The fairtrade movement has been evolving for the last 40 years, seeing significant growth in countries such as the UK where sales reached £1.5bn in 2012. However, while demand for fairtrade products does go beyond UK consumers, many countries are yet to see a market for these goods and fairtrade as market mechanism has come under much debate.

The above podcast explores fairtrade as a business model, the challenges it faces and where it is headed next. Does fairtrade certification have a role in future markets? If so, what is it and how must the movement adapt? Listen to the arguments for and against fairtrade mechanisms and let us know what place you think it has in the business landscape of the future.

Join the Debate

The future of fairtrade: where to next for certification?

Join The Debate

Guardian Sustainable Business: Big Data

Although the advertising industry is subject to regulation, child-targeted advertising remains a concern, especially as kids spend more time online. Experts debate in our latest podcast

According to Fast Food Facts 2013, children under six saw almost three adverts for fast foods every day, while 12-17-year-olds saw almost five adverts a day. Amidst the obesity debate, concerns over how children consume media have crossed into new territory as it becomes increasingly difficult to regulate online advertising.

A joint campaign between the British Heart Foundation and the Children's Food Campaign is calling for a ban against broadcasting fast food adverts before 9pm, but are children turning off the TV only to surf the internet? According to a study by Child Wise nearly half of those aged five to 16 have internet access in their rooms. Although it's taken prevalence in recent media, fast food isn't a stand alone issue, with matters around sexual stereotyping, violence and body image causing concern too.

In this podcast our panel discussed the state of regulation in the UK, what brands and marketeers need to adhere to, and how the prevalence of online entertainment is changing the regulatory state of play. Is it down to parents and educators to arm children with media literacy or should advertisers be playing a more active role?

On the panel

Ian Barber, director of communications at the Advertising Association.

Paul Robinson, chief executive of PR Media Consulting and co-founder of KidsCoTV.

Bo Viktor Nylund, senior advisor for corporate social responsibility at UNICEF.

Chris Arnold, creative director and co-founder of brand and marketing agency Creative Orchestra, author of Ethical Marketing and the New Consumer.

Marketing and advertising to children: a necessary evil?

Big brands have traditionally been seen as the bad guys, not to be trusted and placing profits over people and the planet. However, the tables are turning and now the very companies that have been attacked by social movements in the past, are working to create them.

So what role can brands play in creating and sustaining consumer movements for change and what makes a successful campaign? The above podcast, presented by Jo Confino, explores this topic.

The initial driver for action can come from the consumer, says Robin Wight, founder of the Ideas Foundation and chairman at marketing communications agency Engine. The rise of social media has born brand communities, allowing brands to get much closer to their consumers and more in tune with their concerns. But while consumers may show initial interest in sustainability, will they follow through with action?

"If you give consumers the choice, they will choose the product that will do good in this world," says Chrysi Philalithes, chief digital officer at (RED), a campaign organisation that collaborates with global brands to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight Aids.

"This is something you see increasingly, especially coming from the Millennial generation, especially coming from the rise in social networks, people talking about it, telling their friends.

"The data shows how people will actually reward the companies that are doing good and are authentic in their purpose and actually punish the companies that aren't."

However, the innate basis of a social movement is often political and this can be tricky territory for a brand. So while the role of a company in changing behaviour is fairly clear cut, should they really venture into the politics?

Alnoor Ladha, partner and head of strategy at Purpose, a consultancy for creating social movements, argues that the role of brands within social-political movements is limited and often not seen as authentic. Instead, he explains, brands should focus on "internal transformation first".

"If you're going to be a credible player in the social-political realm, the first thing you need do is focus on the internal stuff, governance. Are you a purely for profit organisation? I think we'll look back in 20, 30 years and look at pure profit organisations as the prior capitalists and be surprised they existed in their traditional form."

The above podcast explores all of these issues as well as the importance of continuity in a campaign; the core components of a successful campaign; how to make sustainable behaviour a "high status behaviour"; and how to avoid bombarding consumers with messages.

On the panel, we have:

• Robin Wight, founder of the Ideas Foundation and chairman at Engine

• Alnoor Ladha, partner and head of strategy, Purpose

• Chrysi Philalithes, chief digital officer, (RED)

We would like to hear your views on how brands can help people change their behaviour. Where do the challenges lie and what is key to success? What can we learn from past failures and how can a campaign be created to last in the long term?

What is the role of brands in creating consumer movements?

Ideas and insights for progressive business leaders, brought to you by theguardian.com

Sustainable Business

Popular tracks