Selling Sustainability:
Driving Consumer Demand and Behavior
Virtual March Member Meeting
December 4th, 2025
Meeting Overview
Join the SB Member community for learning, collaboration, and hands-on strategy-building focused on one of our key business challenges: selling sustainability and driving consumer demand and behavior change.
We’ll explore how brands can authentically communicate their sustainability commitments and inspire consumers to choose products and services that create value for business, people, and the planet. Gain practical tools and methodologies for translating purpose into preference — learning through community connection and co-creation how to tell compelling stories, design meaningful customer experiences, and activate internal teams to make sustainability a core driver of growth.
Together, we’ll examine what’s working, what’s next, and how to move from awareness to action to build stronger brands through the power of customer connection.
This SB Member-exclusive gathering is part of our Member Meeting series, intended to create a safe and productive space for discussion, raise shared obstacles and insights, and enable the co-creation of solutions that drive progress for all.
Agenda
Thursday, December 4th, 2025
9:00-9:30am - Research Recap + Table Discussion: The Competencies of Effective Sustainability Leadership
9:30-10:30am - Roundtable: Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take
10:30-11:00am - Programming break
11:00am-Noon - Panel: Understanding the Sustainability-Driven Consumer
Noon-1:00pm - Programming break
1:00-2:00pm - Workshop: Storytelling and Brand Communication Frameworks for Today: Poking the Bear and Hugging the Bear
2:00-3:00pm - Workshop: Reframing the Language of Sustainability for Today’s Moment
3:00-3:30pm - Programming break
3:30-4:00pm - Q&A / Closing Conversations
Here are some of the featured collaborative learning opportunities:
Research Share-out + Table Discussion: The New Era of Effective Sustainability Leadership
As the sustainability landscape becomes more complex and fast-moving, the leaders shaping its future must bring a new mix of skills, mindsets, and influence. This insights share-out and table discussion will summarize the findings from a recent SB leadership research study and spark conversation around the competencies that define effective sustainability leadership today, from systems thinking and stakeholder empathy to strategic communication and innovation in times of uncertainty. Participants will engage in a discussion to reflect on their own leadership strengths, explore emerging skill gaps across teams and sectors, and exchange ideas on how to cultivate the next generation of sustainability leaders equipped to drive transformation across business, people, and the planet.
Panel: Understanding the Sustainability-Driven Consumer
This discussion will explore the latest trends and understandings around shifting consumer choice, including retailer data and market research that demonstrates how sustainability is shaping purchasing behavior and driving growth and loyalty. Learn to identify the drivers that matter most, including merchandising and messaging strategies that deliver measurable impact.
Workshop:Storytelling and Brand Communication Frameworks for Today–Poking the Bear and Hugging the Bear
Explore how to craft stories that resonate and learn best practices for transparency, authenticity, and impact communication. Understand the communications strategies that inspire action rather than fatigue, and discover how leading brands are strengthening brand preference and market share through messaging that connects. Participants will gain a fresh perspective and tested framework for how to communicate sustainability with clarity and confidence.
Workshop: Reframing the Language of Sustainability for Today’s Moment
How we talk about sustainability profoundly shapes how people understand, value, and act on it. Together we will explore the power of language in driving cultural and behavioral change. Drawing from new work on reframing sustainability narratives, participants will examine how familiar terms — like “ESG,” “net zero,” or even “sustainability” itself — land differently across audiences, and how reframing can unlock new levels of engagement, understanding, and trust. We will explore communication strategies that bridge divides, reduce polarization, and connect sustainability to what people care about most: their families, communities, and shared future. The discussion will also set up a hands-on exercisefor applying reframing techniques in their brand storytelling and stakeholder engagement.
We are thrilled to welcome the following speakers:
Sol Salinas, Capgemini
Franco Amalfi, Capgemini
Pam Alabaster, Columbia University
Freya Williams, Revolt / Anthesis
Tony Calandro, Purposeful Strategies
Stay tuned for more speakers!
Who should attend
Sustainable Brands curates Member-exclusive experiences for our network to help guide their journeys toward becoming truly sustainable brands. This meeting is available to the SB Member community networks only.
We encourage brand leaders across innovation, growth, brand voice and values, internal engagement and transformation, as well as consumer communications and marketing to join this interdisciplinary dialogue.
*All SB Member Meetings operate under the Chatham House Rule.
Registration details:
Registration will close Monday, December 1, 2025.
If you would like to register beyond that date, please reach out to our account director for availability.