 |
|
Foreword by Mikael Selling
Welcome back. As the days grow shorter and memories of the summer are already fading, I do hope yours wasn’t plagued by forest fires and heatwaves. Maybe like us here in Sweden, it was unusually cool and wet. Unusual seems to be the word for the climate these days and it was clearly a main focal point running through discussions in Barcelona earlier this month.
Sustainability is on everyone’s mind throughout the value chain, from the consumer upwards. Many forest product companies are progressing in leaps and bounds in their sustainability messaging, yet we still hear frequent complaints that misconceptions abound.
In this issue of our newsletter, we look at the importance of communicating your sustainability successfully and why it matters. We have seen a marked increase in the share of our time given over to helping customers with brand studies, and sustainability is always the common thread. But when does enough messaging become too much and run into greenwash? Does labelling matter and why? How can you know which labels work and which confuse? We’re here to make sense of it all.
Communicating sustainability successfully is complicated but imperative. A new group of 14 EU trade associations including wood-based products, P&B and packaging, has formed a cross-sectoral coalition to present EU policymakers with an ambitious common vision ahead of 2030 and, going beyond, one leading to a transition towards a circular bioeconomy. As CEPI says, ‘now, more than ever, is the time to embed into EU policy the circular bioeconomy as a fully integrated, resilient European value chain’. In short, this is the industry’s time to make a difference.
Could you do more to change perceptions, not just with your customers, but with your customers’ customers? Are your competitors faring better when it comes to building and maintaining trust in the market? How might you communicate differently to win hearts and minds? What about positioning yourself as a thought leader on sustainability?
These are all questions we can help you answer. Happy reading.
Contact me today
|
|
|
|
|
Why are branding studies gaining traction?
Branding is increasingly important and hardly surprisingly, sustainability within branding is growing too. Project Manager David Weller: “In recent years, we’ve seen a gradual increase in requests for brand studies as companies seek to work through the complicated business of positioning themselves as leaders for the future, especially on sustainability.
“Having served the forest products industry for the last 35 years, we’ve seen the impact a good brand can have and the way it can be used to enhance sustainability communication. Forest industry companies are certainly taking branding more seriously than they used to, and with good reason: An effective brand can make all the difference.”
Building credibility and trust is especially important when it comes to positioning on sustainability. Even in business-to-business communication, purchasing is influenced by emotion. A strong brand builds trust.
Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Labels: When is enough more than enough?
Product labels and certificates proclaiming environmental friendliness are everywhere. Indeed, they are now so ubiquitous that they have become the norm, not the differentiator. Moreover, their overuse has prompted criticism that some are simply environmental marketing and in the worst cases, greenwashing. However, used correctly, labels remain an important tool in the fight for the consumer’s attention as well as an effective means to help educate. The key is authenticity and transparency.
A few quick tips to think about before you print.
| |
|
|
|
|
| Services |
Our mission is to help our clients make better business decisions by transforming data and knowledge into strategic advice and concrete action plans.
We offer a unique portfolio of consulting services with different scope and content but all focusing on creating value:
- Customer research
- Brand building
- Brand tracking
- Stakeholder management
- Future Lab
- Tailor-made research
- Workshops
- Market segmentation
- Sustainability Insights
|
|
|
|
|
