Understanding the forces of innovation that brought us to our present world condition helps us to understand the sustainable choices available for the future. A look at current corporate and consumer behavior and communication. Suggestions for the SME who wishes to authentically position his company as a sustainable business.

1. What does
sustainability
mean for
you?
Ellen Pabst von Ohain
www.phoenix-english.com
instructor@phoenix-
english.com

2. Hi! My name is Ellen Pabst von Ohain.
I’m an International Communications Coach and Consultant and
a Lecturer for sustainable and authentic business practices and
marketing. I'm on the Board of Directors for a non- profit,
worldwide youth organization.
I work with CEOs and management in the German Mittlestand
(small business owners). My team and I analyze and pick out the
golden nuggets of what these companies do best and examine
how they conduct their business. Then we develop a marketing
message. That message is particularly aimed at other
businesses and consumers who have a measurable interest in
sustainability. It is also designed to attract those consumers and
businesses who are less aware of the issues and concepts of
sustainability.
Why waste time trying to reach those who are less interested or
informed?
Because when consumers are better informed they are able to
make better choices. Then they look for those golden nuggets.

3. This deck was prepared for a
presentation on May 18, 2014
about Sustainability Trends.
The audience was German
businessmen and
businesswomen.
For a full transcript and
explanation of the slides,
please contact me.

4. 4
WAVES OF INNOVATION
Traditionally:
 Asset based
 Inaccurate Costing

5. What it means
for you
LOHAS
A Coupla Questions
Free Golden
Nuggets
1 2 3 4 5
How‘d we get
here?
The Players
Redefining Key Words
The Triple Bottom Line
Where‘s it
going?
What does this mean
for the future of
Business?
The Purpose Economy
The Triple Bottom Line
CSR
Overview
A Coupla
Scary New
Concepts
1
2
3

6. Introducing the Purpose
Economy or..
Capitalism 2.0

7. THE
PLAYERS
7
Government
Companies
Shareholders
Suppliers
Employees
Host countries:
raw materials
Educational Institutions
NGO/NPOs
Community Members
Consumers
Mom (Natural Capital)

8. THE
PLAYERS
8
Government
Companies
Shareholders
Suppliers
Employees
Host countries:
raw materials
Educational Institutions
NGO/NPOs
Community Members
Consumers
Mom (Natural Capital)
Companies
Shareholders
Consumers

9. 5/24/2014
9
http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/shrink-your-product-footprint
Cradle to Grave

10. 5/24/2014
10
http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/shrink-your-product-footprint
Reuse
Recycle
Reduce

11. 5/24/2014
11
http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/shrink-your-product-footprint
Reuse
Recycle
Reduce
Cradle to GraveCradle to CradleTRIPLE TOP LINE
(RE)DESIGN

12. http://www.flickr.com/photos/denisdenis/7585813810
Scary new concept #1:
Calculating the true costs

13. 13
TOO MANY CLASSIFICATIONS WITH TOO
LITTLE INFO –
TOO CONFUSING
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO SIMPLIFY
AND STREAMLINE: B CORP (USA)

14. 14

15. Scary New Concept #2:
Products rated on the value, cost and
benefit they bring to society as well as the
individual.

17. Scary new concept # 3:
Value for the Shareholders shift to
include the Stakeholders
Redefine and measure value
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/23/opinion/fear-failure-kelsey/

18. 18http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-VFZUFJwt4
http://www.bcorporation.net/
COMPANIES THAT GET B CORP CERTIFICATION ARE NOT
REQUIRED TO FOCUS SOLELY ON PROFITS.

