How Brands are Impacting Business & Culture

Welcome to the May edition of the Purpose Review, providing you with the latest news, trend insights and work from the Allison and Headstand Purpose Center of Excellence.?

April was a busy month in the Purpose space. There were several wonderful stories – like the milestone of 1,000 agencies signing the Clean Creatives pledge (including us here at Allison – read about our October 2023 commitment ) – and some born of greenwashing frustration, like Vogue Business’ refusal to cover Earth Day and data demonstrating the ongoing crackdown on brands’ overblown sustainability claims.. We’re also keeping an eye on how Earth Day 2024 was received by the general public and sustainability practitioners; we at the Purpose Center of Excellence applaud brands for their efforts but look forward to seeing continued momentum to reduce climate impacts and environmental injustice through science-based targets, in-depth reporting and other innovative approaches.?

Below, you’ll find the latest news, numbers and updates from our team.?

1. PRWeek: 1,000 agencies pledge ‘no oil and gas clients’ ?

Earth Day marked an exciting milestone for the anti-fossil fuel movement, as Clean Creatives celebrated the major milestone of 1,000 agencies globally having pledged to refuse work with fossil fuel companies, trade associations or front groups. Allison is proud to be the largest agency to have signed the pledge, and we’re excited to see continued momentum as the industry takes a stand for a healthier planet.?

2. Fast Company: Patagonia wants you to stop buying crap ??

Patagonia has released yet another eye-catching climate campaign, this time underscoring our mass consumption problem through a short film. The movie dives into how humans evolved from creating durable items to disposable clothing that’s destroying the planet. However, it did not go unnoticed that the motive behind this film was to highlight the quality and durability of Patagonia’s own clothing, convincing viewers it’s fine to buy Patagonia’s products while criticizing other fashion brands for fueling over consumption. ?

3. Triple Pundit: Anti-ESG Fever Shows Signs of Bending, Not Breaking (Yet) ?

The anti-ESG movement has been a hot political topic in recent years – but the cracks in the movement are starting to show. Legislators in states that have passed these bills are having second thoughts as the financial consequences of anti-ESG laws come to fruition, especially in rural communities. We’ll be closely following how this movement unfolds ahead of the 2024 election, as momentum is building around strategies that emphasize long-term thinking and sustainability.?

4. Vogue Business: Why we’re not covering Earth Day ?

In 1969, Earth Day was established to put the health of our planet on the national agenda, marking the birth of the modern environmental movement. But in recent years, consumerist culture has taken over as brands leverage this annual day to promote “green products,” which is directly at odds with the original purpose of the event. Learn why Vogue has refused to cover brand campaigns for Earth Day and instead is committed to highlighting the most pressing issues and authentic solutions for the climate crisis. ?

5. New York Times: ‘Climate-Controlled’ Sausage? Courts Crack Down on Greenwashing ?

The last few years have seen an ongoing crackdown on greenwashing as more and more brands have come under scrutiny for making false and overblown sustainability claims in their marketing. Between 2020 and 2022, the number of legal cases challenging the “truthfulness of corporate climate” claims has more than doubled – with cases spanning fashion, food, airline, and myriad other industries.??

2:05 – that’s the cumulative amount of time ABC, CBS and NBC dedicated to discussion around climate and environmental issues close to Earth Day (April 16-28, 2024), according to a new analysis by Media Matters.?

ABC led overall overage with 1:07 across 18 segments, followed by CBS and NBC, and segments varied significantly in their coverage. According to Media Matters, some offered insightful analysis of climate and environmental issues, but too many defaulted to stories about consumerism and individual responsibility. As it becomes ever more important that Earth Day coverage focuses on systemic issues and solutions, marketers should consider how they can adjust their storytelling to put emphasis on the bigger picture.?

• Go, Go, Goldman Prize! – On Monday, April 29, the Goldman Environmental Prize team announced the seven recipients of the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize, the world’s foremost award for grassroots environmental activists. Awarded annually to environmental heroes from each of the world’s six inhabited continental regions, the Goldman Environmental Prize honors the achievements and leadership of grassroots environmental activists from around the world, inspiring all of us to take action to protect our planet. Learn more about the Prize winners from South Africa, India, Spain, Brazil, Australia and California.?
• Byline alert: SEC reporting – so what? – Have you ever poured your heart and soul into a sustainability report only to watch it die on the shelf? Our own Mark Allegrini published a byline in PRWeek explaining the need for companies to make their investments in sustainability reporting work harder by using these deliverables to craft compelling narratives, connect impact and efforts to cultural moments and make sustainability and ESG progress personal, relatable and inspiring. You can read Mark’s byline here. ?
• Empowering the next STEM generation – In mid-April, more than 50,000 people (including nearly 20,000 students!) descended upon Houston for FIRST Championship , the world’s largest youth robotics competition. On behalf of FIRST, the leading global robotics community preparing young people for the future, our team developed a multichannel strategic communications plan designed to engage and educate parents, corporate supporters and working STEM mentors. To learn more about this incredible program, which has reached 3.2M K-12 students over 35 years, check out FIRST founder and prolific inventor Dean Kamen on Bloomberg Businessweek .?

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, say hello to the Purpose Center of Excellence at [email protected] .???

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