Turning ESG Data Into Intelligence – A Chat With Paul Shahriari, Chief Innovation Officer and Founder of Ecomedes

Paul Shahriari, Chief Innovation Officer and Founder of Ecomedes, sat down with Godfrey Vice President of Creative Scott Trobaugh and Senior Strategist Donna Harris to talk about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). 

ESG has gone beyond simply being a buzzword — now B2B brands increasingly view it as a core value, intended to serve as an integrated part of their offering to customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. In this episode, Paul brings his two decades of experience to the conversation about the trends, challenges and opportunities brands now have to make a positive impact on their business and the world around them. 

Paul shares:

• Emerging trends in sustainability
• How the built environment is undergoing a sustainability renaissance
• The importance of offering value in sustainable solutions
• The value of implementing ESG with a multidisciplinary mindset
• Why data-driven ESG decision-making matters
• Ways ESG metrics could evolve 

About the Speakers:

PAUL SHAHRIARI  

Chief Innovation Officer and Founder 

Ecomedes

Paul Shahriari is the Chief Innovation Officer and Founder of Ecomedes, a cloud-based technology platform designed to simplify sustainability and ESG-driven decision-making. The Ecomedes platform helps users deliver increased ROI, reduce environmental impacts and be healthier through the selection of better products to their organizations and the buildings they design, build and operate. 

Paul is an authority on sustainability, high-performance green building and the application of technology to the design and construction process. He has been a visionary in the field of sustainability through his consulting practice, GreenMind Inc., and has served over 150 clients since 2000. A sought-after speaker and a master speaker at USGBC Greenbuild Conference, he has delivered over 500 presentations nationally and internationally during his career, on topics including green technology, green jobs, eco-entrepreneurialism, green rating systems, green marketing and cost/benefit analysis. 

In addition to Ecomedes, he founded two other technology companies: ecologic3, the first project software that produces cost/benefit analysis for green building projects, and ecoScorecard, the first web-based environmental documentation software for manufacturers working in commercial and residential construction.

DONNA HARRIS

Senior Strategist 

As a senior strategist at Godfrey, Donna is fascinated with industry trends and market research. She supports account teams with insight and strategic planning and thrives on conquering challenges that keep clients up at night.

SCOTT TROBAUGH

Vice President of Creative

As Vice President of Creative at Godfrey, Scott leads teams in creative problem-solving, with the goal of tethering outlandish ideas to workable business realities.

Heath Frye, director of marketing at Pixelle Specialty Solutions, sat down with Godfrey Vice President of Creative Scott Trobaugh and Strategist Alison Fetterman to talk about his B2B marketing experiences and share his advice for B2B marketers. 

When it comes to building strong brands and launching new products, Heath certainly has expertise to share. Over the past few years, Pixelle, one of the largest and fastest-growing manufacturers of specialty papers in North America, spun off from Glatfelter, a global manufacturer that has continuously operated for over 150 years. Their campaign, which we shared in a recent case study, “Making First Impressions Soar,” was integral in their efforts to unveil the new company and its products to customers and stakeholders. 

Heath shares:

• How he has found success as the company has evolved
• How Pixelle Specialty Solutions is making the world a better place 
• What it’s like to be a B2B marketer — and his advice for others in the industry
• His experiences with a recent Pixelle product launch
• What B2B marketing tactics are exciting him most right now
• His impressions of that very popular TV show that depicts a paper company in Pennsylvania 

 To read the Pixelle Specialty Solutions “Making First Impressions Soar” case study, check out the work section of Godfrey's website.

Everybody can be an innovator! Keynote Speaker and Best-Selling Author Carla Johnson shares her insights into empowering innovative thinking across an organization instead of siloing it to creative or research and development teams. 

In this episode, Carla talks about how to turn “what if…” and “let’s pretend…” into a systematic approach that helps organizations build an innovation ecosystem. From reminding us to connect the dots like we did as kids to building a framework that consistently supports innovation, Carla chats with VP, Creative Scott Trobaugh about a range of innovation topics, including:

• Overcoming the fear of trying something new
• How different types of people innovate in different ways
• How everybody is capable of generating ideas that address a specific objective that matters to the business, team or situation
• The way innovation skyrockets when every employee understands the impact they make in customers lives 
• The difference between efficiency and innovation 
• How 2020 was a swim coach (yes, you read that right!)

Carla’s latest book, RE:Think Innovation, debuts on June 29, 2021. The book outlines the five-step framework that helps you connect the dots and find opportunities to facilitate growth.

Quotes from the episode:

“Our own identity as innovators, or not innovators, really has such an incredible impact on our bravery in stepping forward, or raising our hand with a new idea.” 

“And the other thing that you hear from these people is, I'm not smart enough to be an innovator because there's this perception. You have to be a PhD, and in these complex B2B industries, a PhD engineer, a PhD data analyst, or you have to be a design thinker, you have to be, you know, fill in the blank with something that makes you an official innovator. And they're like, I'm not smart enough to innovate. And the truth is, innovation at its root is just about connecting the dots.”

“There's all sorts of research that shows when an entire company and employee base understands the reason that the company is in business, the difference that they're making in the lives of their customers, innovation skyrockets.”

“And I think that's what's so exciting about what we're seeing now and in going forward is that everybody knows whatever happens next is going to be different. So, there's no better time than right now to really take advantage of change, of doing something different, of innovating, of rethinking the work that you're doing. Because we all know that, that page, that book, that, you know, huge volume of expectations of business and how we interact doesn't apply anymore. And we have this blank slate now.”

“I love opening a new notebook and getting my pen out and drawing those first lines and, and imagining what things are going to look like in, in what could be, the what ifs and the let's pretend. And I think we're at that tipping point right now in business with being able to do the exact same thing, but the thing that's to our benefit right now is that everybody expects it to look different. So that's our greatest opportunity, to design it in a way that is the most beneficial, the most helpful, the most valuable to everyone involved.”

