Key note summary – Sustainable Branding Days

Want to know what Anne, Poyan, Leyla, Gustav and the other keynotes had to say at this years’ Sustainable Branding Days? Read this keynote summary.

Mikael Botnen Diamant – ”Future of Sustainable Branding”

When Mikael Botnen Diamant entered the stage at Pörkenäs to deliver a speech on the topic of ”Future of Sustainable Branding” the expectations were set high. And Botnen Diamant did of course meet up to the audience’s expectations. 

So what will the future look like for companies when it comes to sustainability? Will a company ever be ready enough?

– No, try to be more, try to be better. And start talking about the journey towards sustainability. 

Mikael Botnen Diamant refers to his book about “sustainabilization” (hållbarisering), which is a guide för companies in sustainable transition. 

– You can’t hide from it and it´s driven not only by people but by politics and both national and global frameworks.

You have to relate to new technology and also to the fact that social media is watching you all the time. It’s getting harder to greenwash. 

Botnen Diamant says that it’s important to start working with the right solutions for the actual problem. 

It’s all about implementing, involving and following up. 

– Communication is the last piece of the puzzle.  Remember that it’s completely fine to talk about the journey even before you have departed.

– My advice is to have the courage to talk.  It’s never going to be perfect, it’s an ongoing journey. 


Morten Jastrup – Corporate sustainability megatrends

Morten Jastrup has a long and impressive experience within the area of sustainability. As a facilitator of change, Morten currently works with international organizations and corporations. And that was also the topic when he attended Sustainable branding days as a keynote speaker to talk about “Corporate sustainability megatrends”

– Companies are facing increasing pressure to report systematically and transparently on their sustainability impact. We respect that companies have different starting points but we still have to be ambitious.

As a keynote speaker Jastrup pointed out the sustainability megatrends and what could be predicted in the upcoming years. The megatrends are climate change, legislation, taking the lead, the rise in corporate social justice and accelerating resource scarcity.

The corporate rise in social justice is about taking a stand.

– Trends impact consumer brands first and foremost but can also affect the ability to attract and retain talent.


Anne Raudaskoski – Why circular design principles are important for your company

Anne Raudaskoski, head of consulting at Ethica, inspired the audience at Pörkenäs with her ambitious way of working with strategies focused on circular economy, carbon neutrality and an ethical way of operating. Ethica Finland helps companies to create strategies, products and services that improves or enhances the environment.

– Every single company is directly or indirectly dependent on nature. So why should you be interested? Today I will give you the reasons why.

According to Raudaskoski, by setting up your circular design principles and goals you are concretely moving towards a circular economy operating model and starting your journey towards a regenerative business.

Raudaskoski pointed out that according to EU’s circular economy action plan 2020, EU needs to accelerate the transition towards a regenerative growth model that gives back to the planet more than it takes, including doubling its circular material use rate in the upcoming decade

– We need to understand how the world is changing and shift the perspective to see the abundance of new opportunities arising from circular thinking.


Leyla Acaroglu – Three dimension of sustainability in business

As an internationally recognized sustainability provocateur, Leyla Acaroglu met the audience as the last keynote speaker of the day.

With a positive way of addressing problems as a challenge, she managed to point out sustainability as a positive and ongoing process.

– I love to challenge people to love their own problems. We all need creativity and we have to remember that everything comes from nature and will return.

– We still have old myths that we have to face and change. Can you believe that old ideas of hugging trees still exist? We need to transform these kinds of myths and beliefs.

– Greenwashing happens when companies invest more time and money on marketing their products or brand as “green” rather than actually doing hard work to ensure that it is sustainable.

Acaroglu pointed out that we also create new myths.

– The problem is that the new myths delay the transformation. That is why we have to change the dialog. Sustainability is an incredible innovation and movement.

Leyla Acaroglu sees the process as a journey where the key-issue is transparency! And remember: We are in this together.


Poyan Karimi – Employer branding from strategy to tactics

Poyan Karimi is the founder of the employer branding company Oddwork and an expert within the field of today’s talent market and employer brand.

Poyan Karimi was awarded H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf’s award Young Pioneer of the Year 2021 for having built a value-driven, successful and stable company in its niche.

We wanted to create a recruitment company where personal values and ambitions would be matched with the right company cultures.

The important thing with employer branding is to attract, create and communicate the company culture. Today, younger co-workers usually have more expectations on their employer and leaders than earlier generations.

Poyan Karimi sees culture and communication as a significant part of today’s talent market. For example; 67 % visit a company’s social media channels before they leave a job application. According to Karimi, it’s important to be authentic and to prioritate communication.

As an employer, you must have a perspective of what the future might bring. And you have to be aware of what kind of Employer Value Proposition you communicate.


Gustav Stenbeck – Sustainability made simple(r)

Gustav Stenbeck is known as a business angel and business leader that has hands-on experience of working with sustainability. Stenbeck was previously the head of sustainability at Petter Stordalen’s Nordic Choice Hotels.

One of the most important things I learned from Petter was the saying ”You need to know your customer”. When it comes to sustainability, there’s a gap between intentions and actions. We might think that sustainability is important but are we ready to pay for it?

According to Gustav it’s important to have the courage to break up with the old traditional systems and be passionate about the service or the products that you sell.

Avoid being negative! Find your company’s passion and implement the vision of a better world. In the Nordic countries Greenhushing is quite common, which is when businesses underreport their sustainability practices to their customers and stakeholders. But if we are going to save the planet we also have to talk about it publicly. Then it’s also possible to inspire others and make a broader change.


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