Sustainable Brands® Unites Global Partners for Expanded Project on Sustainable Consumption and Consumer Behavior Change
International collaboration led by Eight Sustainability Platform launches Framework for Action: Consumer Behavior Change at Sustainable Brands Rio 2014
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 24, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Sustainable Brands® announced today that the Framework for Action: Consumer Behavior Change will launch at Sustainable Brands 2014 Rio in Brazil. Led by Eight Sustainability Platform, in partnership with Futerra Sustainability Communications, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), the Instituto Akatu and Sustainable Brands, it is the first publication to explore the cutting-edge issues of sustainable consumer behavior change exclusively for the Brazilian market.
The project is sponsored by Banco Itaú and supported by Dow, Nestlé, Unilever, Invepar and PepsiCo. The final output is a framework – a guide for professionals from marketing, communication, R&D and sustainability departments at organizations (especially B2C companies) looking to promote environmentally and socially positive behavior through behavior change. It explores value propositions, innovation, product and service design, access to markets and new consumer profiles, sustainable branding and consumer relations. It presents a methodology and framework for doing so for the Brazilian market based on learning from existing literature and data, discussions with representatives of companies in Brazil, and from a combined effort with the partners.
According to Pablo Barros, the creator of the project and the founder of Eight Sustainability Platform, “There are many responses to the problems that our society faces, but influencing the behavior of consumers is one of the most effective ways for facing up to challenges of this scale. We have decided to begin our work by developing mechanisms for use by B2C companies, because of the strength of their brands, their scale and their penetration, and because of the positive returns that these companies and their brands can achieve by engaging with their consumers.”
Solitaire Townsend, co-founder of Futerra, said, “Creating sustainable lifestyles is the greatest business opportunity of the 21st century. Brazil must be at the heart of this new market. We can both share learning from global brands and also discover the sustainable behaviors unique to Brazil.”
The project launches today during an afternoon session at Sustainable Brands Rio. Introduced last year in Brazil, the conference will convene over 500 brand innovators on April 24-25th. "Since 2006, Sustainable Brands has been focused on helping the global brand community find value in leading the way to a sustainable future,” states KoAnn Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands. “Brands play a critical role in aligning business and society. Understanding how to encourage and support more sustainable consumer demand is fundamental to our future, both for business and society. We are grateful to be part of this project and hope it will contribute important insight that can be shared with our global community of change makers who are committed to enabling the sustainable economy of the future."
More information about the Framework for Action: Consumer Behavior Change and document download, from April 24th, can be found at http://eightsustainability.com/pt-br/special-projects/.
Information about Sustainable Brands 2014 Rio, April 24-25 at the SulAmérica Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro, can be found on the conference website.
About Eight Sustainability Platform
Eight Sustainability Platform is a global platform that works on sustainable solutions, drawing on a wide range of partnerships with leading organizations in the international sustainability space. Eight aims to serve as a catalyst for change and to influence the transformation of current forms of production and consumption. It provides consulting services, executes special projects and specializes in adding speed and scale to initiatives that aim to change the paradigms of both companies and consumers. Eight’s work is based on the partnership model, cooperating with its partners to find solutions for global sustainability issues and its clients, while also developing partnerships with its own customer base.
About Futerra Sustainability Communications
Futerra is an award-winning sustainability communications agency with offices in New York, London and Stockholm. Our mission is to make sustainability so desirable it becomes normal. From green marketing to corporate responsibility, brand strategy to creative execution, Futerra transforms global businesses into leading sustainable businesses, offering real and impactful solutions.
About Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS)
CEBDS is a business national association and non-profit that leads efforts on sustainable development implementation in Brazil, effectively articulating Brazilian government and business actions. Created in 1997, CEBDS integrates the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development) national council’s net.
Recognized as the most reputable business institution in the world, WBCSD brings together 200 business groups that act all around the globe. In Brazil, CEBDS has today 76 associated companies that represent (in total) more than 40% country’s GDP and more than 600 thousand jobs.
CEBDS’ mission is guided by fostering business leadership as a change catalyst towards a business model that enables economic activity success, fosters social inclusion and preserves environment assets.
About Instituto Akatu
Created on March 15, 2001 (World Consumer Day) within the Ethos Institute for Business and Social Responsibility, Akatu is a non-governmental organization that works to raise awareness and mobilize society for conscious consumption. The Institute's activities are focused on changing consumer behavior on two fronts – education and communication – with the development of campaigns, content, surveys, games and methodologies. Akatu defends the act of conscious consumption as a fundamental transformation of the world, as any consumer can contribute to the sustainability of life on earth: through the consumption of natural resources, products and services and the enhancement of social responsibility companies.
About Sustainable Brands
Sustainable Brands® is the premier global community of brand innovators who are shaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, our mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to a better future. Digitally published news articles and issues-focused conversation topics, internationally known conferences and regional events, a robust e-learning library and peer-to-peer membership groups all facilitate community learning and engagement throughout the year. Sustainable Brands is hosted by Sustainable Brands Worldwide, a division of Sustainable Life Media headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
