Cocreation is a powerful tool to help CMOs orchestrate multiple internal teams and external partners to drive innovation. Because environmental sustainability demands a systemic approach with multiple stakeholders, CMOs can apply some of the lessons learned to help drive an ambitious cocreation agenda for environmental sustainability. The CMO’s position — at the intersection of business strategy, customer engagement, and brand reputation — uniquely equips them to contribute to efforts that align sustainability goals with consumer values and stakeholder expectations.

Cocreation Accelerates Green Innovation

The green market revolution is fueled by complex and systemic challenges that demand major, urgent collaboration and innovation. Beyond accelerated time to market, there are other obvious benefits in revisiting the concept of cocreation for environmental sustainability: access to a wider range of talent, resources, and perspectives; reduced risk; and deeper stakeholder engagement and satisfaction. More broadly, cocreation generates both positive externalities for the planet and significant business benefits by:

  • Unleashing creativity to reconcile marketing and planet boundaries.
  • Developing trust to enable sustainability storymaking.
  • Aligning your key stakeholders to improve business and environmental resilience.

Cocreation Aligns Key Stakeholders On Your Sustainability Efforts

Cocreation is one of the six pillars of the B2C Marketing Environmental Sustainability Framework (see figure below).

 

CMOs at sustainable B2C brands should engage directly or indirectly with many different stakeholders, such as:

  • Consumers: Unlock environmental value throughout the customer journey.
  • Employees: Align internal stakeholders to reduce the green experience gap.
  • Suppliers: Turn them into strategic partners to reduce carbon emissions.
  • Public authorities and governments: Open the dialogue on green regulation.
  • Civil society, scientists, and NGOs: Let them challenge your initiatives.
  • Shareholders: Prove the financial value of your business-model pivot.
  • Competitors: Cooperate with peers to solve industry solutions.

Clients who want to know more can access the new report, Partner With Like-Minded Stakeholders For Environmental Sustainability, and can also schedule time for a conversation to discuss examples, best practices, and our three-step approach for cocreation.