Purpose Pulse

Responsible businesses are thriving. Here's why.

September 2024

The Purpose Pulse newsletter is a monthly roundup that focusses on insights and inspiring stories for businesses on a mission.

There’s a lot of talk about ‘sustainability and ESG’ dropping down the list of priorities for businesses at the moment; that it no longer ‘sells’.

In reality, study after study shows that ‘doing the right thing’ by people and the planet pays off. Research from McKinsey’s shows that these businesses outperform their peers in both growth and profitability.

And, a recent report from the European Central Bank has found that they are also likely to pay lower interest rates.

The bottom line? Responsible business thrives.

Sustainable stories spark innovation

This also means that more companies should be proud of their achievements - not just for PR, but to inspire innovation. As sustainability design consultant, Caroline Till stressed at a recent conference, sustainability isn’t a trend - it’s an opportunity for innovation. Something that is quite often overlooked.

Caroline was the keynote speaker at the Making Design Circular Conference, which tackled the topic of ‘how to talk about your eco-efforts with confidence’. Till also made a cautionary point around calling businesses out for ‘greenwashing’; it can prevent businesses from sharing their progress. Or even stall it.

The complexities around this are huge and that is part of the problem. It’s hard to understand and execute. But, we need to hold businesses to account - and from a communications perspective, not all sustainability initiatives are ‘marketable’.

This is a strong example showing the parallel with health & safety - it’s something that businesses must adhere too, but not necessarily shout about.

Showcasing 'Best in Class'

In fact, the journey to be ‘sustainable’ can be a hard slog. To do our bit to inspire progress, we’re showcasing six B2B businesses that are making great strides in our latest ‘Best-in-class B2B edit’. Originally launched in March this year, we feature two new companies in this edition:

Aira: Accelerating the clean-tech revolution with heat pumps for all
Floreon: Raising the bio-materials bar with recyclable plastics alternatives

Show up for #CEWeek

There are also lots of opportunities to see what ‘good’ looks like at ReLondon’s Circular Economy Week (30th September - 6th October). We have partnered with our client Tarkett to co-host an event too in Clerkenwell.

Open to businesses in the built environment - particularly specifiers - we are exploring circularity in the sector.

Together, we are welcoming panelists from global construction, engineering and fit out company, ISG alongside Earthshot Prize 2024 nominees, Morph Bricks - makers of large recyclable ‘lego-style’ bricks for commercial interiors. All this under the banner of: Sustainable Specs: Going Round in Circles?

Make sure you sign-up here.

Better stories

Speaking of telling better stories, we are hosting another free webinar in October to inspire change and a move away from offsetting. This time we’re collaborating with Pinwheel to explore a smarter way to tackle emissions with the ‘contribution’ model.

I’ll be joined by climate expert, Rob Cheesewright, to understand how this approach can:

Transform environmental impact, without relying on traditional offsets
Engage customers and employees by getting them involved
Elevate marketing and comms efforts with compelling stories

What we've been reading & listening to this month

Short read: Andrew Winston’s timely reminder of ‘why we need to, have to and want to act on climate change’. Andrew is an expert on megatrends, sustainable business, and how to build companies that profit by contributing to a thriving world.

Long read: A report from The Better Business Network on tackling greenwashing, building on key insights from their 'Catalyst Conversation' series. It highlights the challenges organisations face today, from transparency to legislation, and offers clear, actionable steps for using business as a force for good.

Join: If you’re not already, apply to become part of the incredible ‘MarketingKind’ community. It’s a membership community of marketers, brands and causes who come together to create positive change through outcome-oriented activities; inspirational talks, podcasts and inspiring gatherings to drive change across.