Is your marketing CSRD ready?
The transition to a lower carbon and more sustainable society is reshaping the economy and regulatory frameworks. As a result, companies that fail to become more sustainable are more vulnerable to risks and losses. For marketing leaders, the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) presents both challenges and opportunities.
The CSRD impacts the entire value chain. Marketers need to take stock of the carbon footprint of their marketing efforts and be ready to disclose data. They must build strong relationships with their suppliers and ensure that their campaigns, promotional material, events, etc. align with broader sustainability goals. Admittedly, the complexity of tracking and reporting on this data can be overwhelming.
Marketers who manage all promotional products through a centralized platform benefit from local and on demand print, a transparent supply chain and simplified CSRD reporting.
What is the CSRD?
The CSRD requires companies to disclose detailed environmental and social impact information. It aims to provide investors, consumers, and other stakeholders with reliable data to assess a company’s sustainability performance and reduce greenwashing.
What does the CSRD mean for marketers?
The CSRD mandates that companies disclose environmental and social information, including climate-related risks and opportunities. While this may seem daunting, it also presents a chance to differentiate your brand and build trust with consumers.
Scrutinize your supply chain
Invest more resources in relationships with suppliers and integrate sustainability-related risk assessment in your purchasing decisions.
Measure marketing’s carbon footprint
This includes everything from print materials, corporate gifts, to digital campaigns.
Verify green claims
Consumers are increasingly aware of greenwashing. Marketers must ensure that all sustainability claims are backed by solid data.
Does the CSRD affect companies outside the EU?
The CSRD applies not just to European companies but also to foreign businesses operating within the EU. This means that even if a company is headquartered outside the EU, it must comply with the CSRD if it has any subsidiaries or operations within the bloc.
The Challenge of Supply Chain Transparency in Marketing
Effective marketing often relies on tangible materials – promotional products, printed collateral, and merchandise. While these items can be powerful branding tools, they also present significant challenges in terms of sustainability and compliance.
Traditional marketing supply chains are complex, involving multiple intermediaries, often with limited visibility into production processes and environmental impact. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for marketers to assess the sustainability credentials of their promotional materials.
To meet the reporting requirements of the CSRD and build consumer trust, marketers must gain a deep understanding of their supply chains. This involves:
- Monitoring suppliers and their locations: Knowing where products (including the blanks) are manufactured is crucial for assessing potential environmental and social risks.
- Evaluating production processes: Understanding the materials used, energy consumption, and waste generated during production.
- Assessing transportation impact: Calculating the carbon footprint associated with shipping products.
This level of scrutiny can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Marketers often juggle multiple suppliers across the globe, each with its own processes and standards. Building strong relationships with multiple suppliers, understanding your promotional products supply chain and reporting on it can be challenging. This is where Ciloo can help.
“High quality and reliable public reporting by companies will help create a culture of greater public accountability.“
European Commission
Ciloo: Centralized Platform with Local and On Demand Traceable Production
The Ciloo platform offers a fundamentally different approach to sourcing promotional products and corporate gifts. By focusing on a curated network of vetted suppliers in 50 countries and a localized, on-demand production model for 15 core product categories, we’re revolutionizing traditionally carbon-heavy and untraceable supply chains.
Localized and On-Demand Production
Our decentralized production model (with full centralized control) reduces the environmental impact associated with long-distance transportation. By producing items closer to the end-user, we minimize carbon emissions and support local economies. Additionally, our on-demand production approach helps to reduce waste by eliminating overstocking. Companies using Ciloo record a 90% reduction in print-related transportation, a 50% reduction in print volumes, and a 50% reduction in total print costs.
Your Internal E-commerce Store
The Ciloo platform transforms into your branded store front and allows for both print and promotional products to be managed through a unified, global portal that seamlessly integrates with core enterprise systems like ERP and procurement software. Your global teams can order branded products in the quantity they need, when needed.
