TOP 12CONSUMERINSIGHTS

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With heighten awareness of critical social and environmental issues, people around the world are changing their attitudes, behavior and consumption patterns in support of brands and their products/services that provide shift toward a global economy with health, dignity and happi-ness for all. While some are finding confusion with the multitude of different, often inconsistent signals they receive from the corporate world and their various sustainability programs, others are connecting with brands on a more meaningful level.

Brands that embrace the shift toward a flourishing future are seeing business success across multiple levels. This complimentary content collection showcases best-in-class consumer engagement studies that reflect how customers positively connect with brands’ environmental and social sustainability programs – plus shares potential reasons for disconnect. It’s a wealth of hard data and compelling insights by top-notch researchers curated exclusively for the Sustainable Brands community.

This carefully curated collection features:

• The evolution of research methods – how and why researchers are moving away from ‘cold’ • surveys and statistics-powered segmentation techniques when gathering consumer insight• How emerging qualitative methods such as ethnographic research and empathy interviews are

augmenting survey-driven statistical segmentation for deeper insight into consumer behavior• Ways to finding new paths to mainstream consumer engagement and the implications of a

shifting landscape• Featured sections about why online behavior, wearable tech and the quantified-self move-

ment are driving the ‘personal data economy’

Please enjoy this collection and find more like it at www.SustainableBrands.com/library.

Introduction

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The Shifting Landscape of Consumer Values and Implications for your Brand’s Future

CHIP WALKER, Director of Brand Planning & Innovation; Editorial Director, Y&R New York; The Athena Doctrine

Chip Walker of Y&R New York describes the growing ‘spend-shift’ from mindless con-sumption towards mindful purchases.

Chip works closely with thought leader John Gerzema, author of Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution Is Changing the Way We Buy, Sell, and Live and The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future, and takes us through up-to-date insights based on research behind those two books, as well as relevant developments since they were published.

He points out we are seeing a marked change in the contract between brands and consum-ers, from a winner–takes–all masculine ap-proach towards the feminine values of greater empathy, respect and imbued meaning.

“63% of men and 65% of millennials agree the world would be a better place if men thought more like women.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #declutter Book: Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution Is Changing the Way We Buy, Sell, and LiveBook: The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future

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Measuring Meaning: The Evolution of Brand Value and What to Do About It

DENISE TURNER, Head of Intelligence, Havas Media Group

Denise discusses methodology and results behind Havas Media’s Meaningful Brands Index, with an eye toward the types of prod-uct innovation and stakeholder engagement that can make brands more meaningful in the eyes of consumers overnight.

Tune in to find out what discoveries about individual and collective well being are driving the definition and applications of a ‘meaningful brand,’ how it differs from a functional or aspirational brand, and how meaningful brands have outperformed the stock market by 120% recently.

“Most people would not care if 73% of brands disappeared. Less than 20% of brands notably improve our quality of life.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #meaningfulbrands More data: www.havasmedia.com/meaning-ful-brands Infographic: www.havasmedia.com/meaning-ful-brands/meaningful-brands-global-info-graphic

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The Road Less Travelled: New Paths to Mainstream Consumer Engagement

ETIENNE MCMANUS-WHITE, Chief Marketing Officer, Forest Stewardship Council

Etienne shares the results of a global main-stream consumer research study the FSC commissioned and conducted in partnership with The GfK Group.

The research found a big majority of the world’s consumers laid the responsibility of solving the global environmental crisis at the door of businesses. In addition, consumers better trusted companies’ environmental claims when they were backed up by certifi-cation marks indicating ingredients and input products were responsibly sourced.

Interestingly, certification marks or labels were more compelling to consumers when endorsed by trusted brands than in isolation. A label endorsed by a trusted brand was found to be just as influential, if not more so, than a label endorsed by prominent ENGOs.

“When it comes to building consumer trust, for-profit brands show to be as influen-tial as non-profit ENGOs – 63% would trust the FSC label more when endorsed by Greenpeace; 65% would trust the FSC label more when endorsed by HP.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #ecolabels More data: http://www.sustainablebrands.com/digital_learning/communications/fsc-global-consumer-research-highlights FSC in the news: http://www.sustainable-brands.com/news_and_views/supply_chain/jennifer_elks/rainforest_alliance_reinstates_ikeas_fsc_certification

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Measuring the Core Business Benefits of a Social Value Proposition

JASON SAUL, Founder & CEO, Mission Measurement

Jason introduces the concept of a ‘social value proposition,’ motivates it with thoughtful consumer insights and walks us through the kinds of value it can deliver.

In the process, he underlines the distinction be-tween socially conscious consumers and con-sumers who respond to ‘social value drivers.’

He argues the business logic of CSR and corporate sustainability is fundamentally changing. In a framework splitting business value into extrinsic and intrinsic – where intrinsic benefits affect actual consumption, while extrinsic ones don’t – Jason argues companies have been erring too much on the side of extrinsic.

