Episode 126: ‘No Crap Parties - The Movement Changing the Culture of Gifting’ with Charlotte Curl, Founder

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we were joined by Charlotte Curl marketing consultant and Founder of No Crap Parties, a movement on a mission to shift the culture of children's parties away from wasteful plastic crap, towards more thoughtful, sustainable gifting. As happens to so many mums entering the ‘party time era’, Charlotte found herself surrounded by piles of party bag junk and endless gifts, she explains, "It seems like nobody likes this status quo of party bags and piles of presents, but they just go along with it."A survey then confirmed her hunch that parents do in fact, hate the clutter, the cost, the waste, and the overwhelm, but social pressure and fear of disappointing their children and others, keeps them trapped in the cycle. ‘The Kids Party Pact’ was born from this insight. A simple agreement between parents to give gift guidance on invitations, give more sustainable gifts, and rethink party bags. The campaign grew organically through Instagram, but really broke out when Charlotte secured a feature in ‘Positive News’, followed by a piece in The Saturday Times. She shared, "As soon as I had that, suddenly I looked credible. I wasn't just this random mum on Instagram."Today, over 25,000 people are part of the movement. A key pillar of the campaign is showing people that alternatives do exist and that sustainable parties can be fun, easy, and affordable. "I think often the eco alternative is seen as expensive. People expect that it's going to be more expensive."Charlotte provides tools and resources such as invitation templates, wording for gift guidance and real-life examples by way of supporting the removal of friction from making a change. She also successfully secured funding from the National Lottery, which will see the launch of, ‘The Big Toy Swap’ taking place November 2026. A national toy swap month with the goal of having over 50 swaps happening across the country. The goal is she explains is, “to have over 50 swaps happening across the country, led by people in their own communities, but supported by us...giving their communities an opportunity to come and get their gifts for free and be proud of giving secondhand gifts this Christmas and beyond."It's a powerful way to bring people together, tackle the cost of living crisis, and normalise secondhand gifting, so be sure to look out for that in November. Charlotte also talks about her children's book, and the binding failure that became an opportunity for creativity, and crisis management. Tune in as we talk to Charlotte about: How a survey of parents confirmed that the status quo of party bags and piles of presents is universally disliked. The power of the pact: why knowing you're not alone makes it easier to break social norms. The importance of showing real alternatives, not just telling people. The Big Toy Swap this November: how you can host or find a swap near you and get free Christmas gifts for your kids. Why Marketers must move beyond awareness to action: removing barriers, giving people the tools, and constantly reminding them of the alternative. And check out all these links as outlined in the podcast: Charlotte’s Children’s Book - Elf Chloe’s Surprise - https://charlottecurl.com/elf-chloes-surprise/ Sign the Kids Party Pact - https://nocrapparties.org/ Join in with The Big Toy Swap - https://nocrapparties.org/thebigtoyswap/ No Crap Parties on Instagram for inspo and ideas - https://www.instagram.com/no.crap.parties/ Connect with Charlotte via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottecurl/ Enjoy… With love Michelle & Gemma ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by Helena Mansell-Stopher, CEO of Products of Change (POC). POC, is a brilliant and active membership organisation working with over 1,400 people across brands, manufacturers, and retailers to come together and drive environmental and social change. This part of Helena's journey started at National Geographic, where she had the idea and insight to start connecting incubator brands doing things differently with retail distribution, while also helping larger brands learn from them. What started as a think tank six years ago has now become a movement with international reach. "Education is the biggest barrier, people in industry are problem solvers. If they know what problem they need to solve and why, they'll get on and find a solution." A key focus of Products of Change is shifting the language of sustainability from moral obligation to smart business. "We've got to start using more business language. It's how you're reducing your impact, reducing the cost of that, mitigating taxes, reducing risk because you're enabling your supply chains to be more robust." Helena shares the example of, UK Greetings who have been on a 6 year journey. They removed glitter and single-use plastic from their cards, and brought back a lot of their production to the UK, and as a result, have seen double-digit growth, retained staff, and unlocked creativity through paper engineering. We delve into POC’s initiatives such as ‘Recycle to Read’, a programme Helena explains, "showcases that our waste has a value." ‘Recycle to Read’ enables children to swap or recycle toys, earning Planet Care points that translate into free books for their school through a Harper Collins partnership. They collected 15 tons of hard plastic toys last year in a small Tesco trial (now rolled out to 160 stores), with no PR. It’s a programme which is building the blueprint for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in toys. Helena talks about the POC Conference held annually, where the industry gathers to share innovations from brands such as Lego, Disney, Universal Music Groups and Primark. She also shares the work they do on ‘The Partner Maturity Index’, which was built