COP26 marketing opportunities for those with credentials

Brands, retailers and agencies with environmental credentials are finding credible ways to piggyback on the UN’s climate change conference, even as sponsors of the COP26 conference were recently reported to be unhappy about the management of the event.

 Brand

• Toymaker Lego has issued “building instructions for a better world” based on research and workshops conducted with more than 6,000 children aged 8-18 from around the world. Mocked up like one of its instruction booklets, it will be handed out to delegates. 
• Lego itself is committed to reducing carbon emission by 37% by 2032 and is working on producing brick made from recycled plastic.

Retailer

• UK retailer The Co-op has temporarily rebranded as ‘Co-op26’. Three Glasgow stores have been given a makeover, while others nationwide will have relevant in-store marketing. The new branding will also feature on social channels for the duration of the conference. 
• The Co-op aims to become a net-zero business by 2040 and to sell fully carbon-neutral own-brand food and drink by 2025.

Agency

• PR agency Red Consultancy has launched an offer, Green@Red, focused on climate change planning and campaigning for brands.
• Red Consultancy handles ongoing climate change and purpose campaigns for a number of clients including Avon, McDonald’s and Sky.

Key quote

“Not only does the planet need business to take an urgent stand, but the huge increase in people using their purpose in their pocket to demand planet-friendly practices and products means that ultimately, only companies that truly, transparently embrace and embed this and tie it to their commercial success will survive and thrive” – Sara Vaughan, creator of Brands and Companies with Purpose.

Sourced from Guardian, PR Week, The Drum [Image: Lego]