What goes into a truly sustainable brand?
Sustainability is on the checklist of companies across the world. And it’s no secret that we’re all connected by rising seas and diminishing resources. These challenges provide orgs a new question: how do we stand out in an industry that feels heavy with constraints? As a branding agency, this challenge doesn’t bog us down, but instead fuels our creativity.
We’re here to break open sustainable branding for those with world-changing solutions and beautiful brand dreams. You can have both, we work to make those win-wins a reality.
You don’t have to choose green.
While a multitude of elements make up a strong brand, color is often a key consideration. And while it’s tempting for sustainability brands to ‘go green’ with their palette, it can backfire. Leaning on sustainability as your brand’s main strength is no longer a differentiator (and that’s a good thing).
We’ve helped thermal energy tap into electric blue (Shift), waste companies flush with orange (Wasted*), and energy companies stay plugged into yellow (Pilot Energy) even through the electrification revolution.
The full palette of colors are available for sustainability companies and like any industry, sustainable brands also want to look differentiated, noticeable, and want viewers to quickly understand what it is they do or sell.
Are You Clear About Your Commitment? Let’s Measure It
If sustainability is a leading aspect of your brand story, start tracking your numbers and know that even small steps of progress, when documented, are powerful evidence.
Our clients are sometimes the unknown leading challenger who happens to be the greenest AND lowest cost option on the market: in the short and long run. They are thinking about everything from sourcing to measurement and reporting.
It’s not enough to crack the code; your brand needs to clearly showcase your full-cycle solution and your marketing should continually share the metrics that matter. Impact stats and data-backed case studies tell a bigger story than aspirational headlines. We like having both.
If you’re going to go through all the trouble to do it right, we want to showcase the efforts at work.
Long-Term Sustainability
The last component your brand agency partner should be thinking about is how sustainable your new brand itself will be for your company?
Can your story pass the test of time? Does your brand have enough room to grow while also opening doors today? Will your marketing team be able to efficiently and effectively work with the brand and marketing tools?
Another big consideration, that your branding agency partners should care about, is what’s realistically sustainable for your bottom line. A sustainable brand isn’t going to change the world if the runway disappears. Put your oxygen mask on before assisting others. Do you just need a deck and logo to start, with a simple inspiring website, as you build your funding network?
Right-size the efforts to sustainably build your brand over time.
Here for the Wave and the Deep Think
Our team welcomes these challenges and solves these riddles daily in our client meetings as we chart the courses for our sustainable clients.
Ready for a thinking partner to help? Reach out to us to discuss how we can help you with your sustainability brands questions.
