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In a recent blog for Business Wire, Matt Kirdahy, Partner at Water & Wall, continues his series of commentary on the changing tone and role of ESG initiatives across the business landscape. 

To think, under the fog of a global pandemic, social unrest and economic duress, we started a decade that, in a look back years from now, could rank as the year we not only just talked about but acted the most on the initialism that’s just about everywhere in the business community. Those initials are E, S, and G.

One could argue – and I attempt to do so hastily here – that what helped the business world make such progress is human curiosity. Though, if ESG’s best friend is curiosity, then it wouldn’t be much of a friend without action.

For years, people have been asking questions about how they can use their resources to push for positive change in global business.

In the U.S., what we’ve learned in 2020 is that more and more people care about how their investment decisions could and should influence positive change at less of a financial risk than once thought. 

Major U.S. corporations have finally followed suit behind their European counterparts.

In the case for motivating more companies to weigh their climate, social and governance-driven business decisions, what will matter in the months and years to come – notwithstanding the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election – are the voices of corporate leadership, more positive change, as well as people’s appetite to remain informed.

In the last 12 months, ESG as a search term in the U.S. reached near peak popularity 

(94) in January, according to Google Trends. Google rates search terms on a scale of 1-100. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. At the time, MSCI CEO Henry Fernandez said investment managers would be greatly remiss if they ignored sustainable investment criteria. As reported by CNBC: “We are sounding the alarm bells that if you are an investment institution and you’re not embracing this and taking it into account, it’s going to be at your own peril.” In 2019, Morningstar reported ESG funds saw record inflows.

“ESG” search fell off a cliff in March and April, clocking in at a Google Trends score of 29-59, as interests shifted to the pandemic. Then something happened in May and June when the score shot right back up to 100. 

The investment community connected the dots between global health and the eventual economic crisis to how private sector attitudes and action could lead to a more prepared world, a better world. 

One where a greener planet, more workplace diversity, and a more inclusive definition of the word “stakeholder” wasn’t just lip service.

Wall Street responded. On the equities front, the Wall Street Journal reported that amid market turmoil, ESG-themed investments performed well and in some cases better than non-ESG plays.

On the policy front, Bloomberg reported The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee advised the “time has come” for the agency to consider requirements for certain environmental, social, and governance factors in public company disclosures.

On the corporate front, Reuters reported that Citigroup launched a new ESG investment banking unit. Several weeks later, Citi would become the first among the largest banks to name a female CEO.

Of course, progress is not without its roadblocks.

In June, the U.S. Department of Labor said it would try to keep ESG investment options from retirement plans because they put the fiduciary in a position to potentially prioritize social good before investment returns. Then we were reminded why balloons aren’t made of lead. 

People spurred into action.

ThinkAdvisor reported that since the DOL announced the proposal, “the department has reportedly collected about 1,500 comments, though it only posted 1,100 comments on its website — most of them negative, except for a handful from conservative political groups such as Americans for Prosperity and the Conservative Union.”

What’s more, we’ve still got three-and-half months left! Just what will our questions, our conversation, and our curiosity bring before we ring in a new year? Whatever positive change that may be, there is science to help make the case. This is me reaching but check this out.

In November 2015, two scientists published a report titled “The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity.” Among the things they considered is how much of our time we spend seeking and consuming information that goes beyond our basic survival, this includes those Wikipedia and IMDB rabbit holes that we fall down into from time to time. Among many other things, what the scientists learned is that “our insatiable demand for information drives much of the global economy.”

How about that? 

The production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in the entire world relies on your constant desire to learn. 

Now, it stands to reason that this curiosity could be driving ESG, too.

Check out the blog and more from Business Wire here. 

Our co-founder, Andrew Healy, recently chatted with Matt Halloran of the Top Advisor Marketing podcast, where they talked about:

– How COVID-19 forced RIAs to adapt – and in many cases, adopt for the first time – their digital marketing approach

– How it changed the client experience overnight and how advisors can use technology to their advantage

– And why fundamental aspects of advice-giving was able to shine during the dark early days of the pandemic

– And more!

The episode is available here and you can check out the full list of Top Advisor Marketing podcasts at https://topadvisorm.blubrry.net/. 

