Sustainable Futures

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.   

Listen to the final instalment in the Sustainable Futures Sustainable Marketing 2030 series: the fifth lever of change is Radical Innovation, which marketers voted the most important lever in the Circular Marketing & Growth Framework. In this episode our host Jonathan Hall interviews Neda Hashemi from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Emily Simons, Innovation Lead in Kantar’s global Sustainable Transformation Practice. Radical Innovation has the potential to unlock business and brand strategies that reshape how we create, make, and deliver value commercially, to people and the planet. Rethinking how marketers engage earlier in the value chain to implement circularity will help both normalise sustainable consumption behaviours and protect the brand owner from charges of greenwashing. Kantar and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation play key roles in this space by designing for circularly, connecting change makers and creating interventions that deliver measurable impact.  

In this new episode of Sustainable Futures, Jonathan Hall is joined by Rupert Pearce - co-founder of Rewired Earth - and Jack Young from Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice for the third instalment in our mini-series based around Kantar’s Sustainable Marketing 2030 study in collaboration with WFA. Learn about the critical importance of redefining value beyond solely profit to include people and planet, and why this is a central lever for change in the Circular Marketing framework that lies at the heart of Sustainable Marketing 2030. And hear about Rewired Earth’s vision to rewire the financial markets as a force for good – and the journey it has been on to help make this happen. Delve into topics around this subject area such as the tipping point in the population’s sustainable behaviour, new business models that can meet consumer demands and what you can do personally to address social and environmental challenges.

Join us for the next instalment in the Sustainable Futures ‘Sustainable Marketing 2030’ podcast mini-series. For this episode, our host Jonathan Hall talks with Poppy Mason-Watts, chief growth and impact officer at WaterBear as well as WaterBear’s chief executive Sam Sutaria, and Özlem Şentürk, senior partner at Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice. This episode focuses on the Creativity into Action lever within SM2030’s circular marketing framework which explores how to communicate sustainability messages effectively to drive impact. WaterBear has built a collaborative (free) media network focused on driving systemic change through empowering small filmmakers to tell stories about the challenges faced by society and the planet. The episode emphasises that brands need to bridge the gap between consumers and brands by crafting messages that normalise sustainable lifestyles. This is the lynchpin that puts the levers within the SM2030 framework into action to inspire transformation.

In the next episode of Sustainable Futures’ mini-series ‘Sustainable Marketing 2030’ listen to Jonathan Hall, managing partner of Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice interview CEO Alessandro Armillota and UK country manager Gaia Arzilli from AWorld, a gamified stakeholder engagement platform that encourages sustainable living. The theme of this episode ties in with Sustainability First, the first pillar of Kantar’s 5 levers for change in the Sustainable Marketing 2030 report. This lever emphasises the importance of brands making sustainability a priority and outlines how brands can take steps to understand their impact on the planet. AWorld provides a gamified, AI-driven platform that educates, motivates and rewards individuals and groups for adopting sustainable practises.  This approach, infused with optimism, aims to bridge the gap between values and actions. It's a tool that companies can leverage competitively to meet ESG objectives and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through small, consistent actions.Kantar website copyListen to Jonathan Hall, managing partner of the Sustainable Transformation Practice interview CEO Alessandro Armillota and country manager Gaia Arzilli from AWorld. AWorld is more than just a platform; it's a movement towards sustainable living, blending education, motivation, and rewards to foster eco-conscious habits. The platform provides detailed, data-driven insights, aligned with SDGs and ESG metrics, to enhance corporate regulatory compliance. This discussion relates to the first pillar of Kantar’s 5 levers for change in the Sustainable Marketing 2030 report ‘Sustainability First’ which outlines how brands can prioritise sustainability by taking steps such as carbon reporting. Learn how AWorld's positive nudges can close the gap between intentions and real actions, promoting a competitive yet cooperative environment within organisations to reduce carbon footprints and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.