“Giving away money is meeting ex-pectations of what people already think you should do. No one’s going to reward you for giving money to charity.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #sharedvalue

Research Report: missionmeasurement.

com/uploads/documents/Why_Companies_

Should_Stop_Doing_Good.pdf

Blog: missionmeasurement.com/ideas/

blogideas/blog

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Big Picture: Strategies and Metrics for Brand Value

BILL SHIREMAN, President & CEO, Future 500

Bill highlights the value of smart stakeholder engagement that is both analytical and purpose-driven.

When you consider that the cost of a meager 1% decline in brand value – which can eas-ily be in the range of $200 million to over a billion for companies of the caliber of Target, Nike or Walmart – you quickly realize the im-portance of investing in protecting the soul of a brand. He outlines how five high-risk issues intersect with five high-opportunity groups of people that have a particularly strong voice these days: women, millennials, minorities, green creatives, politically uncommitteds.

Ranking both issues and influential stake-holders, and focusing clearly and authenti-cally on the few intersections that matter the most to a company, is a great way to protect or restore the soul of any brand.

“Women are responsible for 73% of buying power, or roughly $9 tril-lion of annual buying power.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #stakeholderengagementWebinar: http://www.sustainablebrands.com/digital_learning/collaboration/stakeholder-activism-2014-top-10-issues-likely-drive-global-campaigns Book: Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: How-To Guide for Uniting the Left, Right, Capitalists, and Activists

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CSR and Communication Expectations From Today’s Global Consumers

LIZ GORMAN, Senior Vice President, Cone Communications

Showing up at the CSR table is no longer enough – the universal expectation for companies to be responsible is immense and undeniable.

This webinar walks us through the latest round of key data points and critical impli-cations for business, including expectations, priority issues, business approaches and preferred types of engagement.

It also explores desired communications channels, as well as insights into how con-sumers are using social media to engage with companies in a variety of ways.

“91% of global consumers believe companies must go beyond the minimum standards required by law to operate responsibly.”

ALISON DASILVA, Executive Vice President, Cone Communications

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #consumerexpectations

More data: www.sustainablebrands.com/dig-ital_learning/white-paper/2013-cone-com-municationsecho-global-csr-study

Cone in the news: www.sustainablebrands.

com/news_and_views/stakeholder_trends_

insights/sustainable_brands/77_americans_

say_sustainability_factor

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How to Make Advertising Claims That Consumers Will Trust: A Marketers’ Guide to the FTC Green Guides

JACQUIE OTTMAN, green marketing pioneer and author

Led by Jacquie Ottman, green marketing pioneer and author, and Becky Griffith of the National Advertising Division (NAD), the industry self-regulatory group, this webinar brings marketers up to speed on the latest guidance from the Federal Trade Commis-sion about how to create communications that can drive consumers to your sustainable products and initiatives while helping compa-nies avoid accusations of greenwashing, and challenges from competitors and the FTC.

Learn about the many potential risks of being perceived as a greenwasher, discover case studies across a range of consumer and B2B product categories, and understand the lat-est guidance from the FTC about how to use terms such as ‘carbon offsets’, ‘biodegrad-able’, and ‘compostable.’

“78% of Americans claimed they would boycott a product if they knew the advertiser was trying to mislead them.”

BECKY GRIFFITH, National Advertising Division (NAD)

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #FTCgreen

Full report: http://www.greenmarketing.com/

blog/comments/FTC-Green-Guides-Report/

Tool: http://www.sustainablebrands.com/digital_learning/marketing_comms/ottman_checklist_credible_green_marketing_claims

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Creating a Sustainable Advantage through the Power of Unpacking Consumer Motivations

Lee Ann discusses brand purpose through the lens of Shelton’s Eco Pulse segmentation system, considering the Actives segment in particular.

With 48% of Americans currently claim-ing that corporate environmental reputa-tion impacts their purchase decision at the shelf, the upward trend of this fraction of the population continues. Listen to Lee Ann’s presentation for a set of factors defining ‘a good environmental reputation’ in the eyes of mainstream consumers.

“Manufacturing in the USA is the number one answer to the question ‘What could you be doing to create a good environmental reputation?’”

LEE ANN HEAD, VP Research, Shelton Group (her part starts at 54 mins)

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #ecopulse

More data: http://sheltoninsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/EcoPulse2013_page20.pdf

Case study: http://www.sustainablebrands.com/digital_learning/event-video/power-we-quick-case-study-brand-collaboration-and-call-more-it

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Unleashing the Personal Data Economy

JOHN HAVENS, Founder, The H(app)athon Project

John launched the H(app)athon Project to, in his own words, “give Big Data a direction and help people leverage the mobile sensors in their smartphones to identify what brings them meaning in their lives.”