with investment from Netflix and Paramount. The Index further accelerates progress by allowing manufacturers to fill in their sustainability data once and share it with all the brands they work with, reducing duplication whilst also benchmarking industry maturity. This is a really great listen! Tune in as we talk to Helena about: How Products of Change grew from a think tank to a global membership organisation. Why sustainability conversations must be framed as business resilience, risk mitigation, and cost reduction. How working as an industry can make change happen faster. Recycle to Read – getting value from waste. Why honesty in marketing is so important and how the language needs to change. Find out more visit https://www.productsofchange.com/ For The Partner Maturity Index see here Details of the 2026 POC Sustainability Conference Enjoy… With love Michelle & Gemma ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, Michelle is joined by Amy Williams, Founder and CEO of Good-Loop, a platform that sits at the intersection of brand purpose, media performance, and social impact, proving that doing good can also deliver exceptional business results. Almost a decade ago, Amy had a very a specific goal which was, to bring ideas of brand purpose and business responsibility into media. She saw a gap between well designed presentations about purpose and the practical tools brands needed to execute, measure, and quantify it. As she explains, "If you don't articulate the business value of social impact or responsible business, then it won't last." Good-Loop is all about ad experiences that convert attention into donations. Every impression and every eyeball generates funding for non profits which in turn create a genuine value exchange that leaves consumers feeling positive, and brands seeing great results. The proof is in the performance, and Amy shares an example of a yogurt brand targeting parents who saw their YouTube completion rate jump from 33% to 78% when Good-Loop connected them with a non-profit focused on building playgrounds. "On a cost per view basis, the donation more than pays for itself," she says. Amy argues that, “this is values alignment in action, and values alignment is the business case for good, driving loyalty and long-term customer value.” Amy is refreshingly honest about the current landscape and agrees that many brands have retreated in response to political and cultural shifts. However, she sees this as a clarifying moment, "values aren't values until they cost you something. And right now they cost you something. So we can see amazing brands step up at a time where there's more space and attention to do so because there's less noise and less fakers.” Looking ahead, Good-Loop is focused on quantifying the ROI of good, and making media sustainability practical through tools like their new IPA-partnered carbon calculator. Amy's advice to marketers is to look outside their bubble, because there is so much opportunity to learn. Tune in as Michelle talks to Amy about: Why the business case for good is values alignment. How the current cultural shift is revealing which brands' commitments are genuine. Practical, actionable steps any marketer can take today. The power of bringing non profits into the conversation as the authentic experts. Why Good-Loop's theory of change is helping huge organisations move "one percent in the right direction”. Loved this conversation - so many useful insights and learnings. Thank you Amy. For more info about Good-Loop and their Good Engagement platform and Good Measures technology - visit https://good-loop.com/ With love Michelle & Gemma ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by Neil Callanan, founder of Loose Grip, a performance, analytics, and insights agency who work with values-led brands to bridge the gap between their activism and their commercial goals. Over the last three to four years, Loose Grip has specialised in helping brands understand how their purpose impacts both their business performance and their people-and-planet objectives. Neil shares, ”I feel like a lot of values-based brands almost look down on measuring their impact in the same way that they would measure the profits or how many things they've sold. There's a tendency to keep things separate." Separation, Neil argues, is a mistake. The two aren't mutually exclusive, they're symbiotic. "When the data is there, you can actually find pretty symbiotic relationships. Consumers, especially younger consumers, make buying decisions based on wanting to feel good about the companies where they're putting their money."  Neil feels that many brands lack the ammunition to tell that story internally, to the board, or to shareholders, to help solve this, Neil and his team developed the GRASP Framework, a process designed to help brands define clear objectives for every piece of content, then measure what actually matters. The framework typically distils objectives into two or three buckets: Discover(maximising reach) Engage(depth of connection) Convert(driving a specific action - a purchase, a petition signature, or a donation). By bringing teams together to collaboratively define and prioritise metrics, Loose Grip builds buy-in and protects against the lure of, "glamour metrics that look good but don't drive insight." Neil talks about how he sees huge potential in AI for retroactive analysis. Instead of waiting six months for data, brands can now train AI agents to analyse five years of content, identifying patterns in what worked, whether that's post length, format, timing, or language landed, this means they can start every new campaign armed with proven insights. Tune in as we talk to Neil about: Why purpose-driven brands often shy away from measurement. The GRASP Framework: moving from objectives to action by defining discover, engage, and conversion metrics. The power of creative measurement to value