19. Ernst & Young Survey 2011
Shareholders
Proposals
And Concerns
Today

20. 5/24/2014
20
CITIGROUP INC. 2014 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders
Tuesday, April 22, 2014

21. 5/24/2014 21
PAY RATIOS

22. From 2006-2012, Ocean Tomo designed and managed an investment index that
tracked public companies with a high intellectual property and intangible
ratings. During this period, the index rose 7% even as the S&P 500 index
declined.
Wharton School professor Alex Edmans compared the 1998-2010 financial
performance of the S&P 500 index to companies in Fortune magazine’s annual
list of Best 100 Companies to Work For. He found that if you had invested in
the S&P index, you would have averaged an annual 4% return. If you had
bought and held the 1998 list of Best 100 Companies, your average annual
return would have exceeded 6%.
The Parnassus Workplace Fund invests in companies with good workplaces.
Since its inception in 2005, its performance has roughly been double that of
the S&P 500.
The socially responsible investment company HIP Investor has conducted
research across a range of data, including women on the Board, ISO 9000
certification, and environmental performance. HIP’s overall finding: The more
new metrics are measured and managed, the stronger and more resilient
performance you can achieve – lower risk, enhanced return potential and
competitive advantage.
Women-led tech companies achieve 35 percent higher return on investment,
and, when venture-backed, bring in 12 percent more revenue than male-
owned tech companies 17% of management and only 6% on Bd of Directors

23. CSR and the Sustainability Report
http://www.organicsoul.com/understanding-the-triple-bottom-line-its-shortcomings-and-the-solution/17

24. 24

25. The Elephant (Authentic
Sustainable Business
Practices) and the Blind Men
http://www.berteigconsulting.com/

26. 26

27. 27
Companies are stating they are
„green“.
Result: Consumers don‘t believe
them!
Companies are trying to teach
consumers about how products are
made.
Result: Not many consumers care!
Why not?
Mobium Group 2011-13 Australia

28. 87% of North Americans say the
#1 Sustainability issue is…
5/24/2014 28http://www.flickr.com/photos/39831157@N05/3696350373/in/photolist-6CCLbR-6Ez8zF-6EBP9c-6FLibU-6Hfuvi-6HjyqC-6Kiye6-6LiEW6-6MeMUP-6NNqSR-6Q7Tod-6Qpx1w-6Ronsz-6TaELy-6TYdxK-6UfXuL-6URAbM-6V4iuB-6V7Zcf-6W9FU1-6Wat41-6WgH8B-6X6pBN-6Z6mb3-6ZHk13-71snGy-72rcew-
72Vp4N-73ougj-73YkmA-75oXtH-762n7Z-773u8e-77ofcR-77xbFX-78bZu3-78tQXh-78ZgNf-7b3KNb-7cdGnE-7cu74L-7cuLmC-7d5Ysk-7goJoR-7gs2Yq-7gBvSm-7ihDwR-7ijS4A-7iEknp-7jDRej-7kknme

29. 87% of North Americans say the
#1 Sustainability issue is…
5/24/2014 29http://www.flickr.com/photos/39831157@N05/3696350373/in/photolist-6CCLbR-6Ez8zF-6EBP9c-6FLibU-6Hfuvi-6HjyqC-6Kiye6-6LiEW6-6MeMUP-6NNqSR-6Q7Tod-6Qpx1w-6Ronsz-6TaELy-6TYdxK-6UfXuL-6URAbM-6V4iuB-6V7Zcf-6W9FU1-6Wat41-6WgH8B-6X6pBN-6Z6mb3-6ZHk13-71snGy-72rcew-
72Vp4N-73ougj-73YkmA-75oXtH-762n7Z-773u8e-77ofcR-77xbFX-78bZu3-78tQXh-78ZgNf-7b3KNb-7cdGnE-7cu74L-7cuLmC-7d5Ysk-7goJoR-7gs2Yq-7gBvSm-7ihDwR-7ijS4A-7iEknp-7jDRej-7kknme
„..feeling connected to my friends,
my family, my community.”

