GF Issue 54

Arkansas encouraged people to re-use and re-purpose old signs. “A big thing we’re trying to combat is single-use plastic,” said Brittany Nichols, general manager of FASTSIGNS North Little Rock, Arkansas. “I thought, ‘Let’s change these from a single-use piece of plastic by giving them a longer life and repurposing them’.” Brands that have no obvious environmental impact are thinking about what part they can play too. Little Kickers is an educational football program, designed to teach children from one and a half to seven years old how to play sports in a fun and fair manner while also teaching fundamental skills such as colour and number recognition, taking turns and how to share. The brand plans to change its kit production process to a more sustainable one, reducing their impact and any concerns parents may have over the brand’s commitment to sustainability. “This will involve us shifting our current production of over 100,000 football kits and other merchandise away from petrochemical-based fabrics – which is the norm in this industry – to using fabrics made out of recycled plastic from the ocean,” said Christine Kelly, founder of Little Kickers. “Once our Little Kickers have finished with their uniforms, they will then be delivered to six orphanages in South Africa, together with kit and equipment, by teams of Little Kickers coaches who will train up local people on how to deliver our program.” These two very different brands represent the sea change taking place in the business world, and franchising is not insulated from it, nor does it want to be. Sustainability is there to reduce the impact on the planet and its communities, but can also represent commercial opportunities for businesses that seek to address the issue. Sustainability is non-negotiable The effect of ongoing climate change will cause significant problems to the world and people in vulnerable areas, and that alone is a threat to business. “It’s not feasible to stay away from this issue – brands must double down on sustainability initiatives and constantly innovate new ones to both reduce their impact on the planet and convince consumers that they are a brand who cares,” says David Bloom, chief development & “Sustainability represents commercial opportunities for brands that show they care” growth officer for Capriotti’s and Wing Zone. “Our experience is that today’s consumer has a myriad of options and is more aware and better educated as to these options than ever before,” he explains. “While sustainability and environmental concerns have been on the minds of consumers for several years, they also care about the overall reputation and authenticity of our brands in other relevant areas. Are we good citizens and do we contribute to the well-being of the communities in which we operate and serve? How do we relate to and support our internal team members, partners, vendors, and suppliers in a way that is authentic and true to our brand and who we are as people? Where and how do we source our products, goods and services as we expand our footprint globally? How do we ensure that consumers can have confidence in the sustainability and safety of our supply chain? These are all important questions too.” The threat to brand image of being seen to not care about the planet and the people who reel from the effects of climate change is significant. While Baby Boomers, now in their mid-50s and above, may not typcically place as much stock in sustainability as in other factors like convenience and cost, the younger generations coming up consider it to be among the most important issues in their lives. It simply doesn’t pay to be anything but a sustainable business in the long run anymore. GLOBAL FRANCHISE.COM 67