Strategic Framework Unveiled: The UN Global Compact introduces a five-pillar CMO Blueprint designed to align marketing strategies with sustainable growth objectives.
Industry Mobilization: The Blueprint provides a benchmark for progress and fosters collaboration among CMOs, brands, and sustainability experts.
Global Launch at Cannes Lions: The initiative debuts at the Cannes Lions Festival, positioning marketing leaders as central players in advancing ESG goals.
At the Cannes Lions Festival, the United Nations Global Compact launched the CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth—a strategic guide to help Chief Marketing Officers integrate sustainability into business growth plans and brand strategies.
As the UN Global Compact’s CEO and Executive Director Sanda Ojiambo noted, “The CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth is both a call to action and a practical roadmap. It reflects the collective insight and ambition of marketing leaders around the world who are ready to lead businesses toward a more just, inclusive and resilient future.”
The Blueprint, created by the UN Global Compact CMO Think Lab, addresses three core ambitions:
A unified, principles-based framework for sustainable marketing.
An industry benchmark to track progress and identify action gaps.
A collaborative ecosystem of brands and partners reshaping marketing’s role in sustainability.
Structured around five strategic pillars—growth strategy, brand strategy, innovation, communications, advertising & media, and partnerships—the framework is supported by a dedicated online hub. This platform facilitates the sharing of tools, case studies, and best practices to embed sustainability in every facet of marketing.
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Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, emphasized marketing’s transformative potential:
“CMOs and marketing leaders have a vital role to play in driving sustainable growth and advancing corporate sustainability strategies. This blueprint provides a key opportunity for our industry to harness its boundless creativity and pioneer solutions that will echo far beyond Cannes Lions.”
Throughout the Cannes Lions Festival (16–20 June), attendees can engage with the CMO Blueprint at the EverGrow greenhouse within the LIONS Sustainability Hub, a new space created in partnership with ACT Responsible. The official launch event on 19 June at 15:30 CET will feature industry leaders including Raja Rajamannar (Mastercard), Cristina Diezhandino (Diageo), and Khensani Nobanda (Nedbank) discussing how CMOs can lead on ESG transformation.
With mounting pressure on brands to align with environmental and social imperatives, this Blueprint offers marketing leaders a pragmatic path to both influence change and future-proof their organizations.
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