Some people say we’re all wet.
They’re right.
We’re sustainability experts who’ve been immersed in the water category for more than a decade. From creating water conservation campaigns to launching efforts to reduce ocean plastics to crafting sustainability positioning and outreach programs for a major player in the kitchen and bath sector, we get the challenges, opportunities and messaging strategies that work.
A Depth of Experience:
Kohler: Believing in Better
In 2008, Kohler had begun its sustainability journey but hadn’t begun talking about it – internally or externally. Our client team saw the benefits of doing so, knowing that by articulating what the company stands for it would catalyze action and strengthen their brand.
We worked them through our sustainability communications platform development process and arrived at an inspirational, authentic way of talking about Kohler’s sustainability journey that aligned with the brand promise: “Believing in Better.” As we worked with Kohler’s internal communications team to roll this out internally and externally, a flywheel effect happened …
Kohler: Safe Water for All
By 2017, “Believing in Better” had blossomed into an umbrella encompassing a variety of compelling and impactful initiatives. From signing wind PPA deals, to launching products for the developing world, to upping their Water Sense® game and More Environmentally Friendly (MEF) portfolio, Kohler proved it could lead the way in sustainability.
Shelton’s data makes it clear that the market expects large companies to take care of people and the planet, and what they expect companies to do, specifically, is to align their actions and commitments with the sector they’re in. In Kohler’s case, that meant clean water and sanitation for all – so the Shelton team worked as a catalyst and facilitator to align internal teams on the idea of “Safe Water for All.” Now, Kohler is its very own catalyst in driving safe water forward.
Ending Plastic Waste
In the fall of 2016, Shelton Group performed global research to better understand the future implications of plastics in the ocean. What we learned, which is obvious today but was not obvious then, is that concern about the issue would soon reach a fever pitch. Cleaning up plastic waste had major implications for both the environment and human health – and it was obvious that plastics would soon be the subject of intense criticism, regulation and deselection.
Shelton Group alerted one of our clients in the chemical industry to this looming reality and recommended that they commit themselves to “Ending Plastic Waste.” Our client agreed and began to build a coalition of other manufacturers, which culminated in the launch of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and a commitment to spending $1.5 billion over the next five years to develop collection infrastructure in key Asian countries where most plastics begin their journey to the oceans.
Wasting Water is Weird
Kohler, Lowe’s, Bosch and P&G wanted to expand the market for water-conserving products – but based on our research, we knew the answer did not lie in traditional marketing and advertising. They had to get to the root of the challenge. Two-thirds of Americans said in our Pulse survey that they were concerned about freshwater supplies. But they weren’t acting on that concern. They didn’t notice when they had crossed the line from using water to wasting it – while brushing teeth, washing cars, etc. We set out to change that.