Sustainable Futures

In the next two decades, the UK's working population will shrink by 25%, whilst at the same time the population over 60 will grow to over 40%. It's similar in developed economies across the world. If brands don’t adjust to this demographic shift, they risk huge revenue loss. This week on Sustainable Futures, Jonathan Hall talks with Andy Simpson, commercial director of 55/Redefined, a specialist consultancy that helps businesses attract, engage, and grow with over 50s. Together Andy and Jonathan challenge stereotypes around age to uncover huge, unexplored, commercial opportunities in this space.     Curious to learn more about how your brand can harness the economic power of the aging population? Kantar’s new Brand Inclusion Index can reveal how the aging population view your brand compared to other age groups, follow the link here to learn more: Brand Inclusion Index 2024 (kantar.com)

Currently, $43 trillion in assets under management is dedicated to ESG purposes. The question is, how much of this is going towards solving social and environmental problems? In our next episode of Sustainable Futures, Jonathan Hall is joined by Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of Stewardship Asia, and Jeremy Schwartz, Chair of Kantar's Sustainable Transformation Practice, who has held a plethora of leadership roles at The Body Shop, Sainsbury's, and Pandora to name a few. Hear about Rajeev’s framework for better leadership, which involves four key concepts: interdependence, long-term view, ownership mentality, and creative resilience. Placing stewardship values at the core of business strategies is central to Rajeev’s vision for change. This genuine commitment to sustainability, starting from the top, can transform businesses into a profitable force for good.  

Advertising is a powerful force that shapes our everyday lives. Consider the positive impact advertising could create if used as a force for good. Listen to Duncan Southgate, Kantar’s Senior Director, interview Sebastian Munden, Chair of Ad Net Zero, and Jonathan Hall, Managing Partner of Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice, on how advertising can help drive the economy to net zero. Sebastian discusses his new book, "Sustainable Advertising," co-authored with Matt Bourn, which provides insights, practical guidance, and case studies on using advertising to combat the climate crisis. Guidance extends from promoting more sustainable lifestyles through advertising to cleaning up the carbon footprint caused by marketing practices.

From the light bulb to your phone, innovation has transformed the world as we know. This week on Sustainable Futures Jonathan Hall has the pleasure of interviewing James Bidwell CEO of Springwise, the leading innovation library for positive change and described by Seth Godin as "too good to share." Learn about James' professional journey from Marketing Director at Selfridges to becoming CEO of Visit London and Managing Director of Anthropologie Europe, which led him to become CEO of Springwise. And gain an insight into how Springwise uses its extensive library of over 14,000+ innovations to help brands identify new opportunities to drive meaningful social and environmental change. 

AI offers new opportunities in the marketing industry, but it is essential to acknowledge how this technology could deepen existing social inequalities. In our next Sustainable Futures episode hear Vera Sidlova, Kantar’s Global Creative Thought Leadership Director talk to Efrain Ayala, Global Creative Effectiveness and Diversity and Inclusion Director at Reckitt and Valeria Piaggio, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Hear about how Reckitt’s most successful brands such as Durex have evolved over time to close sexual health gaps between underrepresented communities. However, threats to inclusivity are changing with new technological developments. For example, AI now has the potential to discriminate on a colossal scale. Kantar’s new Brand Inclusion Index reveals that inclusion drives brand growth, learn how your brand can responsibly use AI whilst representing underserved communities.  

Kantar’s Brand Inclusion Index found that neurodiverse individuals experienced the most discrimination out of all underrepresented groups. Delve into the topic of neurodiversity with Kantar’s Global Head of DEI, Valeria Piaggio and Nathan Friedman, Co-President and Chief Marketing Officer at Understood. Understood is a global platform that works to support individuals with learning and thinking differences with educational resources, personalised support and community support. In this episode Valeria and Nathan uncover how marketing typically discriminates against those that are neurodivergent. Learn about how connecting with this community drives brand growth, understand what kind of adjustments make a difference and hear about brands that are making strides in this space.

In this Sustainable Futures episode, we explore Kantar’s partnership with the Climate Governance Initiative, a global organisation that mobilises board directors to act on climate. Listen to our host Jonathan Hall interview Alexandra Bolton OBE, Director of the Climate Governance Initiative, Vicky Moffatt, CEO of Chapter Zero and Kantar’s Sustainable Innovation Lead, Emily Hill. Learn about how the Initiative has leveraged Kantar’s sustainability and human insight expertise to design their Global Impact Study across 20 countries, interviewing 440 board directors to understand their perspectives on the climate challenge. We share key findings from the report, such as the most effective board practices that can transform how business relates to society and the planet. Listen to learn more about the climate realities board directors are facing and why insight at board level remains crucial for advancing real world action on climate.  Click here to download the Global Impact Study: How can we advance climate action on boards? | Climate Governance Initiative (climate-governance.org)

In the wake of Kantar’s 2024 Brand Inclusion Index launch, listen to how Google, the world’s most inclusive brand, embeds inclusion and equity into every aspect of their product innovation, planning, and marketing by centering the most marginalized voices at every phase of the process. In this episode, Valeria Piaggio, Kantar’s Global Head of DEI, is joined by Annie Jean-Baptiste, Founder and Director of Product Inclusion and Equity at Google along with Nate Guild, Product Strategy & Operations Lead at Google for Product Inclusion. Hear Annie and Nate talk about the significance of inclusion and equity in product innovation, their reactions to winning the most inclusive brand globally, and plans for the future such as the Global Product Equity Day and the concept of Breakers. The Brand Inclusion Index measures people's perceptions on brand’s diversity, equity, and inclusion, as part of the study we ask participants to give an award to the most inclusive brand. Kantar’s Brand Inclusion Index over-represents the under-represented to tap into the voices of often overlooked, underserved populations. To learn more about the methodology, download the booklet here: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/brand-inclusion-index

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