Xenia Glutz von Blotzheim

Collaborating with external partners along your supply chain or in your industry is the only way to achieve meaningful action that really moves the needle on sustainability transformation. Leveraging diverse strengths and perspectives of various players leads to impactful solutions one individual business would never be able to achieve alone. Together, we can address complex social and environmental challenges, creating shared value for all involved.

Today, CSR stands as an outdated concept. To lead, companies must elevate and integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles to the core of their corporate strategy. Alignment: ESG aligns business goals with societal and environmental values. Risk Management: Proactive ESG management mitigates risks and enhances resilience. Stakeholder Engagement: ESG fosters trust and strengthens relationships with stakeholders. Innovation: ESG prompts innovation, driving differentiation and market leadership. Access to Capital: Strong ESG performance attracts investment and reduces capital costs. Embracing ESG at the core of business strategy ensures future industry leadership thanks to sustainability innovation.

The concept of a separate CSR strategy is outdated. A business strategy with a sustainable purpose at its core will make a company future-fit: starting with WHY is pivotal in driving long-term business growth and profitability through innovation. An organisation's core purpose and values not only anchor its identity but also fuel sustainable innovation, leading to impactful change and enhanced profitability. Whether through developing novel products/services meeting societal needs or optimising existing processes to regenerate nature, innovative ESG practices become differentiators, enhancing brand value and unlocking new market opportunities.

Crafting a persuasive green marketing campaign requires a deep understanding of your target consumer segments and what motivates them. To tailor your message effectively, consider employing different appeals that resonate with each segment. For instance, appeal to "true greens" by highlighting the environmental impact and ethical values of your product, cater to "green thinkers" with factual information and comparisons, entice "green aspirants" with convenience and affordability, and captivate "non-greens" with the quality and performance of your offering. Ultimately, empower your customers by making them the hero of your storytelling and providing them with informative content to make sustainable choices.

A famous change management quote is “People do not resist change; people resist being changed.” Essentially it is all about first ensuring understanding of the whole team, why the change is necessary and getting buy-in. Secondly, it is about involvement, people need to be a part of the project and drive the necessary changes themselves.

In an ideal scenario, customer centricity is part of or embedded into your brand DNA and values. At the very core of your brand DNA sits the purpose, the brands reason for existence. This purpose shall be a guiding North Star to propel the brand forward long-term, always adapting to any occurring changes in the market, consumer behaviour and mindsets. If 'customer centricity' sits at the core of your purpose and DNA, and evolving customer demands are the reason for the change, the communication or implementation of the change itself should be flowing naturally from its core and without obstacles.