Climate change - Is your business responding?

This is without doubt a challenging time for branding and with climate change consistently topping the agenda, brands must start thinking and behaving differently. As a specialist creative agency in the Built Environment for 30 years, Workhouse takes a look at the opportunities. 

"A brand is not what you say it is, it’s what THEY say it is.” Building a brand will always be a challenge but keeping this mantra close to your brand heart will ensure you won’t go far adrift. It’s a stark reminder that successful brands are built by understanding life through the lens of the customer in order to deliver indispensable value.

However, in what can only be described as a perfect storm of challenges and crises; the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, Brexit, social inequalities….there has been a fundamental shift in everything we thought we knew about customer ‘perspective’ and motivations.

Organisations in the Built Environment have been caught in the very eye of this storm, navigating through not only supply chain disruption, skilled labour shortages and ever-shrinking margins but are now also increasingly held to account on their direct impact on the environment and the personal health and wellbeing of our communities.

With clients and specifiers increasingly asking new, tough questions and seeking ever greater transparency, now is not the time for these brands to respond with (seemingly) poignant posts and carefully selected hashtags, nor to issue a temporary logo colour change as a ‘mark of respect’ for a movement or issue. Brands need to dig deeper…

Get perspective

Everything you thought you knew has likely changed so as a priority, it’s important to get context for your brand. Brands thrive on loyalty, but loyalties are only as good as your relevancy right now. You might have the best reputation for aesthetic design but if your product can’t be recycled, or involves an environmentally damaging manufacturing process, you’ll lose not only the specification but the loyalty too, no matter its heritage

Data can only take you so far on this journey so get on the road, walk a mile (or two) in your customers’ shoes and see the world through their eyes. Understand their motivations, frustrations, challenges, choices, aspirations. Ask them directly, watch them work, feel their pain, get your context.

Think beyond sustainability

By definition, ‘sustainability’ deals with the notions of continuation and endurance, and sadly, (and probably unfairly) in brand terms, it seems to have become the climate crisis ‘bandwagon’. And the brutal reality is that the future of our planet requires a more transformative, proactive approach.

But brands that are genuinely ‘regenerative’ in their thinking and behaviours are already a step ahead. They have an eye firmly on the future, focusing on long-term brand equity rather than short-term profits. They think bigger, more laterally, more responsibly. They invest in innovation and creative leadership to challenge the status quo. They deliver more value by focusing on proactively enriching the lives and environments of all the people they touch, whether directly or indirectly. All the principles of brand building that ultimately pay dividends. Think regeneratively.

Be authentically passionate

Regenerative Provocateur and Consultant, Martin Brown, regularly speaks with authority on a global platform (most recently COP26 in Glasgow) about regeneration initiatives in the Built Environment. He has clear words of warning for brands lacking authenticity in their green motivations. “Words such as eco, sustainable, net-zero and green have ironically become empty words, used too often with various interpretations, further fuelling confusion and a lack of trust in the whole climate change conversation. My advice? Be clear and accountable about your claims and intentions.”

But if successful, memorable brands are built on differentiation and real, stand-out, authentic passion, surely this presents an unmissable opportunity to stand up and be counted rather than tick a ‘sustainable’ box.

Be transparent

So it goes without saying that your customers, future workforce and wider stakeholders have quite quickly become experts at sniffing out authenticity and will expect full disclosure on your brand’s motivations.

Martin advises, “Transparency need not be overly complicated and can be linked with existing management reporting. Your carbon commitment and progress can be verified through ISO 14001 or similar schemes. Regular updates to your website will demonstrate progress, give transparency and importantly, confidence to your customers. There are also product labelling schemes such as ‘Declare’ that list a product’s ingredients, environmental impact, origin and end of life management.”

Develop a regenerative culture

Heading into 2022, embracing a culture of incremental regenerative improvements, whilst not shying from transformational action, would be a wise and prudent move for brand strategy. Over the coming years, the steps we take on climate-related matters will be ever challenging, yet also providing one of the biggest opportunities we have ever had. Challenges and opportunities that will need passion, creativity, disruption and real leadership. Opportunities that sound right up brand’s street. 

  • To read this feature in full and access further Lancashire business news, advice and analysis subscribe to Lancashire Business View magazine or join the LBV Hub from just £2.50 per month. Click here to subscribe now.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Nicky Jepson, Workhouse

Latest news

1

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University Keir Starmer meets Indian PM and included Prof Simon Guy Lancaster University. Pic Simon Dawson

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University

09 Oct 2025

2

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026 Best Events and Talented students on Lancashire Tourism Awards finalist list

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026

09 Oct 2025

3

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards Andrew Dewhurst with the award win

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards

09 Oct 2025

4

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool Jason Davenport PHX Training

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool

09 Oct 2025

5

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m Velocity Composites Has Announced Its Entry Into The Us Market

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m

08 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th
Ai 10.10.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Oct 2025 - 10 Oct 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West

Strathmore Hotel, Morecambe, LA4 5AP

08:00 - 10:00

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials
EventBrite NORi - 15th Oct 2025 Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials

Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (26).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

October Freelancer Meet-Up
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

October Freelancer Meet-Up

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine
LBV Advert_Autumn Reset 1200 x 630px.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine

The Artistry House , Preston , PR1 3JJ

17:30 - 19:30

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin