As a sustainability senior consultant and the co-author of “Kestävä Markkinointi - Ilmastonmuutosopas brändeille!”, Petteri Lillberg believes that the pandemic reserves as an existential challenge for many corporations and brands. “Until we have a robust vaccination or other medical treatment available, short term economic recovery may be endangered by another wave”. So how should brands cope with it?

However, he advises that brands, whatever it takes, should stay on its core value because honesty and transparency are more valuable than ever especially now. He explains, “If you have not demonstrated those before the pandemic, it is probably not credible to claim you follow them now. In turn, if they have been in your core, stick to them, financial challenges aside.”. He also said that the current circumstances test and bring out both the best and worst of people, more so companies and brands. Customers will most likely not appreciate brands who attempt to score excessive profit gain from Covid-19 but in return, will highly value those who keep playing fair high and square.

Moreover, discussion about sustainability will grow stronger currently and in the future for many people are believing that to regain economic recovery, which was ruined by the pandemic, it is crucial to address “the green issue” and let it steer things. Experts agree otherwise as they are looking at it from a different perspective and think it is the chance to build back better. Bring the “new normal” to the side and focus on creating something better than what we had before Covid-19. He said, “Consumer brands can have a huge role in this. They can enable us to make better choices every day and re-configure the direction of our economies, in ways that benefit both human and planetary wellbeing.”.

Petteri Lillberg (M.Phil) is the co-author of “Kestävä Markkinointi - Ilmastonmuutosopas brändeille!”, a noted columnist, an international speaker,  a board member of UNICEF Finland, and a senior consultant at Demos Helsinki. Petteri focuses on strategy, foresight, and societal impact across industries and organizations. To discover more about Petteri, visit his LinkedIn.

Interview and article by Adelia Yulinda for Imarit.