Building a sustainable brand requires a long-term commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Here at Nomadic, we are committed to partnering with purpose-driven brands to help them articulate their purpose through interactive events we host in our woodland. Whether you’re starting a new venture or rebranding an existing business, here’s a guide to help you build a sustainable brand:
1. Define Your Purpose
The first step in building a sustainable brand is to define your purpose. This means identifying your core values, mission, and vision. Ask yourself, what do you want your brand to stand for? What impact do you want to have on the environment and society? Once you have a clear purpose, you can begin to develop a strategy for achieving your goals. One of the brands we have worked with All Birds has a mantra of creating better things in a better way. They showcase this through simplicity in design, confidence in comfort and natural materials.
2. Conduct a Sustainability Assessment
Before you can make any changes, it’s important to understand your current impact on the environment and society. Conduct a sustainability assessment to identify areas where you can improve. This may include reducing your carbon footprint, sourcing sustainable materials, or implementing fair labour practices.
3. Develop a Sustainability Strategy
Based on your sustainability assessment, develop a sustainability strategy that outlines your goals and how you plan to achieve them. Your strategy should cover all aspects of your business, including procurement, production, packaging, transportation, and disposal. Remember, in order for a business to be truly sustainable, it must be commercially viable.
4. Communicate Your Sustainability Efforts
Communicating your sustainability efforts is essential to building a sustainable brand. Ensure your customers and stakeholders know your commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Use your website, social media, and other marketing channels to share your sustainability initiatives and progress. A great way to do this is to host an event in our woodland which
reflects your brand’s core values. We worked with All Birds to create a menu focusing on our shared values of simplicity, natural materials and comfort and invited guests who were keen to share their experience with a community of like-minded people. Additionally, Nomadic work with its customers to help plant in excess of 1,000 trees each year around the world.
5. Partner with Sustainable Suppliers
Partnering with sustainable suppliers is a key component of building a sustainable brand. Look for suppliers that share your values and are committed to environmentally and socially responsible practices. This may include sourcing materials from local suppliers, using recycled materials, or implementing fair labour practices. At Nomadic, for example, we source all of our eco-friendly plates and bowls from Wholeleaf co and source the majority of our ingredients within a 5-mile radius working with husband and wife team Simon and Kay to help us grow our ingredients close by.
6. Reduce Waste
Reducing waste is an important aspect of building a sustainable brand. This may include implementing a circular economy model, where products are designed to be reused or recycled, or reducing packaging waste by using sustainable materials. At Nomadic, we use upcycled materials such as fallen trees and logs to create the setting you see around you and actively compost, pickle or preserve any leftover ingredients. We love working with like-minded brands who share our approach.
7. Measure Your Impact
Measuring your impact is essential to tracking your progress and identifying areas for improvement. Use metrics such as carbon footprint, water usage, and waste reduction to track your sustainability efforts and set goals for improvement.
Building a sustainable brand requires a long-term commitment to environmental and social responsibility. By following these steps, you can create a brand that is not only profitable but also contributes to a better world.