Vetted Supplier Network
At the core of Ciloo is a rigorously selected network of suppliers across 50 countries who adhere to high environmental and social standards. We conduct thorough assessments to ensure that our partners align with our sustainability commitments. This means you can be confident that the promotional products you choose are produced responsibly and are fully traceable.
Strong Supplier Relationships
We believe that a successful supply chain is built on strong partnerships. Ciloo fosters close relationships with our suppliers, enabling us to collaborate on sustainability initiatives, drive innovation, and ensure consistent quality. This collaborative approach benefits both our clients and our suppliers.
By partnering with Ciloo, you gain access to a streamlined, sustainable, and compliant supply chain for your marketing materials.
At Ciloo, we’re committed to revolutionizing how marketers source promotional products, with a focus on on-demand production and ensuring local relevance. As the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) takes center stage, we prioritize sustainability across our entire supply chain. Our on-demand production model ensures that products are made locally, minimizing waste and reducing environmental impact, all while staying relevant to the specific markets we serve.
Our team carefully vets suppliers to ensure they meet strict environmental and social standards while delivering high-quality products that align with your brand’s values. By partnering with Ciloo, you’re not just choosing promotional products—you’re investing in a more sustainable, locally-focused future that meets the evolving demands of your audience.
Take the first step today
The CSRD marks a pivotal moment for businesses; don’t let it catch you off guard. Take control of your marketing’s environmental impact.
Schedule a free demo to learn how Ciloo can help your business thrive.
K
L
What is the CSRD?
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requires companies to disclose detailed environmental and social impact information. It aims to provide investors, consumers, and other stakeholders with reliable data to assess a company’s sustainability performance and reduce greenwashing.
K
L
Does the CSRD affect companies outside the EU?
The CSRD applies not just to European companies but also to foreign businesses operating within the EU. This means that even if a company is headquartered outside the EU, it must comply with the CSRD if it has any subsidiaries or operations within the bloc.
K
L
What is the timeline for CSRD implementation?
The CSRD timeline is as follows:
- 2025: Companies covered by the non-financial reporting requirements must publish their first reports.
- 2026: All large companies not currently covered by the non-financial reporting requirements must publish their first reports.
- 2027: Small and medium listed companies, small and non-complex credit institutions, and captive insurance companies must publish their first reports.
- 2029: Third-country companies with a net EU revenue exceeding EUR 150 million and at least one subsidiary or branch in the EU exceeding certain thresholds must publish their first reports.
K
L
How does the CSRD impact marketing?
The CSRD mandates comprehensive sustainability reporting, impacting marketing by requiring transparency in the entire value chain, measurement of marketing's carbon footprint, and verification of green claims. This necessitates data collection, analysis, and alignment with broader company sustainability goals.
K
L
What is Ciloo?
Ciloo is a platform that provides global companies with a personalized, global one-stop shop for everything from promo and print, to gift cards, flowers and office supplies, all while ensuring increased brand control and cost optimization. The platform leverages local and on-demand production capabilities by working with trusted suppliers, reducing shipping costs, waste and carbon emissions. Ciloo also offers automatic cost allocation and integrates seamlessly with core systems, streamlining workflows and providing a user-friendly experience.
K
L
What is on demand production?
On-demand production refers to a manufacturing or production approach in which items are produced as needed, in response to specific orders or demand, rather than being produced in bulk or in advance. It is a flexible and efficient method that allows for the creation of products or materials only when they are requested or required by customers.
In the context of promo and print, on-demand production means that promotional materials, such as printed items like brochures and flyers, and merchandise, like t-shirts or tumblers, are manufactured in smaller quantities. Additionally, with localized on demand production, each item is produced at a location closest to the end user. Instead of printing and storing large quantities of items in advance, localized on-demand production enables companies to produce items as they are needed, minimizing waste, inventory costs and shipping distances. Read more about the benefits of the Ciloo platform and on demand production.