Integrating sustainability into brand strategy
Aligning sustainability with brand identity is no longer optional—it’s essential for market differentiation, customer trust, and long-term growth. As businesses commit to ambitious net zero goals and supply chain transparency, the question isn’t if but how to stay ahead—balancing reputation, value creation, compliance, and profitability.
Mattmo Creative, a strategic communications agency, and the sustainable link & co., a sustainability advisory & consulting firm, believe that integrating sustainability into brand strategy amplifies ESG impact while strengthening market position.
In our upcoming series of articles, we’ll explore the challenges of sustainable transformation and share practical insights on embedding sustainability into brand equity, storytelling, and core values—driving product differentiation and unlocking new opportunities for your business and customers.
Building Brand Equity with Sustainability and Innovation in mind
Brand equity is one of the most significant assets a company can have, influencing customer perceptions, pricing power, and market share. A growing trend in modern brand strategy is integrating sustainability and innovation into this equity.
Which leads to two key questions:
- How does consumer perception change when sustainability becomes part of the brand equity?
- And what are the benefits that a a company can reap from the integration?
Let’s dive into these now.

The consumer perception of value-driven brand propositions
Studies indicate that consumers increasingly favor brands with strong value-driven propositions, particularly those emphasizing sustainability and social responsibility. Unilever’s research reveals that progressive advertising can enhance brand power by up to 74%, underscoring the importance of aligning brand messaging with consumer values.
Brands like Patagonia and Tony’s Chocolonely exemplify how integrating sustainability into core offerings fosters customer loyalty and drives financial success. Similarly, smaller companies, such as Northern Wonder, offering coffee substitutes, demonstrate that a strong, value-driven proposition can accelerate growth and lead to financial success. By embedding sustainability into their core offerings, these companies not only build loyal customer bases but also create positive environmental and social impacts.
Whereas in B2B contexts, companies can differentiate themselves by for example obtaining sustainability certifications and innovating within their supply chains. For instance, Signify has been awarded the platinum medal for its sustainability performance, positioning it in the top 1% among all companies assessed. This recognition enhances Signify’s appeal as a preferred partner for businesses seeking sustainable solutions.
EcoVadis is a trusted, independent provider of sustainability ratings for 73,000 companies worldwide. Ratings provide detailed assessments of sustainability performance in areas such as environmental impact, labor & human rights standards, ethics, and procurement practices.
Small B2B companies can gain significant advantages from having a strong sustainability strategy and obtaining relevant certifications turning these into a strategic opportunity to drive growth, build trust, and stay competitive in an evolving business landscape.
A strong sustainability strategy and certifications help small B2B companies meet client expectations, access new markets, and build trust through credible, ethical practices. By enhancing operational efficiency, attracting talent and investors, and staying ahead of regulatory changes, they can differentiate themselves, strengthen partnerships, and future-proof their business for long-term success.
Reaping the Benefits by Turning Financial Challenges into Opportunities
Financing sustainable transitions remains a hurdle for many companies, as traditional financial models often lag behind innovation. Overcoming these roadblocks requires rethinking how capital supports sustainability and drives systemic change. Proactively adopting sustainable practices not only ensures compliance with evolving laws and policies but also offers a competitive edge by capitalizing on early adopter incentives.
For example, IKEA has made significant investments in renewable energy, including investments in wind and solar farms. In the meantime, their ‘Buy Back & Resell‘ program allows customers to return used furniture, promoting circularity and reducing waste. These initiatives align with stringent European sustainability regulations while enhancing brand reputation and customer loyalty.
Similarly, Holcim, a global leader in building materials, and a B2B player has committed to science-based targets for nature, focusing on reducing freshwater withdrawals and enhancing supplier traceability. By integrating sustainability into their core operations, Holcim not only addresses environmental concerns but also meets the growing demand from clients for eco-friendly construction solutions, thereby strengthening its market position.
Balancing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Factors in Brand Equity
Perception is critical. While environmental concerns often dominate the ESG conversation, companies frequently overlook the social aspect (the “S”). Effective branding must balance all ESG dimensions, ensuring authenticity and alignment with the company’s identity. To succeed, companies need a blueprint that allows them to respectfully behave across diverse markets while taking into cosideration cultural nuances. This approach influences how a company engages with its audience and reinforces its core purpose, whether through mindful production or fair remuneration practices. In today’s landscape, governments expect big buyers to uphold these standards, and businesses that don’t align risk losing valuable partnerships.
The emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in brand equity should align with a company’s most material topics and the nature of its products or services. For instance, Unilever’s Dove brand has successfully combined purpose-driven marketing with functional product marketing, leading to significant growth. Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which promotes natural beauty and self-esteem, has been crucial in maintaining brand authenticity and consumer trust.
The Bridge: Connecting Brand Identity and ESG
Building a bridge between brand identity and sustainability goals involves integrating an ambitious ESG vision and goals into a company’s culture and strategy. This can be achieved by developing a brand platform that encompasses archetype, personality, and essence, ensuring relevance, reputation, and growth. By aligning focused and material ESG initiatives with brand identity, companies can create authentic narratives that resonate with consumers and stakeholders, fostering trust, loyalty, and pride. This alignment not only changes organizational cultures and behaviors but also helps companies bond with employees and stakeholders, creating a community united by shared sustainability goals. When employees, partners, and customers feel connected to the mission, they naturally become brand ambassadors, advocating for the organization and its commitment to a sustainable future.
In conclusion, companies that effectively integrate value-driven propositions, leverage sustainability certifications, invest in sustainable practices, balance ESG factors, and align their brand identity with ESG goals are better positioned to achieve financial success and build strong, loyal customer bases. Sustainability, at its core, is not just a trend but a cornerstone of future success—driving meaningful impact, reputation, and long-term value creation.
To bring this pragmatically to life, Mattmo and the sustainable link & co. developed “The Bridge” framework to ensure businesses’ relevance, reputation, and growth by integrating sustainability into a company’s culture and strategy.
In the following articles from our series, we will answer the questions:
- What steps can B2C and B2B companies can take to make value-driven propositions actionable?
- How “The Bridge” framework can help companies balance all elements of ESG in branding?
- How do you measure the success of sustainability-driven brand equity?
Authors: Darina Elencheva (Founder & Sustainable Business Transformation Strategist at the sustainable link & co.) and Mattmo Creative
Stay tuned!