global output of electrical waste being equivalent to 4500 Eiffel towers. The practicalities of how organisations collect and keep laptops out of the waste stream - and ponder the challenge and risk around data and the sanitisation process, potentially hampering end users recycling their devices and discuss what more can be done to develop solutions in this area.

As ever, we dive into the role of marketing, and how marketing is central to the adoption of a speedier circular economy transition. How marketing is involved in building shared value, bringing customers along on the journey, educating, empowering - and the positive impact this has for successful and sustainable business.

This is an informative and inspirational conversation. Steve is transparent, honest, open to conversation to support and help others and shares so much insight about the challenges they’ve faced over the years, treading in the sand where no-one had tread before.

One things for sure… a decarbonised future state relies on a circular economy - and Circular Computing are doing great work in this important area. We loved this conversation and learned so much… Big thank you to Steve. Meanwhile, we urge you to tune in - it’s one not to miss…

For more information about Circular Computing - their website provides a Resource Hub and loads of useful info.

Steve also refers to the ‘pay it forward to support others’ platform KIVA https://www.kiva.org/

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 30: Recycling made simple - with Dan Marek, Co Founder of climate tech start-up Scrapp

“When it comes to recycling, it’s tricky for us as consumers to do the right thing - even if we have the right intentions.”

In this episode, we speak to Dan Marek, co-founder of Scrapp, a climate tech start-up - helping people and businesses to reduce waste by recycling correctly. .

Scrapp is more than an innovative app, supporting consumers and businesses with how to recycle efficiently, as you’ll hear in this interview, it’s a recycling movement determined to drive meaningful impact, and whilst their focus is on recycling, they fully respect the waste hierarchy; reduce what you use, reuse what you have and recycle the rest - and ideally, to the best of your ability, and as effectively as possible, which is where Scrapp steps in.

From a practical perspective, Scrapp’s app will tell you whether or not the packaging / or components of the packaging are recyclable helping you to organise and segment your packaging and syncs with different local authority infrastructures, enabling consumers to be far more efficient.

One of the biggest challenges surrounding recycling is ‘contamination’ - people putting things into the wrong bin. Dan shares the startling stats around contamination - and how if more than 5% of items in your recycling bin are contaminated, by default, it automatically gets sent to landfill. Not only devastating for the planet on a number of levels, but of course, commercially, as it costs more to send waste to landfill than to recycle.

Whilst the focus of the discussion is around recycling, there’s a LOT to unpack from this conversation - we discuss data, and the crowdsourced insights and observations that Scrapp is collecting around packaging. Useful data that can support innovation and how packaging can be improved in response to how consumers are actually recycling.

Scrapp is clearly passionate about driving meaningful impact and have many avenues to explore, such as the carbon impact analysis of packaging - how much CO2 can be saved by recycling efforts, building intelligence that can support wider initiatives.

We also cover the role of marketing in supporting education and behavioural change, and the balance of ‘overloading’ consumers with messaging and the challenge of eco-labelling and how Scrapp is acting as the Trip Advisor of recycling when it comes to accountability and authenticity.

It’s an inspirational and highly practical discussion, covering an innovative solution to a significant problem, so I urge you to tune in.

You’ll also find more about Scrapp here - and of course, you can start to play with the app - free download via Android and the App Store. Instagram @scrapprecycling - for latest updates.

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Episode 29: Fighting Food Waste with Too Good to Go - Co-Founder Jamie Crummie

“If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the USA.”

Too Good To Go, the social impact company who are fighting food waste, or as they put it so wonderfully on their website, “rescue magic bags of surplus, unsold food”.

In this episode, we were joined by Jamie Crummie, co-founder and director who talked about why the work they do is critical in so many ways, from an economical perspective, societal perspective and environmental perspective, taking on a broken food system and giving businesses and society a way to be part of the solution.

The facts and figures around this subject are absolutely staggering, “40% of the food we produce is wasted”, and with food waste accounting for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Jamie talks about the Too Good to Go app, which is the gateway to their market place for surplus food, connecting businesses with people. We discuss the difference between food waste and food loss, how education and awareness is key to changing the failing systems which underpin the food industry and how marketing and communication has been central to the success of Too Good To Go.

They currently work with 110,000 different food businesses, have 15 million active users on the app, and importantly, to date, have successfully rescued over 110,000,000 meals which would have gone in the bin. To say they are inspirational is an understatement.

Jamie firmly believes that social impact businesses are the future and they have the power to drive the change we so desperately need, shape new behaviours and ways of thinking and do good for people, planet and profit. And, make the experience fun along the way.

If you haven’t downloaded the app, or joined the Too Good to Go movement, you will do after listening to this, we guarantee it!

Ready to fight food waste? Tune in…

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Inside the Green Claims Code with Cecilia Parker Aranha, Director, CMA (Competitions and Markets Authority)

“The focus on sustainability should be the main driver - the driver shouldn’t be that you can make a claim about it.”

In this episode, we dive deeper into the Green Claims Code - speaking with Cecelia Parker Aranha, Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA (Competitions and Markets Authority).

The Green Claims Code came into force in the UK in January 2022, so still pretty fertile territory. Cecilia shares why the Green Claims code came about; what it sets out to do and importantly, what brands and organisations need to consider to ensure they comply.

“As much as protecting consumers - we wanted to level the playing field and give businesses that are genuinely trying to be sustainable the confidence to talk about it.”

The Green Claims Code sets out six clear principles - simple enough for brands and organisations to both understand and consider - however, the CMA recognises the enormity of the challenge when it comes to green claims - and that it’s going to take a significant amount of time and resource to bring about much needed change, with their initial focus around enforcing the code in areas where there are the biggest concerns - such as the fashion industry.

To this end, we discuss how the CMA is working with partners to tackle misleading claims beyond the UK and online - working with consumer protection groups in Europe and internationally, and how the CMA works closely with the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority).

A truly informative discussion - covering many facets. We pose a range of questions to Cecilia that we’ve been hoping to get clarity around since the code came into being - discussing the practicalities of making a claim, the role of consumer activism, and the growing number of independent groups and websites, such as the Changing Markets Foundation - greenwash.com, calling out green claims as greenwash. And of course, the question around the action intention gap.

Informative, inspirational and hopeful - with lots of practical takeaways and insights - whether you’re concerned about greenwashing or ready to break away from the greenhushing - we urge you to tune in to this informative conversation.

As Cecilia makes very clear throughout - “Start with the evidence you have - and figure out what claims you can make from that.” Evidence first!

More about the Green Claims Code here - and we have a number of useful resources related to the code in our Learning Zone. Enjoy…

Our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.