Makeup brand Glossier is hitting the mark thanks to its focus on diversity and accessibility in the arts because makeup is a form of art and expression, as opposed to promising corporate carbon emission reductions or something else further removed from the brand’s core proposition. 

Show but don’t tell

For all other ESG efforts that aren’t closely aligned with brand relevance and consumer resonance: Keep up the good work, but also keep it to yourself. The truth is, in this day and age, a lot of popular ESG efforts, including DEI initiatives and carbon reduction programs, don’t deserve applause anymore—they’re table stakes. And table stakes don’t need to be shouted or celebrated. 

The key question is what a brand can leverage credibly. 

Rather than covering every aspect of sustainability, brands need to become much more discerning about bringing their mission to life in a meaningful, honest, accountable, timely and timeless way to build trust and excite consumers. 

Think of it like a tree: Most of the work happens below the surface, in a root system that can be several times the size of its canopy. And while most tree bark looks pretty shriveled, there’s a ton of water running through the tree. 

To paraphrase the much more eloquent Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the secret to winning the ESG culture war is very simple: It is only with constructive interrogation that the consumer can understand a brand’s true impact; how ESG propels the business forward is invisible to the general public.