sustainability impact alongside commercial metrics. Using AI to enrich historical data and give campaigns a proven starting point. How to ensure your activism is authentic and not just reactive cringe. During the conversation Neil mentions some links and case studies - you’ll find these below: The Grasp Your Impact Framework - https://graspyourimpact.com/ The Grasp Your Impact Podcast - for more case studies - https://graspyourimpact.com/podcast/ Case study from Ben & Jerry’s - Ben & Jerry's! https://open.spotify.com/show/3jDmbKd1Vgi8ofkSoUrv1n?si=644e10c4bf474a67&nd=1&dlsi=5d2079301ca64c1d With love Michelle & Gemma ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by John Marshall, CEO and Founder of Potential Energy, a coalition dedicated to changing the way we talk about climate change by finding messages that transcend division and actually move people to take action. John's journey into climate communications came from a place of frustration around how public concern wasn't translating into action. He realised the issue wasn't a lack of information, more a lack of connection, "we don't really have so much of a division issue in the US, we have more of a distribution issue. People aren't getting the message, but when you do the message well, everybody moves." John put their insights to test with a Super Bowl ad for Science Moms which delivered 14-to-one positive sentiment, and was ranked a top 10 Super Bowl ad by the New York Times, and importantly grew more support among conservatives than progressives. Why? "It was a story about a mom and her kids. If you twist it 90 degrees and find universal values that everybody cares about, then you can actually get universal appeal." Potential Energy's whole approach is about stripping away the technocratic language and telling human stories. Comedy works. Animals work. Children work. Their “Protect what we Love” campaign in the UK proved that framing climate action around protecting the things we hold dear, cuts through where data alone fails. John also challenges the instinct to lead with sacrifice, "sacrifice messaging connotes in people's brains that costs will go up. We need to talk about abundance and more energy.” This reframing around economic benefit, energy security, and patriotism opens doors that guilt-based messaging closes. For marketers feeling the fear of speaking up, John's advice is simple and direct,"don't be afraid to talk about it. It's not a bad word. It's not going to hurt you. Be real, be authentic, but it's on your consumers' minds. Be courageous." Tune in as we talk to John about: The Super Bowl ad and what that tells us about universal messaging. The failure of technocratic language and the power of human stories. How to make climate communication resonate. Moving from sacrifice messaging to abundance messaging. Why talking about more, not less of everything, is a more effective. The "distribution issue" and how to create content interesting enough to earn its own distribution through cultural carriers. Practical advice from a decade of message testing And why “protect what we love” always, always works. For more information and insights visit: Potential Energy Coalition website: https://potentialenergycoalition.org/ And sign up for regular updates via their newsletter: Potential Energy Coalition's That's Interesting Newsletter: https://potentialenergycoalition.org/newsletter/ Enjoy… and as ever, do let us know what lands for you. With love Michelle & Gemma ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

Ahead of the Great Bit Green Week, just around the corner starting 6th June, in this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by Helen Meech, Executive Director of the Climate Coalition, for an inspiring conversation which we hope urges every marketer, business, and community to get involved. Helen has been working in the nature and climate space for nearly 25 years, building movements that start with a single belief: people are powerful, especially when we come together. Great Big Green Week is proof of that belief as it is now the UK's largest celebration of community action on climate and nature. It has grown from just 50 events in 2021 to nearly 6,000 events last year (2025), engaging 1.2 MILLION people. And what’s super interesting is the fact that about a third of attendees have never engaged with climate or nature before. They come because it's organised by someone in their local community, school, sports club, or place of worship. "It's a really powerful on-ramp for the movement," Helen explains. "Over 80% of people leave wanting to do more." Joy and celebration really matter when it comes to nature and climate. Helen points to research from Climate Outreach. “Life is hard for many people right now. To then have another thing that is layered over can make that difficult to engage with," she says. By rooting action in communities pride of place, making life better directly, reducing bills through community energy, or repairing stuff together, it makes it directly relevant to people's lives. The strongest motivator of action though, is love.” As well as Great Big Green Week, The Climate Coalition also drives direct political action. 