How green can you be in the creative industry?

The green movement is not new. In fact, in the last 30 years, it has become an integral part of many campaigns and indeed even companies’ strategies in the creative industry.

Why is being green so vital to the success of a business? There are different reasons, but most importantly is that consumer behaviors have changed. Consumers, especially in the fashion and luxury industries, have become more ethically minded. To these customers, an industry that advocates continual change and ensures in-built obsolescence in its products is far from attractive. To satisfy the environmentally conscious consumer, action needs to be taken.

Retailers have made great efforts in aid of the environment in the last decade. More ‘bags for life’, recyclable plastic bags and biodegradable bags have been introduced by several big brand stores. For example, Marks and Spencer now use virtually no extra packaging for most of their garments, a far cry from when
jumpers were all packed in cardboard and cellophane. According to Mike Easey in Fashion Marketing, M&S is taking environmental concerns into account and is committed to being more green. They are aiming to keep abreast of environmental issues and take them into consideration through their buying decisions and in their operations.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been adopted more widely over the years in large corporations. One pioneer in luxury is Gucci. CSR has become a priority for Gucci and its customers. In the modern luxury goods market, excellence in craftsmanship, materials and design must be coupled with ethical and responsible production. Gucci believes in creating sustainable value across its operations. The Gucci Green logo was created in 2007 as the company demonstrated commitment to making sustainability a key element of its mission. This has been well received by the media and Gucci customers, which prove it’s the right move in the fashion industry for others to follow.

However, retailers and corporations are not the only two stakeholders in the industry. For intermediaries such as branding or advertising agencies, what can be done to demonstrate commitment to the environment? It’s one of the hardest questions for small and medium agencies in almost every industry. Here at Grain, for example, we have always been strong supporters of the green movement in the creative industry and we try to make an impact where we can. Here is a blog post on our green focus.

Inspired by the film Project Wild Thing, we created this tongue-in-cheek Nature Brand Book, hoping to inspire everyone to leave their computer screens and get outdoors.

Our commitment to social responsibility has progressed through the years. In 2008, we decided to become a member of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of our turnover to enviromental charities like the Marine Conservation Society, Trees for Cities, the Woodland Trust and the Centre for Alternative Technology. One Percent for the Planet’s mission is to build, support and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet. They connect businesses, consumers and nonprofits, empowering all of us to drive big, positive change.

We believe that a business with a sustainable model is a business committed to improving our environment. We are proud to be a member of 1% for the Planet and support the incredible efforts made by these charities to help make the world a better place.