Sustainable Futures

During the final week of Pride Month, listen to a thought-provoking conversation between Roxy Bourdillon, the editor-in-chief of DIVA magazine; Leigh Kelly Andrews, Inclusion and Diversity Manager at Kantar; and our Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Valeria Piaggio. If you haven’t heard of it before, DIVA magazine publishes personal stories, funny opinion pieces and urgent investigations to create an inclusive space for lesbian women to feel heard and understood. Each year, Kantar’s Profiles team and Pride ERG combines its data analytics capabilities with DIVA’s expertise to create the DIVA survey to explore the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The results reveal there is much more work to be done to foster sexual equality in our local neighbourhoods, public spaces and in the workplace. One insight from the study disclosed that just 16% of LGBTQIA+ respondents felt well represented by brands; there is a clear opportunity for brands to step up and connect with this community. Read the 2024 DIVA survey here: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/2024-kantar-diva-survey And finally, learn more about how your brand can meet the needs of underserved populations by signing up for Kantar’s Brand Inclusion Index webinar: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4627792/CBEEC5DEECDE51B501C62039E25C4A24/5544519 

In the next Sustainable Futures episode, our host Jonathan Hall speaks with Charlotte Akers and Christabel Reed from Earthed, the online biodiversity learning platform allowing everyday people to ‘learn from and for nature’. Hear about why Earthed was formed, how they have won the support from several celebrities, including co-founder Cara Delevingne, and how they are implementing their key principle, positive action, throughout their not-for-profit. The podcast explores how Earthed is making ecosystem restoration mainstream through their growing collection of online courses, covering topics from urban gardening in London to wildfire prevention. Tune in to learn how an initiative that started during the pandemic grew into one of the most successful, purpose-led, nature-based, organisations. 

In our next Sustainable Futures episode, our host Jonathan Hall interviews marketing and sustainability legend, Thomas Kolster. Hear about how Thomas kickstarted a sustainable marketing revolution in 2012 by publishing his first book “Goodvertising” that inspired brands to lead with environmental and social purpose. Understand how advertising as a force for good has evolved over the past decade which prompted Thomas to publish his second book “The Hero Trap” that explores how, in a post-purpose world, brands can make positive impact whilst improving their bottom line. The conversation explores how marketers need to push for brand bravery in the sustainability space which can be achieved by listening to, and acting on, consumers’ desires to protect society and the planet. 

In this episode, Jonathan Hall interviewsMichael Hanbury-Williams, Head of Purpose and Sustainability for EMEA at UM, and Gabriele Herrmann-Scharnberg, Client Partner at Kantar, to explore the insights generated by our joint research study on “Purposeful Purchase Journeys (PPJ)”. According to Kantar’s BrandZ data, consumer demand for sustainable brands has risen by 84% over the past 10 years. Despite this, the PPJ survey reveals a substantial intention-action gap, as consumers often lack the information, resources, or ability to shop more sustainably. Brands can use the PAVE framework (Product, Actions, Value, Ethics) to develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy that elevates sustainability beyond being just “nice to have” or an “add-on.” Listen to the episode to learn more about how the PAVE framework, informed by consumer research, enables brands to maximize their sustainability commitments to boost brand affinity across the purchase journey and drive long-term growth. 

At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, causing the destruction of eco-systems whilst also releasing more toxic chemicals and micro-plastics into the environment. And Kantar’s Sustainability Sector Index identifies water pollution as one of the top sustainability concerns globally – the number 1 in Asia: it is an environmental challenge very much top of consumers' minds.  In our latest Sustainable Futures episode our host, Jonathan Hall, interviews Will Pearson, CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Bottle, an award-winning reusable water bottle start-up that removes plastic waste from the ocean. Will describes how his start-up uses a new, innovative business model centred around the Ocean Bottle, an insulated flask with a positive environmental footprint. Each purchase removes 1000 plastic bottles from the ocean, giving consumers the power to tackle ocean pollution.  Ocean Bottle has made transformational change to ocean habitats by removing over 1 billion plastic bottles from the Ocean so far! We hear about the challenges of establishing a successful start-up, Ocean Bottle’s journey to success and the future expansion that will allow them to take their positive impact to the next level.

Why are consumers’ sustainability perceptions of the fashion industry so low? How can brands implement impactful sustainable change to close consumers’ value-action gap? Listen to our new Sustainable Futures episode where Jonathan Hall talks to Andrew Saxton, Business Unit Director, and Olivia Kelly, Fashion Client Manager from our Worldpanel division, to uncover the complex relationship the fashion world has with sustainability.   Brands are genuinely trying to make change, but they are on a journey and in many cases, they are held back by consumer perceptions of the sector. Of all the biggest fashion retailers in the market, Kantar panel data found that M&S was the only brand with a net positive consumer perception. Furthermore, consumers believe that the harmful impacts of the fashion industry are out of their control as 65% of shoppers state that it is up to brands to take responsibility for their environmental impact. Learn how effective communication coupled with new innovations will increase brand satisfaction in this space, allowing consumers to protect the environment in style.