Right now. For tomorrow: Launching a purpose-driven sustainability brand

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Abstract: Although corporate sustainability campaigns are common, rarely do brands begin with ecological concerns, rooting their identity in a pre-existing commitment to protecting our planet. ENGIE, a multinational energy and services company, sets such a project in motion in 2019, establishing a one-of-its-kind company that combined existing data and execution capabilities with consulting and analytics in order to facilitate a quicker transition to a carbon-neutral economy. Translating this driving purpose into a full brand positioning, messaging, company name, visual identity, website and launch strategy, the resulting brand, ENGIE Impact, quickly established the business as a thought leader and trusted partner in a new and vital space. As such, a comprehensive ENGIE Impact case study provides marketers and strategists with a blueprint for launching purpose-driven business-to-business (B2B) brands.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility; sustainability transformation; brand naming; brand launch; energy and utilities; B2B branding

Howard Breindel has a long-standing track record of building businesses that draw on his expertise in branding, marketing and technology. He began his career at Grey Global Group, as the co-founder of an innovative communications technology company. Howard led the firm’s rapid growth among Fortune 500 companies, establishing it as an internationally recognised leader in C-Suite corporate and investor communications. Later, Howard pioneered interactive multimedia and internet communications for many of the largest global financial services, healthcare and media companies and built the firm into one of Grey’s most profitable subsidiaries. Howard was also a co-founder of Directors Desk, a revolutionary digital communications platform for boards of directors of public corporations, which was bought by NASDAQ in 2007. Today, as Co-CEO of DeSantis Breindel, Howard helps visionary leaders in financial services, technology, professional services and healthcare transform their brands into powerful competitive assets.