Let us know what you think in the comments. 

Nathalie Burdet has worked through the crises of our past while helping global firms manage and even build up their brands from scratch. Today, she is the Chief Marketing Officer of Kantar in London, where she is once again helping a global brand efficiently pivot and support clients in new ways. We caught up with her to talk abut how these unprecedented times differ from huge global and economic events of the past, as well as how the marketing industry has had to shift (for the better!) to have a place in the future of business too. 

You’ve been a professional long enough to witness major events that affected the way we live and work. How has  this pandemic been at all familiar and what, perhaps not so obviously, is different from crises behind us?

Indeed, these are unprecedented times and as I reflect on this current crisis, nothing much felt or has been feeling familiar. I remember Friday, March 20th, literally hours before lockdown in London when the city started to become a ghost town and seeing restaurants, bars, and shops closing,the supermarket raided and a surreal feeling as if the end of the world settling in.

In the previous crisis in ‘08, there was a heightened sense that being in the office was crucial, with days full of meetings on how to address the impact, etc. This created a palpable sense of shared stress. In the current COVID crisis with the initial lockdown, the stress is of a different type and more individual. It has been more of a struggle to find the right work/life balance and to create a sense of team. 

Interestingly, with all of us working from home at once globally, which has never happened before, we are making greater efforts to communicate which has meant new ways of working, more frequent contact with the teams (on a weekly basis and with no agenda) with the greater emphasis on ensuring everyone feels supported and are coping. I believe that building and showing trust in these extraordinary circumstances will have long-term implications for individual teams – so by showing trust now – you build a high-trust workplace for the future.

If there was one thing I could say has felt familiar is the constant struggle to find the right life/work balance which, as I mentioned, over the last 10 weeks or so has been even harder than usual with the always on virtual workplace. I encourage my team to take regular breaks during the day as well as holidays stressing to them that these are key to maintain good mental health. Their wellbeing is important to me and I believe that leading by example not by just talking about it makes a difference.

Have you taken on any new hobbies or revisited old ones? What sorts of extra-curricular activities or routines have you incorporated into your life?  

I love running, so took the opportunity like half the country it seems, to do an early morning run. I also tried to take up online yoga and rediscovered my love for baking. Thank god for the running!  Probably most satisfying is that I have been able to read more which has been something I have wanted to do for some time. Lastly, I am finding that I am actually having more quality conversation with friends and family realizing how truly precious these relationships are. It just feels easier to have a better life balance.   

As the CMO of an international business with clients all over the world, what are the hurdles for marketing the business in the new normal?

For marketing, now more than ever is the time to show our value as a function and as a strategic partner to the business. We have been more than ever externally focused to support our clients and work incredibly closely with the sales team to ensure they have the right, pertinent material to help them engage with their clients and have meaningful conversations.

It has been about understanding our clients, how COVID 19 is impacting their business and industry. This unique crisis has been a catalyst to accelerate our evolution as an organization to focus more on anticipating the needs of our clients, based on changing consumer behaviors.

Is Kantar doing anything differently with the data to market the business now to different industries?

Kantar’s mission is to help our clients understand people and inspire growth. At the very beginning of the pandemic to present, we have been providing with data and insights on a weekly basis that would help them understand people and the impact of the pandemic on brands, advertising and media, consumers and retail, society and health. We are also helping them to plan for recovery post-COVID. In fact, we are using our own data and understanding of the pandemic impact on the industry to inform our own marketing and go-to-market strategy.

What advice would you give a group of young marketers entering the workforce for the first time, or to young professionals who haven’t seen a real global challenge like this one?

The world of marketing was already changing but the pandemic has accelerated the pace and has highlighted that digital marketing is the future. My advice to young professionals would be to:

–  Observe and learn from this uncharted territory: look at how leadership teams are managing the crisis, what companies are doing not just from a marketing point of view but across the board to answer business challenges COVID is posing, and learn what is working/not working.

–  Develop/master your digital skills. This may be understanding the different channels, how to target clients, personalize messaging, how to run digital campaigns to generate leads, or how to nurture leads.