The end goal is to aggregate survey respons-es and personal data in order to identify activities and organizations that might help people optimize their personal wellbeing.

In the process, as a chief researcher and author of Hacking Happiness: Why Your Personal Data Counts and How Tracking it Can Change the World, John has built a wealth of knowledge about digital identi-ties people leave behind while using their computers, smartphones and a variety of next-generation wearable technologies.

John goes over “happiness Economics,”and then presents several big opportunities to leverage the nascent ‘personal data econo-my’ that is being in front of our eyes.

“People will be their own data brokers.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #quantifiedselfThe H(app)athon Project: www.happathon.com

Book: Hacking Happiness: Why Your Per-sonal Data Counts and How Tracking it Can Change the World

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Meet the Aspirationals: Innovating for Complex Consumers

RAPHAEL BEMPORAD, Founding Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, BBMG

Since BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility launched their Regeneration Consumer Study, there has been a fascinating global conversa-tion about the Aspirationals, a new consumer segment that is in a powerful and potentially game-changing position with respect to the future of sustainable consumption. As the largest consumer segment globally – particularly in Brazil, China, India, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States – these style and social status-seeking con-sumers love to shop, and also feel a sense of responsibility to make purchases that are good both for the environment and for society.

Take a deep dive into this presentation to understand what beliefs and behaviors are defining the Aspirationals, what barriers and levers to sustainable purchasing they help enable, and what opportunities that opens up for brands big and small.

“65% of Aspirationals care a lot about style and the way they look.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #aspirationals

More data: http://www.sustainablebrands.com/digital_learning/slideshow/meet-aspi-rationals-consumers-and-future-sustain-ability

Up-to-date analysis: http://www.sustainable-

brands.com/news_and_views/brand_inno-

vation/raphael_bemporad/alchemy_sustain-

ability_5_forces_will_drive_more_mea

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Finding the Common Thread in a Complex Consumer Landscape

BRYAN WELCH ,Author, Beautiful and Abundant

This eclectic panel of journalists, an architect, a cattle rancher and a stay-at-home mom captivate the Sustainable Brands audience with a discussion on “Finding the Common Thread in a Complex Consumer Landscape.”

Bryan Welch, publisher of Mother Earth News, Natural Home & Garden, Utne Read-er and other media brands, and author of Beautiful and Abundant: Building the World We Want, points out that while the news industry has seen a marked decline in recent years, Mother Earth News has almost doubled its newsstand sales over the same period.

Fascinatingly, the publication’s readership includes both people identifying as very liber-al and others describing themselves as very conservative. This discussion aims to unmask what the two groups have in common when it comes to sustainability and the environment.

“If you’re going to call me a consumer, I am not going to do business with you.”

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #motherearthnews More from Bryan Welch: http://www.sustain-ablebrands.com/digital_learning/event-vid-eo/vision-key-beautiful-future

Book: Beautiful and Abundant: Building the

World We Want

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Green and Brown: What America’s Changing Demographics Mean for Brands of the Future

GRACIELA TISCAREÑO-SATO, Chief Creative Officer and Publisher, Gracefully Global Group, LLC

What evidence is there to suggest that Latino consumers can be a powerful force in driv-ing revenue for environmentally and socially responsible products? What myths about Latinos have been serving as roadblocks to tapping that consumer segment? What do brand, marketing and communications ex-ecutives need to know to reach Latinos with news of innovation for sustainability, and respective sales?

Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, Author of Latinnovating: Green American Jobs and the Latinos Creating Them, and Nayelli Gonzalez, former senior strategist at Saatchi & Saat-chi S, share the cream of extensive research they have both done in attempts to answer these questions.

“Latinos are driving demographic change in the United States – they are expected to grow by 167% from 2010 to 2050, from 15% to 30% of the US population.”

NAYELLI GONZALEZ, Senior Strategist, Saatchi & Saatchi S

JASON RIVEIRO, Multicultural Marketing Manager, The Sherwin-Williams Co.

VERENA SISA, VP/Chief Strategy Officer, Conill Advertising

// RELATED CONTENT

Twitter: #latinnovatingResearch report: http://www.saatchis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Saatchi-S_Lati-nos-and-Sustainability_2012.pdf

Book: Latinnovating: Green American Jobs

and the Latinos Creating Them

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About Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Brands® is the premier global community of brand innovators who are shaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, our mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to a better future. Digitally published news articles and issues- focused conversation topics, internationally known conferences and regional events, a robust e-learning library and peer-to-peer membership groups all facilitate community learning and engagement throughout the year. Sustainable Brands is produced by Sustainable Life Media headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

© 2014, Sustainable Brands® produced by Sustainable Life Media.This work is protected under copyright law. It may not be reproduced or distributed for commercial purposes without the expressed, written consent of Sustainable Brands®.

www.SustainableBrands.com/library

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