2025’s mass lobby, ‘Act Now Change Forever’, brought 5,000 people to Westminster on a hot Wednesday in July. Unlike previous lobbies where conversations happened outside, security changes meant constituents sat down with their MPs for 45 minutes indoors. "It allowed them to get into really deep conversations," 37% of those who attended the lobby were actually first-time campaigners, and the central hub where talks, poetry, and singing took place, became one of the most impactful elements of the day. When it comes to marketers who may be feeling frustrated about how to bring people together and build communities, Helen explains, "The skills of marketers is absolutely crucial for the moment that we're in. Marketing can help choices feel normal, desirable, and just part of everyday life." Helen left us with a final message on Great Big Green Week (an invitation to all), “join an event, organise an event, or just start a conversation. Because the vast majority of people do care, we just don't talk about it enough.” Tune in as we talk to Helen about: How Great Big Green Week grew from 50 to nearly 6,000 events, engaging 1.2 million people and bringing in a third who are brand new to climate action. Why joy, creativity, and love are more effective motivators than doom and fear. Act Now Change Forever, how 5,000 people came together, met with their MPs, talked to each other, all under a common goal. Government, business, and communities and how we can flip it from a race to the bottom to a virtuous cycle of action. How marketers can get involved in raising awareness, supporting different choices and being part of the solution. For more information and to learn more about Great Big Green Week and the work The Climate Coalition are championing - useful links below: https://www.greatbiggreenweek.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theclimatecoalition https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-climate-coalition/ https://www.facebook.com/theclimatecoalition  We’d love to hear how you’re getting involved. So do keep us posted. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by Dr. Simon Chard, cosmetic dentist and co-founder of PARLA Oral Care. PARLA is a B Corp certified challenger brand on a mission to give people toothpaste that is better for them, whilst ridding the industry of single-use plastic. Simon, a high-profile dentist, was being used by one of the world's biggest toothpaste brands in their TV adverts, at the same time, he was watching programmes such as Blue Planet, and becoming acutely aware of the plastic crisis, he’s also just become a father. “Every tube of toothpaste you've ever used still exists somewhere on the planet," he says. With 20 billion plastic toothpaste tubes ending up in landfill or ocean each year, (yes read that again! 20 billion!), Simon and his fellow co-founders, also leading dentists, felt a responsibility to act, and PARLA was born. Launched in 2020, the solution is twofold: first, toothpaste tablets in 100% plastic-free packaging, and later, infinitely recyclable aluminium tubes. PARLA rejected the "recyclable plastic" route taken by big multinationals. "It's greenwashing. It's better than non-recyclable, but it's not a solution," Simon explains. PARLA’s other differentiator is its "smarter science", ingredient decks built on peer-reviewed research, formulated by dentists who understand what the mouth actually needs, “It's got everything in it that you need and nothing that you don't," says Simon. Simon shares the brand's journey which has been one of constant learning, from Dragon's Den to securing listings in major retailers, to winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. It’s been a journey which has led Simon and the team t PARLA to learn a lot about the importance of messaging. "We've changed our language to be much more focused on what's in it for the consumer, with a secondary message of being plastic-free. If I try to give my kids a broccoli smoothie, they'll say no. But if I mask it with something they're interested in, they still get the vegetables." For Simon, authenticity is everything, PARLA is building a tribe of dental professionals who recommend their products. Authentic advocates in this category is critical, as 30-40% of purchasing decisions are influenced by dental advice. Tune in as we talk to Simon about: ·      The moment of realisation that led three dentists to take on the oral care giants. ·      Why "recyclable plastic" isn't the solution. ·      The science behind smarter oral care, and the ingredients that actually matter. ·      The challenge of balancing sustainability messaging with consumer desire. ·      Why,"what's in it for me?" comes first. ·      Building authentic advocacy through the dental profession. ·      The power of professional partnerships and recommendations.   For more information and to learn more about the back story and the products visit PARLA’s website. And to connect with Dr Simon Chard - his LinkedIn Profile is here. ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by Cathy Benwell, Co-Founder of CIC, A Good Thing. A Good Thing is a brilliant platform with a beautifully simple, yet truly impactful exchange idea, connecting businesses that have surplus items to local charities that gratefully receive items they need. Like many impact focused ventures, Cathy and her husband founded A Good Thing over a dinner table conversation about a cupboard full of nearly new laptops doing nothing. Cathy was working for a charity called Home Start and her colleagues were battling daily with machines that were so slow you could make a cup of tea waiting for them to boot up. Putting the two things together, they believed there was more opportunity than just that one single exchange. That moment of realisation, and the lockdown downtime that followed, gave them the opportunity to explore the ‘gaps’, becoming the seed of a platform which now operates UK-wide, matching businesses' unwanted goods with charities' expressed needs. The platform works both ways, businesses list what they have, and charities list what they need. From furniture and tech to branded merchandise, construction materials, and even a life-size inflatable elephant, Cathy has seen it all. Critically, it addresses a dynamic Cathy witnessed first hand, which is the fact that charities often feel they can't say no to donations, ending up with things they don't need. "It can become a headache for the charity, she explains, “we took on Easter eggs (500 of them), which ended up in an enormous pile in this tiny office." The ability to request exactly what's