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Actions and authenticity. These are two critical things business leaders should keep in mind as they navigate the ongoing storm around ESG. It's not about what you call it—it's about what you do and how you act. That's why I love this article on the 3 mistakes that companies often make when trying to adopt purpose (featuring our beloved creation, My Special Aflac Duck!). Companies shouldn't adopt purpose or ESG because it's popular. I love how Aflac CEO Dan Amos explains this: "When I became CEO in 1990, giving back to the community wasn't a strategy, it was just the right thing to do."
Quest Diagnostics is another company that has long been doing "the right thing." From its humble beginnings more than 50 years ago, Quest has always been about promoting a healthier world. New CEO Jim Davis wanted to codify that purpose, and we've been honored to partner with Quest to formalize its "why," which was launched globally last week: Working together to create a healthier world, one life at a time. Learn more about what this purpose means for Quest, its employees, and the people it serves in this incredible video.
Influencers and sustainability: a perfect match?
New research from Unilever found that influencers have the single largest impact on consumer sustainability decisions—more than documentaries, news articles, and campaigns from the government. One of the core insights from Unilever's research was that consumers are seeking "simple, immediate, and trustworthy information"—and influencers tend to tick all three boxes. Consumers gravitate toward influencer content that is either pragmatic—"with a focus on the scale of environmental problems and heavy use of data and statistics"—or optimistic and humorous, with "practical demonstrations of how to live sustainably." // Marketing Dive: Influencers have greatest impact on consumer sustainability choices, Unilever finds
Scoops against greenwashing.
Ben & Jerry's hit the streets of Austin to raise awareness for greenwashing at SXSW. The ice cream maker partnered with Clean Creatives, a campaign aimed at calling out the advertising industry's relationship with fossil fuels. Together, the organizations handed out free scoops of ice cream with messaging aimed at raising awareness about the industry's environmental impact. SXSW also saw the launch of Patagonia's 50th Anniversary campaign, including the company's vision for its next five decades. Slack called out SXSW's own lagging sustainability efforts, designing a completely reusable activation to avoid the waste associated with most conferences. // AdWeek: At SXSW, Brands and Activists Chart a More Sustainable Path Forward
Movement or moment?
Nonprofits and other cause-driven groups often try to generate a social movement—but end up simply having a "moment." Movements "are more than short-term protests, jump-on-the-bandwagon commitments, or one-off events," writes Action Against Hunger's* Emily Bell Tyree. Moments can certainly serve as springboards to launch movements, but it ultimately takes significant planning, effort, and systems thinking in order to incite a true movement. // Candid: Is it a movement or a moment? *Action Against Hunger is a CCOP client.
Lowes is getting to work on workforce training.
The home improvement retailer recently launched the Lowe's Foundation Gable Grants program, a $50 million initiative with the goal of helping 50,000 people enter the skilled building trades. Lowes is working with existing community and technical colleges, as well as nonprofits, to develop curriculum and programs. The long-term objective is to help close the growing labor gap in the building and construction trades. By 2028, an estimated 25% of the construction workforce will retire, and 85% of contractors already report challenges in hiring skilled workers. // Triple Pundit: Lowe's Drills Deeper Into Workforce Training