About the Speakers:

CARLA JOHNSON, Keynote Speaker & Best-Selling Author: Carla is a world-renowned storyteller, an entertaining speaker, and a prolific author. Having lived, worked, and studied on five continents, she's partnered with top brands and conferences to train thousands of people how to rethink the work that they do and the impact they can have. Her visionary expertise has inspired and equipped leaders at all levels to embrace change, welcome new ideas and transform their business.

Her work with Fortune 500 brands served as the foundation for many of her books. Her tenth, RE:Think Innovation (available June 29) busts the myth that innovation is something that requires a specific degree or special training. In fact, Carla explains why, to be a successful company in today's hyper-competitive, customer-driven world, innovation must be everyone's business. Her goal is to teach one million people how to become innovators by 2025.

Consistently named one of the top influencers in B2B, digital and content marketing, Carla regularly challenges conventional thinking. Today, she travels the world teaching anyone (and everyone) how to cultivate idea-driven teams that breed unstoppable creativity and game-changing innovation.

SCOTT TROBAUGH: As VP, Creative at Godfrey, Scott leads teams in creative problem solving with the goal of tethering outlandish ideas to workable business realities.

Godfrey’s Social Media Manager Emily Spillar talks about the latest B2B social media trends and what B2B marketers can expect in the future. Listen in to hear her perspective on the importance of remembering “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Join us as Emily chats with VP, Creative Scott Trobaugh about:

• the growth of social media and the increased focus on “in the moment” and real-time social media applications
• the relevance of the newest platforms, such as Clubhouse and TikTok, to B2B audiences
• the importance of understanding the audience demographics of the platforms you use
• how to set up social media reporting structures
• examples of ways B2B companies are integrating social media into their arsenal
• what marketers should consider when deciding what platforms to leverage
• the importance of having a social response plan in place 

Quote from the episode:

“It’s important to remember it’s a marathon and not a sprint. So, you’re not going to have 10,000 followers overnight. You’re not going to have a million views on a video in a week. It’s really putting in the work to develop that content calendar. To plan ahead. And be consistent. Be consistent in your responses. Be consistent in your messaging. Be consistent in your posting.”

Additional Resource:

Read more in Emily’s blog, “Using Social Media for Complex Industries: 4 Foundational Tips”

About the Speakers:

EMILY SPILLAR

Social Media Manager

A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, Emily discovered her passion for social media while working in public relations. Now, as social media manager at Godfrey, Emily works to execute our clients’ social media programs and develops and implements strategies on their behalf.

SCOTT TROBAUGH

VP, Creative

As VP, Creative at Godfrey, Scott leads teams in creative problem solving with the goal of tethering outlandish ideas to workable business realities.

Making connections. Building relationships. Sharing helpful expertise. Public relations professionals work hard to become trusted resources. Godfrey’s Senior Public Relations Manager Melissa Einfrank shares her insights on the latest hot topics in public relations — from influencer relations to employee advocacy to reputation management and more. 

Join us as Melissa chats with VP, Creative Scott Trobaugh about:

• What exactly is public relations?
• How would you describe influencer relations? Who is an influencer and/or a micro-influencer? How do you find them?
• What are you hearing from trade editors — how do they like to receive information?
• What are steps B2B marketers can take to build out employee advocacy as part of their PR portfolio?
• How does social media tie in with public relations?
• What do you recommend to companies for reputation management? 
• How have companies been compensating for not being able to be in-person because of the pandemic? 
• How have PR tactics shifted as events turned virtual?

Additional resources:

• To read more about influencer relations, check out “Influencers: Don’t Try Marketing to Complex Industries Without Them” from Godfrey PR Director Steve Graham.
• To learn more about the trade editor survey: “Unprecedented Times Take Toll on Trade Journalists.”

About Melissa & Scott:

• Melissa Einfrank, Senior Public Relations Manager: As a senior public relations manager at Godfrey, with around 15 years of combined B2B and B2C public relations experience, Melissa has walked both red carpets and factory floors and worn both sunglasses and safety glasses in pursuit of excellence for her clients. 
• Scott Trobaugh, VP, Creative: Scott leads teams in creative problem solving with the goal of tethering outlandish ideas to workable business realities.

Building and engaging a brand community matters — now more than ever. In advance of MarketingProfs’ April B2B Forum, MarketingProfs Director of Community Matt Snodgrass shares his insights on building a community and hosting engaging virtual events. Join us for this fun conversation as Matt chats with VP, Creative Scott Trobaugh and Executive Creative Director Cliff Lewis — and turns the tables on our hosts and asks a few questions of his own.

Godfrey Marketing Technologist Tyler Lowry joins Executive Creative Director Scott Trobaugh to discuss how data privacy laws are causing B2B marketers to re-evaluate their data strategies to focus on zero-party and first-party data. Zero- and first-party data can be more powerful, and it provides the opportunity to consider more strategic ways to provide great, personalized digital experiences for end users.

Chief product officer and president of commARCH, Dean Horowitz joins Creative VP Scott Trobaugh to chat about the power of architecture and its leadership in human-centric design. He also reveals phase one of what he calls “the biggest idea to ever hit B2B media” from commARCH, taking place with the City of Chicago and the University of Illinois.

The pandemic has created a new normal that’s also given rise to new marketing. 

In this episode, Godfrey President Stacy Whisel joins Scott to share insights and tips on how to pivot your B2B marketing planning for these uncertain times. 

Creating humorous B2B content means taking a risk — but when done correctly, it can pay off with more impressions, increased engagement and even brand fandom. Join us as we talk about ways you can bring the funny to your marketing.