needed has been a game-changer for both sides. What makes A Good Thing so compelling is its dual benefit and genuine win-win. Businesses reduce waste, avoid disposal costs, and free up warehouse space, while charities receive vital resources for free. The platform is free to use, supported by voluntary business subscriptions, and its marketing has grown entirely organically through word of mouth and passionate advocates within the community. As Cathy puts it, "It's an incredibly simple message, a really simple story. It's a no-brainer." Cathy hopes to see every UK business using a platform like A Good Thing in the future, and with international pilots in the US, France, and the Netherlands they are looking at expanding the impact. Her advice to Marketers is to focus on the human story. "Telling the human story rather than just focusing on the numbers really, really draws people in." Tune in as we talk to Cathy about: How her platform connects business surplus with charity need. Why enabling charities to request what they actually need transforms the dynamic of corporate giving. The astonishing range of items donated and what it tells us about business waste. Why A Good Thing remains focused on their core proposition and has chosen not to measure carbon or financial impact as part of what they do. How word of mouth, passionate volunteers, community and a simple story can scale a circular economy solution. If you’re keen to get involved, we’ve shared plenty of ways you can connect with A Good Thing: Cathy’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-b-a1408768/ Via Email [email protected] And more links via web and socials: www.agoodthing.org.uk www.facebook.com/agoodthing.org.uk www.x.com/agoodthing_uk www.linkedin.com/company/agoodthing-org-uk www.instagram.com/agoodthing_uk Enjoy… ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.            

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we talk stories! We’re joined by Matt Golding, Director at Antidote - filmmaker, storyteller and strategist. Matt’s career has taken him from making viral comedy films for global brands to an exploration of how stories shape culture and belief. Starting out creating shareable content for the likes of eBay and Disney, Matt found himself sitting in boardrooms alongside major agencies, watching how big organisations operate from the inside. Simultaneously, he was becoming increasingly active in climate and social justice movements outside of work. The contrast was plain to see, as he explains, "It's not that the corporations were evil...but the system we're in drives people to operate in a certain way." That realisation led him to pivot his business in 2019 to focus on helping organisations doing genuinely positive work. After two years working with Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace, and others, Matt looked all his experience and saw the issue, "We're just telling people off with jokes. The messaging is, what do we not do, what do we cut down on. It felt like we were missing a huge piece of the puzzle: what are we aiming for?" This led to the creation of Antidote which is an experiment in changing how we tell stories to help us all believe that collective action can change the world (and head’s up, it really can!). Antidote's approach is a shift from problem-focused narratives to solution-oriented storytelling that triggers belief, and not just temporary relief. Matt and his team share stories of collective action that is already happening, stories of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things in communities across the UK. From 8,000 people crowdfunding an organic farm in Shropshire, to a Bristol estate that built the UK's biggest community-owned wind turbine - stories that offer and amplify genuine participation. "Every story we share is exemplified by a person that is like you...that has something you can do to participate in, build, share, amplify that thing." People need to be part of the solution and as Matt is showing through his work, they are and, it works. When it comes to Marketers, Matt challenges us to look critically at the narrative structures we've inherited. The hero's journey, he argues, is not a helpful foundation for a culture. Instead, he advocates for stories built on unifying themes, emotional connection first, and a positive vision that people can actually see themselves in. This episode is a brilliant masterclass and a conversation we just wanted to keep going. (And we will!). Tune in as we talk to Matt about: Why telling people what not to do isn't working Why we need to paint a compelling picture of the world we're trying to create. The difference between "belief" and "relief" Why positive stories that offer no pathway to participation can leave us feeling more powerless. How communities across the UK are already solving seemingly intractable problems by coming together around shared interests. The limitations of the hero's journey as a storytelling framework, and what we might replace it with. Practical advice for marketers on approaching things with humility, showing, not telling, and letting the people already doing the work speak for themselves. For more, we’ve shared the links we discuss: Podcast: SCREW THIS, LET’S TRY SOMETHING ELSE: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/screw-this-lets-try-something-else/id1863391095 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Bornsbddwi4xZYQLoAm6b?si=d500b7fbf3924eb6 ANTIDOTE project website: https://www.antidotelive.studio/ ANTIDOTE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antidotelive ANTIDOTE TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antidote_live ANTIDOTE Substack: https://mattgolding.substack.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgolding/ Rubber Republic: Impact studio: https://www.rubberrepublic.com/ ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.

