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By Rob Hutchins
Products of Change Writer
Products of Change is building on a period of sustained growth with the launch of POC Advisors, marking the group’s latest move to support businesses and individuals across the licensing and consumer products space on their journeys towards a sustainable future.
POC Advisors will offer sustainability expertise across brand and licensing, to take the conversation beyond the know-how already being shared within the Products of Change community, enabling businesses to tackle deeper questions and fast-track their sustainability plans.
Led by Products of Change founder, Helena Mansell-Stopher, there will be two groups of Advisors, based in Europe and in North America.
On launch, the European arm will comprise a team of three: Arthur Parry, Cathy Teasdale, June Kirkwood, while Andrea Green will represent the POC Advisors platform within North America.
These professionals will utilise their sustainability knowledge, brand and licensing experience to help businesses to make progress, regardless of what stage they are along their sustainability journeys.
Independent sustainability consultant and member of the Solar Impulse Foundation Expert Community, Arthur began his sustainability journey working in the recycling industry. He later led the development of the P&G Global Total Oral Care Sustainability Strategy (across brands such as Oral-B, Crest, and Fixodent), and has since been supporting organisations in the integration of their sustainability strategies and activity systems, as well as advising SMEs and Start-Ups on the Circular Economy.
Cathy is an independent brand and strategy consultant with extensive experience of running global projects for global brands in the field of sustainability, notably packaging, recycling and re-use of existing products. She has a particular interest in identifying how brands can encourage develop lasting behaviour changes that can lead to more sustainable lifestyles.
The local team is made complete by June Kirkwood, with over 20 years in licensing including more recent, hands on experience of sustainable licensing and education in business sustainability management. As owner of Nutmeg Licensing, she is the licensing agent for the Eden Project, working to put sustainability and its associated values at the heart of their growing licensing programme.
The POC Advisors proposition is to offer flexible levels of assistance to businesses in support of their sustainability journeys, ranging from guiding initial steps to providing workshops, to more in-depth support of specific interventions.
The European team brings a combined knowledge of sustainability within the brand and licensing space, as well as access to an eco-network of expertise across more specific fields.“It’s clear that consumers are increasingly concerned about the negative impact we’re having on the planet, so there’s a definite business case for becoming sustainable. Some companies just need a little help to start the process, while others might need more in-depth expertise; the aim of POC Advisors is to adapt to companies’ needs by offering a sliding scale of practical advice and support as required.” said June Kirkwood, POC Advisor and independent sustainable licensing consultant.
“The sustainability landscape can appear daunting for many organisations” added Parry. “Equally it is often perceived that the journey to a more sustainable future entails significant incremental effort and investment alongside core activities. With the POC Advisors we are able to partner with companies at all stages of their journey and demonstrate how this need not be true, through the provision of pragmatic, practical advice and guidance. In fact, by ensuring clarity of purpose and challenging existing assumptions, it is possible to identify new, sustainable revenue streams and business models.”
Affirming itself as an international service, the POC Advisors is also extending into the North American region through the efforts of Globally Green and POC’s own Andrea Green.
A name well-known and well-respected within consumer product circles, Green has worked at some of the biggest entities in licensing and entertainment, including ZAG and Activision, before setting up her own sustainable licensing consultancy, Globally Green.
Andrea said: “I love our industry and, having spent 12 years in the sustainability space and 30 as a licensee and licensor, my colleagues and I can help you navigate the creation of a customized sustainability plan, through to a more detailed product and process implementation. Globally Green is collaboratively based and has resources to draw on throughout North America and beyond. Thrilled to be part of POC Advisors and to help colleagues expand their scope under growing environmental, financial, health and governance requirements.”
With more and more consumers voting with their wallets for sustainable products, addressing sustainability in an authentic and meaningful way is a critical next step for the industry.
“We’re in a climate where many companies have achieved so much on their own, but to advance to the next stage they need a more experienced eye to show the way forward – that’s the beauty of POC Advisors,” said Products of Change founder, Helena Mansell-Stopher.“These are extremely experienced senior executives with expertise across brand, product, marketing and comms interwoven with sustainability, who can work hand in hand with companies as an extension of their own teams.“
Many companies are worried about announcing their sustainability progress, concerned about the tone of their communications or potentially attracting unwarranted greenwashing claims.
POC Advisors are on hand to support this process and bring comfort to our community.”Products of Change and members of its Advisors platform will be at the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards this week, and at Brand Licensing Europe in November. To book your appointment with one of the team, contact advisors@productsofchange.com.