The people behind our purpose

by Dec 6, 2018

Shelton Insight

“Well-intentioned consumers may be misled into purchases that do not deliver on their environmental promise” (TerraChoice’s original “Six Sins of Greenwashing” report).

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Sustainability Win of the Week

(We’re making a total departure from what we normally do in this space to introduce two people we hope you all get a chance to meet.)

A purpose-driven business like ours is completely dependent on having a deeply talented, experienced, passionate team of people to do the work. We’re so fortunate to have those people on our team today…and so fortunate to have added two more: Scot Case and Julie Link!

Introducing Scot Case, our new Senior Consultant:

One of our favorite, most often cited studies at Shelton Group is the original “Six Sins of Greenwashing” study, co-authored by Scot. Since 1993, Scot has served as a sustainability consultant, working with clients such as Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Disney, the World Bank, the White House, and the EPA. His work on greenwashing alone has encouraged businesses to take sustainability more seriously and avoid making vague assertions or claims without proof. We are excited to have Scot as part of the team as he continues to drive our business forward.

Introducing Julie Link, our new Director of Market Research:

Before joining the team, Julie served as Director of Research and Consumer Insights at Discovery, where she led projects for HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, and the Cooking and Travel Channels. As an uncommonly right-brained researcher, Julie takes an approach to research that is highly refreshing – both to us and the sustainability and C-suite decision-makers with whom we work. She is skilled at uncovering insights that inform and inspire.

Please join us in welcoming Scot and Julie to the team! We are excited to have them on board and look forward to sharing their talents as we help you achieve your sustainability goals.

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News of the Week

Kellogg sends ugly cornflakes to brewery for beer production – Environmental Leader

As part of company efforts to end food waste, Kellogg has come up with a pretty creative solution for using blemished cornflakes. Too small, too large, and overly crunchy cornflakes will now be diverted to a local brewery, which replaces a portion of its grain with the cereal. (The beer is said to have a distinct sweet flavor due to the cereal.) In 2017, Kellogg committed to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level­ – and this is one way of getting closer to that goal. Kellogg is ramping up other sustainability initiatives as well, such as its 2025 goal of 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging.

Atlanta: A dark horse in sustainability innovation – Sustainable Brands

The article says it best: “Atlanta may not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of sustainability – but perhaps it should be.” As a member of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Initiative and as a participant in numerous sustainable design and building programs, the city is a veritable haven for sustainable business. It is a great case study – to see how sustainability can be implemented on a large scale through initiatives connecting nonprofits, government agencies, corporations, and citizens.

How companies can increase market rewards for sustainability efforts – Harvard Business School

We’ve been saying it for a while, and now more research confirms, there is a link “between public sentiment about a company’s sustainability practices and how that company is valued in the market.” Companies with overall good performance on corporate social governance can “increase their market value by carefully monitoring public sentiment about those issues and proactively addressing issues when negative stories arise,” according to research by Harvard Business School. The bottom line: pay attention to public sentiment on sustainability and tap into the issues that matter most to the public in order to drive market value. A sustainability report isn’t enough: make sure the public knows that you know what matters most to them.

When it comes to sustainability, how does YOUR company stack up?

We’ve interviewed sustainability leaders and gathered their advice for what it takes to successfully bake sustainability into a corporate structure. Learn the stages of corporate sustainability – from initial strategy to final implementation – and get the game plan to achieve a competitive advantage by mobilizing your team.

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About the Author

Suzanne Shelton

Where Suzanne sees opportunity, you can bet results will follow. Drawing on her extensive knowledge of both the advertising world and the energy and environment arena, Suzanne provides unparalleled strategic insights to our clients and to audiences around North America. Suzanne is a guest columnist in multiple publications and websites, such as GreenBiz, and she speaks at around 20 conferences a year, including Sustainable Brands, Fortune Brainstorm E and Green Build.

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