In this episode of Can Marketing Save the Planet, we are joined by Suzie Mills and Tim Brann, two of the co-founders of Oxygen Communications. We were keen to learn more about their research findings into the sustainability of UK purpose-led websites, which reveals a troubling disconnect between organisations' sustainability intent and their digital execution. Born during the first COVID lockdown, Oxygen Communications emerged from a desire to build an agency rooted in sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity. Their recent research and report uncovered that many organisations, including B Corps, environmental charities, and sustainability consultancies are inadvertently contributing to the digital carbon problem. As Suzie explains, "The digital emissions sector is higher than the aviation industry, and yet the knowledge about the aviation industry is so huge.” The lack of understanding from a B-Corp perspective highlighted a gap in their current certification standards, although upcoming updates are set to change that. The research identified two primary barriers: a profound lack of awareness that websites even have a carbon footprint, and for those who are aware, it remains a low priority, consistently deprioritised against competing demands. Tim emphasised the opportunity that sustainable websites bring and how, “They aren't just good for the planet, they're good for business. They load quicker, are easier to access and navigate, there's a clear business case." Crucially, the team argues that small, low-cost changes like compressing images, removing auto-play videos, and choosing green hosting, can make a significant difference in emissions without requiring a full rebuild. A powerful example from their work, a simple audit for a hospice revealed that a tiny image of the Queen in the footer, present on every page, was a major emissions culprit. Reducing that single file size by 90% delivered a site-wide carbon saving. "Small things can make such a significant difference if you know where to look and what to do." Looking ahead, Suzie and Tim for would love genuine collaboration between marketing and web design teams, aligning success metrics around sustainability from the very start of any project, and embedding digital sustainability into organisation-wide strategy and policy. Tune in as we talk to Suzie and Tim about: Why even purpose-driven organisations have unsustainable websites. The two key barriers to action: lack of awareness and competing priorities, and how to overcome both. Practical, low-cost changes any Marketer can make today to reduce their website's carbon emissions. Why authentic storytelling means being transparent about both successes and areas for improvement. Grounding claims in measurable impact. The vital role of collaboration between marketing and web design teams to make sustainable digital practices the norm. You’ll find links to the useful resources and signposts mentioned throughout the podcast here: The Report: https://designedbyoxygen.com/resources/sustainable-intent-unsustainable-web-why-the-gap/ Sustainable Comms Guide: https://designedbyoxygen.com/resources/guide-to-sustainable-communications/ Inclusive Comms Guide: https://designedbyoxygen.com/resources/guide-to-inclusive-communications/ A Masterclass we held a while back: https://designedbyoxygen.com/resources/sustainable-design-masterclass/ Website Sustainability Audit: https://designedbyoxygen.com/what-we-do/website-sustainability-audit/ General news & views all related to sustainable & accessible design practices: https://designedbyoxygen.com/exhale/ And finally, this is the webinar Suzie mentioned! https://www.myvision.org.uk/disabled-user-testing/ ________________________________________________________________________ About us… We help Marketers save the planet. 🌍 Join the Marketers and organisations who have signed our manifesto, engage with our newsletter and training and, work with us to communicate sustainability more effectively. Sign our Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, and join us on our mission. Get in touch to chat. You’ll find the Podcast on all the usual pod platforms - and also on The Global Player. If you love it, do share it and spread the word. Talking about climate change and the role we play is one of the most important things we can do. So join the conversation. We’re all in this together. Our podcasts are recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.