KIMBERLY-CLARK

Through our market transformation work with Kimberly-Clark and other partners, we have been able to increase the uptake of forest certification across forestry companies operating in Australia.

Raising consumer awareness

Kimberly-Clark, WWF and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) launched the ‘Love Your Forests’ campaign in 2011, encouraging consumers in Australia to look for and choose FSC-certified products. The Love Your Forests on-product label linked the trusted and well-recognised WWF panda logo with the rigour of the FSC mark. A year before the campaign launch, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that Australians used almost four million tonnes of paper every year. Despite the large demand for paper products, and strong corporate commitments from forestry and paper companies to source more responsibly, consumer awareness of sustainable forestry and forest products was under 10%, lagging behind other major markets such as Europe and North America. During the course of the campaign, Kimberly-Clark’s leading brands, Kleenex Cottonelle, Kleenex facial tissues and VIVA paper towels all featured the Love Your Forests label. These brands supported the campaign with significant investment in consumer marketing and social media, including online, TV, in-store and outdoor advertising.

Love Your Forests

To help Australians learn about responsible forest management, and to demonstrate the business case, WWF needed strong partners. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – an independent certification body dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests – was a natural partner. We also needed the right corporate partner, one with prominent brands, a firm commitment to FSC certification and a willingness to lead. That partner was Kimberly-Clark Australia & New Zealand. Awareness of the FSC trademark among Australian consumers has more than doubled since 2011. The campaign has also helped to differentiate FSC products in a crowded marketplace and to communicate the company’s environmental credentials. With more and more consumers and businesses recognising the importance of responsible forest management and choosing products that carry the FSC logo, we can slow down and reverse the threats facing our forests and secure the future of the wildlife and communities that depend on them.

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