[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: No retreat on green marketing

Brands are facing pressure to dial back sustainability messaging. Kantar’s new data suggests that would be precisely the wrong move.

Wars now top the list of consumer concerns. The economy ranks third. Climate concern has softened year on year. On the surface, this looks like permission for brands to deprioritize environmental messaging.

Look closer. Seventy-four percent of consumers have tried or are open to trying brands with positive environmental or social impact, up two points from last year.

The gap between stated climate concern and sustainable behaviour is not a contradiction. It is a signal. People are overwhelmed. They are not abandoning their values; they are rationing their attention. The demand for responsible brands has not weakened. It has become baseline.

The mandate for brands is not retreat, but recalibration: acknowledge economic and political realities, avoid overclaiming, and make responsible choices easier. Those that maintain credibility and relevance now are likely to be better positioned when environmental urgency inevitably rebounds.

Campaigns of the week

Hero Cosmetics, in collaboration with independent creative agency and production studio Humanaut, launched a playful Valentine’s Day activation called The Breakout Box, turning one of skincare’s least romantic realities—acne—into an indulgent gift.

Jung von Matt has developed a global product campaign for MINI, marking the first major international product push under its new creative lead agency.

Standard Chartered has launched Invest Like Champions, a global marketing campaign in partnership with Liverpool Football Club (LFC), to promote the bank’s Signature CIO Funds across 12 key markets.

Agencies and accounts

The Uptown Agency has been appointed Agency of Record by LIVV Audio, taking responsibility for the brand’s integrated communications as it looks to scale its presence across the U.S. market.

Health-and-wellness company BLACKROLL has appointed DEPT as its global digital partner in a multi-year agreement aimed at transforming the brand’s business model and digital ecosystem.

Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company funded by major banks, providing cash and basic banking services in communities across the UK, has appointed The Or to lead a major brand investment as the not-for-profit prepares for its next phase of national expansion.

Partnerships and acquistions

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, a player in the U.S. out-of-home advertising, has agreed to be acquired by Mubadala Capital in partnership with TWG Global.

Genius Sports Limited has partnered with WPP Media to help brands make more precise investments in sports through data-driven intelligence.

Nielsen’s Gracenote, a global player in entertainment metadata, has announced the continuation of its partnership with Google.

Captains of Industry

This week, Marketing Report spoke with Eva Chapiteau, the Head of Strategic Planning at Ogilvy Paris about how empathy and intuition, when applied with precision, can transform data into insight, scale responsibly in a fast-moving landscape.

We also had a chat with Helen McIntee-Carlisle, the President of the African Marketing Confederation. She shared her insights on the evolving marketing landscape across Africa and how how the confederation is supporting marketers in navigating challenges, advancing digital transformation, and positioning Africa on the global stage.

Other major news of the week

Havas has launched its data and analytics consultancy, CSA, in Sweden following the acquisition of a majority stake in Ctrl Digital, a local specialist in measurement, analytics, and data activation.

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has published an updated definition of public relations following a consultation with members and industry leaders, aiming to reflect how the discipline operates today.

As artificial intelligence featured heavily in Big Game advertising this year, research from System1 shows that audiences responded more strongly to campaigns grounded in human emotion and storytelling.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One

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