30. The Four Pillars of Sustainability from
Human (Employee/Consumer/Community
Member) Point of View
Personal
Social
Environmental
Spiritual

31. CROSSING AGE,
ECONOMIC AND
GEOGRAPHIC BORDERS;
COMMON GROUND
UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE IS A LOHAS OR ISN‘T
THE LOHAS
SPECTRUM
UNCONCERNED

32. EVERYONE IS A LOHAS, OR ISN‘T
..and everything in the middle
What do they care about and
how much?
Unconcerned 17%
Conventionals 19%
Drifters 25%
Naturalites 19%
LOHAS 19%

33. LOHAS
Know their own power Use
Communities to Connect (Virtual
and Physical)
Willing to pay 20% more for
(authentic) sustainable
products
Introduce and influence
family/friends to sustainable
brands
Concerned about
transparency/Fair trade/recyclable
materials and renewable energy
Make choices and Purchase from
companies/brands with similar
values to their own

34. 34

35. Japan: 29% or 37 million adults are LOHAS
consumers
35
germany

36. A Sept 2013 survey in
the UK suggests that
demand for green
products appears to be
increasing: three in ten
(27%) respondents
said they are more
likely to buy a
sustainable product
and/or service than 5
years ago.

37. A Sept 2013 survey in
the UK suggests that
demand for green
products appears to be
increasing: three in ten
(27%) respondents
said they are more
likely to buy a
sustainable product
and/or service than 5
years ago.

38. 38

39. Walmart
SAP
Unilever
Caesars
Apple
39

40. Holistic Approach and Balance
THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
Sustainable
PROFIT
(Economic)
PLANET
(Environmental)
PEOPLE
(Social)
28

41. You never change things by
fighting the existing reality. To
change something, build a new
model that makes the existing
model obsolete.”
R. Buckminster Fuller

42. Time for some Golden
Nuggets

43. BEING „GREEN“ IS
BECOMING „UNCOOL“
43
BECOMING „GREEN“ IS
COOL

44. HOW DO YOU BECOME
AUTHENTICALLY
„GREEN“?
HOW DO YOU SELL IT?
44

45. RETHINK YOUR COMPANY
FOR A HOLISTIC
APPROACH TO
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES,
DON’T BE PIECEMEAL.
45
1

46. IDENTIFY AND ENGAGE
YOUR STAKEHOLDERS.
DETERMINE WHO CARES
ABOUT WHAT AND HOW
MUCH.
46
2

47. 47
3
SEEK LEGITIMATE
ACCREDITATION.
HAVE OTHERS DECLARE
YOUR AUTHENTICITY.

48. THEN, DEVELOP YOUR MESSAGE AND
COMMUNICATE TO YOUR
STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT YOUR
ACTIVITIES, EACH ACCORDING TO
THEIR NEEDS, BUT MAKE IT
RELEVANT TO THEM AND
THEIR WORLDS
48
4

49. GET IN NOW. YOU DON’T WANT TO
BE LEFT BEHIND OR CONSIDERED A
“FOLLOWER” WHEN THIS THING
REALLY GETS ROLLING.
LEAD.
JOIN OTHERS WHO SHARE THE
VISION. FORM ALLIANCES.
49
5

50. RECOGNIZE THE HERO
Finding out exactly what your customers and consumers know about
the sustainability of your product is tantamount to positioning yourself
as authentically sustainable.
If they don’t know enough, you owe it to them and to yourself, to
educate them.
Main values for Germans are quality, product features and innovation,
therefore products and services are sold on those points. Price and
Image are also in the mix but the German Mittlestand does not rely on
the brand marketing that large enterprises do.
SME’s operate within a local physical community and literally face
community members daily. In part, their survival greatly depends on
local social acceptance.
The value of sustainability is still a novelty feature and not yet a main
product feature although Germans and Europeans are relatively further
along than other Western countries regarding perception.

51. Redefinition of Value and
Brand Renewal!
Authentic Sustainability equals Quality..
The Competitive
Advantage
for Companies and
Communities…

52. Phoenix Sustainable
Communications
International Communications
Consultant, Coach
German Midsized firms, NPOs
ellen@phoenix-english.com
ELLEN PABST VON OHAIN