NEW YORK, NY. - September 18, 2008 "“ How can socially responsible businesses build authentic brands for a more sustainable future? That's the question at the center of a workshop series, "Branding for Sustainability," featuring top executives from Whole Foods (September 22 in Austin), and EILEEN FISHER (October 20 in New York City) along with strategy consultancy SustainAbility and branding agency BBMG.

The first workshop in the series was held today in San Francisco, and featured a conversation with Kindley Walsh Lawlor, Senior Director, Strategic Planning and Environmental Affairs, Gap Inc. Designed for CEOs, CMOs, brand managers, communications directors and CSR/sustainability officers, the informative panels and interactive workshops explore how the latest trends in branding and marketing are advancing corporate sustainability programs, creating opportunities for business innovation and offering new possibilities for triple bottom line value creation.

"Our goal is to spotlight the ideas, practices and possibilities for building and scaling sustainable brands," said Jurriaan Kamp, founder and editor-in-chief of Ode magazine, who is moderating the workshops. "We are creating an interactive forum for business executives to share experiences, insights and opportunities about sustainability and brand value."

Pioneering Sustainable Brands

Informed by a proprietary ethnographic study and national poll on the attitudes, experiences and priorities of conscious consumers, BBMG will share new trends, principles and practices for building sustainable brands and engaging increasingly savvy, values-driven consumers. The branding agency will reveal the sustainability practices that drive brand equity, the strengths and drawbacks of certification labels and the brand strategies that build trust, avoid consumer backlash and break through the clutter.

"Branding is being," said Raphael Bemporad, co-founder, BBMG. "Brand value is increasingly determined not just by marketing claims, but by authentic, socially responsible action. Our research demonstrates that when brands deliver performance, convenience and sustainability, they will win in the new, values-driven marketplace."

Leveraging Sustainability to Create Value

From stakeholder engagement to performance measurement to supply chain solutions and innovation, SustainAbility will reveal how businesses can understand and address the environmental and social impacts of their products and services, how corporate sustainability activities affect society’s perceptions and trust, and how to integrate these considerations into core strategies and operations.

"The integration of sustainability practices into brand strategy has enormous power to drive results," said Mark Lee, CEO, SustainAbility. "In our work, we see more and more companies proving that the combination of committed leadership, clear brand strategy and practical sustainability innovations delivers ultimate impact."

Learning from Business Best Practice

From creating sustainability-centered marketing programs to integrating sustainable practices at scale, business leaders including Walter Robb of Whole Foods and Amy Hall of EILEEN FISHER will share practical case studies and takeaways for growing socially responsible brands in the mainstream marketplace.

The workshops are being hosted by Ode Magazine and presented by CSRwire.

Registration and Tickets: Tickets are $200 per participant. Space is limited. For additional information and registration, please visit www.brandingforsustainability.com, call 212.473.4902 x215 or email denright@bbmg.com.

Austin, Texas
Monday, September 22, 2008
9:00 am to 12 noon
AT&T Center
University of Texas at Austin
1900 University Blvd.
Austin, TX 78712

Walter Robb, Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, Whole Foods
Chris Guenther and Michael Sadowski, SustainAbility
Raphael Bemporad and Mitch Baranowski, Co-Founders, BBMG

New York City
Monday, October 20, 2008
9:00 am to 12 noon
Puck Building
295 Lafayette St # 705
New York, NY 10012

Amy Hall, Director of Social Consciousness, EILEEN FISHER
Joe Sibilia, President, CSRwire
Mark Lee and Michael Sadowski, SustainAbility
Raphael Bemporad and Mitch Baranowski, Co-Founders, BBMG

About the Sponsors

SustainAbility
SustainAbility is a values-driven strategy consultancy and think-tank, combining business acumen with in-depth knowledge of the global sustainability agenda. We work with business, advocacy organizations and others to deepen understanding of the risks and opportunities posed by sustainable development. www.sustainability.com

BBMG
Based in New York City and San Francisco, BBMG is a leading branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping socially responsible organizations harness the power of branding to improve society and grow the bottom line. www.bbmg.com

Ode Magazine
Ode Magazine is a print and online publication about positive news and the people and ideas that are changing our world for the better. www.OdeMagazine.com

CSRwire
CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information. www.csrwire.com

BBMG

BBMG

BBMG is a brand and social innovation consultancy dedicated to creating business growth and positive social impact. We’re strategic creatives and creative strategists, culture experts and design thinkers. We build brands with purpose that are relevant to a new generation and resilient for the fast, transparent and volatile world we live in today. To learn more about how we build brands for humans, visit www.bbmg.com.

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