Brand Next 2022

“80% of a product's environmental impact is determined at the design stage." Minnie Moll, Chief Executive, Design Council. Now that makes quite an impression as, much as I love an infographic, that statistic is quite worrying.

In June, I attended the first Brandland and Creative UEA conference in Norwich. Brandland was created to celebrate Norfolk’s rich brand heritage and continued innovation. The first event on 22nd June, ‘Brand Next 2022’, highlighted the importance of the role branding can play in the race against climate change. The conference was incredibly insightful with an inspiring Keynote from Minnie Moll, which came as a bit of a wake-up call!

The debate for the afternoon was 'Can branding save the planet?'

Here are my key takeaways from the event.

1. Power comes with responsibility

As brands, we have a responsibility to control the messages we put out. Millie Moll leads the Design Council mission: Design for Planet and highlights that with power comes responsibility. As brand creators and marketers, we have the tools to motivate and inspire to change behaviour. But it doesn’t have to be miserable!

We have all seen the news, the landfill and plastics in the ocean, and the powerful footage from the Attenborough Effect to argue the need for change. It is our job now, as members of the public, as creatives, marketers, designers, and brand owners to collaborate to drive action and inspire a positive change in behaviour.

2. Transparency

“If you don’t know what to say - don’t say it.” (Moll, 2022) The topic of sustainability is complicated and complex, and often as marketers, we must admit as much as would like to have all the answers, often we don’t! Sustainability is an ever-changing subject and governments, and scientists are still searching for answers.

So, are we educated enough to be as transparent as we would like? The term transparency was mentioned regularly throughout the day and the need for honest communication both internally and externally to avoid sidestepping the truth. Emma Watson, Owner of Children’s accessory brand Little Hotdog Watson argued that brands need to be compassionate and have an opinion to be transparent.

Therefore, highlight what you are proud to be doing and what you are doing next to achieve your next step in your journey.

3. Credibility

This leads me to credibility. When working with brands, building trust with your audience is vital. Thomas Panton, the founder of Greenr, a Sustainability Service Platform highlighted the importance of backing yourself up with credible information. And if you can’t right now, give yourself and your audience the opportunity to learn.

4. Need for inclusivity

Sustainability often comes with a premium price tag. In the conversation ‘How branding is changing culture,’ Elma Glasgow, Co-director of Aspire Black Suffolk CIC, a trainer provider in diversity and inclusion argued the importance of addressing sustainability and inclusivity right at the beginning of the branding conversations.

Going back to Millie's statistic that 80% of the environmental impact of the product is determined at the design stage, these conversations need to happen in the preliminary stages to make an inclusive and mainstream ‘good choice’ affordable to all.

5. Give the planet a chair at the table

Rob Davies, Founder, of the marketing agency ONEONONE Communications compared this idea to a persona or fictional customer cut out at the boardroom table. As communicators, we have the power to control the messages we put out into the world and now more than ever need to think about how the planet will be impacted by our work, alongside the intended target audience.