–  Develop your commercial and analytics skills. Being digitally savvy, understanding the data and being able to analyse it to help inform future campaigns as well as being able to showcase ROI will set you up well for the future.

–    Finally, learn to have a good work life balance and most importantly, learn to be resilient and flexible – these traits will help you be more productive, happy and successful throughout your entire career as well as stay sane!

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As the W’s editor Sara Moonves said, reported by Jacob Bernstein with the New York Times on W Media, ‘We did it all over zoom.’ ‘None of us even met in person.

Ditto, Sara! In June, I joined the Water & Wall team and kicked off my new role virtually. My first interview, first day, and first new business pitch with my new New York City-based colleagues were done  from my small South Carolina hometown. My perfected handshake and first day outfit were thrown out the window. Instead, I focused on my opening Slack message.

The initial plan was that I’d spend my first month working from home and then when the agency headquarters reopened, I’d join my new colleagues in person. Being in the same workspace would allow us to form a more personal connection. Here we are, three months later, and the pandemic hasn’t let that happen. Pre-COVID, I’d know the go-to office music and the typical Friday afternoon chatter, and my coworkers would know a thing or two about me. Like how I write most ideas on paper first or how I have soup for lunch no matter if its 19 or 90 degrees outside.

So how do we shift our work “firsts” expectations to fit the times?  

Ask, ask, and explain

A traditional first day suggestion, ask any and all questions. However, many questions you’d think you’d ask when you’re starting a new job, double it. A key part of learning is that you have to self advocate. Be thorough and follow up with whomever you’re asking to be sure they have as much detail as they need to get you what you need. Take nothing for granted when your interactions with a new colleague are mostly text-based. What’s unclear to you, may be clear to someone else and vice versa.

New BTF

Maybe this is more of a shoutout to a new colleague than it is a pro tip, but I’ve now learned that it’s important to have that “best tech friend.” I’d handcraft our Chief Technology Officer a friendship bracelet if it would even amount to how helpful he has been during my onboarding. Thank you, Conrad.

Schedule meetings

When they can’t see you at your desk or you can’t bump into each other grabbing coffee, there officially isn’t any room to be reserved or timid as the newest member of the group. Be assertive and schedule meetings with your co-workers even if it’s just to get to know each other. Book ad hoc or recurring check-ins with your teammates to chat all things work. Discuss how you can best support your team and succeed with client work or projects assigned to you. Pro tip: bring ideas to your calls.

Accept the status quo

But only for things beyond your control. There’s comfort in blaming a mistake or weakness on starting remotely, but is that beneficial to your overall success? Nope. Instead, find solace in the fact that everyone is living this same new 9-to-5 reality.

What’s your jam?

On the 9-to-5 note – integrate your typical work preferences into your new position. If you’re like me, you listen to Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 as you drink your morning coffee each day. If someone is asking your preference on how you like to receive feedback, when you’d like a meeting, or phone vs. Zoom, share your thoughts! Remember, if you’re being asked it’s because your preferences are valued.

To note, my boss isn’t out to get me, I just really love Dolly’s classic.

Rejoice remotely

I’m extremely fortunate to have started a new job during this global pandemic and to do so safely from my home. Remember to be thankful for the work you get to do each day. Starting a new position before meeting the company’s leadership team or any of your coworkers takes a leap of faith for everyone involved. Perhaps the trick was that we got on the same page before we were in the same room.

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The financial services space is no stranger to economic crises and mass uncertainty. In just the last quarter century, they’ve experienced—and in some cases, caused—the 2008 financial crisis, the dot-com bubble, the 9/11 attacks, financial crises in Asia and Argentina and Black Monday. Marketers and communications professionals can’t always see into the future, but the initial dust from COVID-19 has settled enough for a few takeaways to emerge.

Water & Wall’s Andrew Healy reviews these takeaways in O’Dwyer’s August Issue. Read his thoughts in full here. 

Andrew is a key reason why Water & Wall has become such an extraordinary place to do business and we’re delighted that the industry has taken notice. 

We’d love it if you connected with him on LinkedIn and the agency LinkedIn for some shop talk. 

In the meantime, check out what PRWeek had to say about our co-founder here.