In a never-more-important throwback episode from 2021, hear again from KoAnn Skrzyniarz – who for years has been making a strong case for building Sustainable Brands in global conversations with some of the world’s biggest advertisers. Learn why there’s STILL a business — and social — value to purpose, perhaps even more so as environmental gains and progress towards sustainability are being undone with ‘drill, baby, drill’ threats and short-sighted profit-driven agendas.

In time for Earth Month, or any time, KoAnn (frequently known by just her first name) shares not just the “whys”, but some “hows”: how sustainability has moved the needle for leading brands and how to be resilient in a “VUCA” world. A what?

Listen; she’ll explain, and we also discuss:

• The impetus for creating Sustainable Brands  
• What kind of changes has she seen in the brand and media marketplace in terms of embracing brand purpose

“Twenty years ago it was not recognized that companies that understood how to innovate for environmental and social benefit were going to be the companies that survived and thrived in the 21st century.”

• Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a good description? (Hint: KoAnn explains why it’s more a “business opportunity” and why the ANA [Association of National Advertisers] uses he notion of ‘good growth’. )
• How companies should integrate their brand marketers and strategists, the product and service positioning teams AND the sustainability/procurement/diversity teams
• Is our current focus on brand purpose just another trend? How does it compare to the green rush of the 2007 timeframe or rallying around Hurricane Katrina? Have companies evolved in their mission-driven work?
• The data supportive of sales driven by environmental and social value propositions; What kinds of brand transformation are happening — and at which companies?
• How have companies like Clorox and P&G navigated the road to sustainability? And what is a Brand Transformation Roadmap?
• How Sustainable Brands itself pivoted during the pandemic to salvage — and even grow — their world-class conferences in a VUCA world! (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity!)

 Additional Links:

• SB Brand Transformation Roadmap^SM.
• Sustainable Brands global conferences  (Coming up Oct ’25 in San Diego!)
• Webinar on the ROI of Sustainability (May ’25)

Find SB on Insta:

@SustainableBrands 

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