The top five most inspiring sustainable brands

Living a more sustainable life is a key concern for many consumers who are looking to brands for help in turning aspirations into actions. 

Which is why brands need to adopt more sustainable business practices and consider the environmental impact of the whole lifecycle of their products and services. But the concept of sustainability today isn’t limited solely to the environment, it also covers economic and social perspectives and behaviours as well.

The concept of sustainability today isn’t limited solely to the environment, it also covers economic and social perspectives and behaviours as well.

While there was a time when this may have been seen as a somewhat niche area of consumer interest it is now very much mainstream; 77% of consumers want brands to be sustainable and more than 70% would pay a premium (of 35% on average) for brands that are sustainable and environmentally responsible according to IBM Institute for Business Value report.

As people’s ambitions have shifted from ‘do no harm’ to ‘must create positive impact’, brands that embrace their power and step up their game to create better futures for everyone will win. To help brands navigate this increasingly complex aspect of their operations, we at Coley Porter Bell have created a framework of five pillars for brands to consider embedding all nuances of the multi-faceted topic of sustainability into their experiences: 

1.     Walk the (purpose) talk

2.     Strive for un-stereotypical ideas

3.     Portray diversity

4.     Design for Inclusiveness

5.     Think eco-minded solutions

So, our top five sustainable brands have each been chosen with a different pillar in mind.

Few brands can match Patagonia for its commitment to sustainability, its culture, leadership, and its attitude toward activism.

Patagonia

The outdoor clothing brand is a prime example of a brand that can walk the (purpose) talk. This principle is about how a brand is embracing a path to purpose – what stage it is at in terms of operations and strategic decisions, as well as its marketing and communications and partnership arrangements. 

Few brands can match Patagonia for its commitment to sustainability, its culture, leadership, and its attitude toward activism. The brand has stated: ‘We aim to use the resources we have – our voice, our business and our community – to do something about our climate crisis’. It commits time, resources and investment to causing ‘no unnecessary harm’ and protecting nature.

Above: Patagonia's is committed to sustainability in everything it does. 

Bodyform 

There has been much brand activity in our second pillar – strive for un-stereotypical ideas. Movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo have brought to the fore the problems some members of society face as a result of negative racial or gender stereotypes. Many brands have supported these sentiments and work, and fair representation and inclusion is better understood by individuals and businesses alike. 

Sanitary brand Bodyform has been on a period taboo-breaking journey which started with it replacing blue liquid with red ‘blood’ in its Blood Normal advertising.

Since 2017 sanitary brand Bodyform has been on a period taboo-breaking journey which started with it replacing blue liquid with red ‘blood’ in its Blood Normal advertising. It signalled its mission to confront and break taboos around periods, often involving misinformation and misperceptions about women, their bodies and their menstrual cycle. This has extended to its Global V Taboo Tracker which includes research to better understand these taboos and help shift the traditional industry narrative.

Above: Bodyform has created - and continues to create - taboo-busting campaigns. 

Google

All sectors have issues around how they portray diversity. The moral and business requirement to create equal and equitable opportunities for all members of social, cultural and ethnic minorities is undeniable. So, the products and services, communications, employee structures and more that brands deliver to their customers must reflect the diverse world in which they operate.

The moral and business requirement to create equal and equitable opportunities for all members of social, cultural and ethnic minorities is undeniable.

Google used machine learning and appointed a task force to analyse diversity across all its communications. It then used these findings to address any imbalances or misrepresentation. The company developed a training programme to improve its representation of diversity in its brand communications. To date, 90% of its team and 200 of its agency partners have taken the course. As a result, Google launched even more thought-provoking campaigns and strengthened affinity with a broader set of followers and supporters.

Above: When thinking about its communication with customers, Google has endeavoured to be as diverse as possible.

Rare Beauty 

Our fourth pillar of sustainability is design for inclusiveness, and whether it’s about designing an entire identity system, a product, a service, a pack or a website, inclusive design principles ensure that as many people as possible can be involved in a great brand experience without the need for special adaptations. 

Rare Beauty was created with inclusive design at its heart.

Actress Selena Gomez’ make-up range, Rare Beauty, was created with inclusive design at its heart. So, as well as ensuring the range of shades on offer were suitable for all skin tones, its packaging is designed to be accessible for people with limited mobility. Gomez suffers from Lupus, and she wanted the packaging to be usable for people with arthritis – which is a common comorbidity of Lupus.

Above: Selena Gomez's make-up range has inclusivity at its core.

Allbirds 

Shoe and clothing brand Allbirds uses planet-friendly material for all its products, which is why it represents our think eco-minded solutions pillar. From its shoelaces made from recycled water bottles to the sugarcane that makes up its cushioned soles, Allbirds’ trainers are sustainable from top to bottom.

Just as customers are busy trying to recycle and reduce energy use, so too must the brands trying to appeal to them.

This level of commitment to reuse, recycle and reduce puts this brand in the top tier of the eco-minded. For just as customers are busy trying to recycle and reduce energy use, so too must the brands trying to appeal to them. Brands like Allbirds build their reputations on environmental pledges and improved business practices, which lead and inspire others in their industries.

These five brands and five pillars show what can be achieved and where businesses should be focussing their efforts, as they embrace and integrate a broader perspective on sustainability in their businesses.