Q&A with Thomas Kolster on his second book, in which he urges companies not to fall into an overcrowded ‘purpose’ space and empower customers to find their transformational purpose Thomas Kolster is also known as Mr ‘Goodvertising’ thanks to his first book of the name...

“Doing good” is for most brands (and agencies) like pissing in a wet suit. It feels nice and warm, but quickly begins to stink. Femvertising, gayvertising, goodvertising, causevertising or whatever you call it seems to be on everybody’s lips these days and the juries...

Companies seeking to build advertising and marketing strategy around purpose need to ask themselves, “Are we here to create a better future for the few or for the many?”

Simon Robinson, Co-author of “Holonomics: Business Where People and Planet Matter” and “Customer Experiences with Soul: A New Era in Design” has followed Thomas Kolster’s journey since 2014 and watched him taking his message of Goodvertising around the world. At Sustainable Brands 2016 in Bangkok they met again.

What started as a book has become a movement – and brands are finally starting to realize that success is not just about selling stuff but about creating a meaningful difference in peoples lives.

The Epica Award is the Golden Globe of advertising judged by the global advertising press. Thomas Kolster delivered a keynote about Goodvertising and the importance of the ad industry to embrace sustainability as a business opportunity and creative wrecking ball....

For the first time ever, Goodvertising went to Georgia and here, the media were on point.

How can advertising make the world a better place? How can brands come across as genuine and compassionate? And what can you do to inspire your own workplace to do business in a better way? Lovin Malta spoke to Thomas Kolster in the run up to this weekends workshop in Malta.

Interview in the Romanian business weekly Business Review about the development of marketing & sustainability in Romania.

Opinion originally featured in The Drum. The majority of do-good efforts from brands are ridiculous and nothing but a cheeky pick-up line to charm consumers into buying more.

I joined the Danish Tv Morning Show Go' Morgen Danmark on the biggest commercial tv channel TV2 in Denmark for a discussion about the future of advertising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz9IcI_wwAE  

Article from originally brought in the Huffington Post: As an industry we’re ignorant at best or utterly demagogic, one-sided and irresponsible at worst. The majority of do-good efforts from brands are ridiculous and nothing but a cheeky pick-up line to charm consumers into buying more

Cindy Gallop, Visa’s Nick Jones and Mr Goodvertising author Thomas Kolster to judge first Marketing Can Change the World Awards

Article featured in CampaignAsia following Thomas Kolster’s appearance at Media360 Summit in Hong Kong

Sustainable Brands Barcelona 2016 hears from the biggest names in the space. Here’s small sum-up of Thomas Kolter’s appearance.

Through Goodvertising, Thomas is challenging the way we do business and advertising. A speaker at the inaugural Sustainable Brands Cape Town conference, recently held in the Mother City, Kolster’s session focused on the changing landscape of advertising.

INTERVIEW: Sustainability and problem-solving are key to the success of a company, says Thomas Kolster, author of the book Goodvertising.

An interview done by Dallas Antwerp after my talk at UBA Trends Day in Brussels, 2016.

Interview in Belgian National Radio, La Premiere.

Interview following the SB Copenhagen event about key focus areas for the year ahead, explore the changing role of ‘advertising for good,’ and discuss the sustainability landscape in Scandinavia.

In the Danish Marketing Associations first publication of the book The M List Thomas was named among the 200 most inspiring marketing and advertising professionals in Denmark. See more here: (Only in Danish). 

How to be more creative (and effective) in your sustainability communication. Introducing #Humour, #MachoEco and #Tech

The interview originally appeared in iMedia   Why is now the time for advertisers to show ethical leadership? 
 I’m sick and tired of hearing talk about responsibility, morals or ethics. Come on, it should be common sense. Advertising is a powerful shaper of...

You can order now from Amazon. Get the French edition click here. 

Interview following the presentation at ExpoNegocios 2015 in Asunción, Paraguay.

Interview for the blog iSustainability

Once and a while you see a magazine go further to portray a Goodvertising story. I can't help but love what this Turkish marketing magazine has done with their cover. Maybe we should have gone more street cred with the original cover? Or maybe this is one for a...

In this article Thomas gives a rallying call to creatives, challenging us to let go of our pride, and recycle ideas.

Originally featured in Sustainable Brands     This year, the hearts ran wild in Cannes. And I’m not hinting at the mysterious couple having an amicable rendezvous in the early hours of the morning on the red carpet in front of the Palais, but at the fact...

Interview about Goodvertising, CSR and the Slovakian market. Sorry not in English.

Sorry folks this interview is in Danish, but talks about my expectations to Cannes and my new role as member of the board at Creative Circle (Advertising organisation with the aim of improving the creativity in Danish advertising, they also run the national advertising award show: Creative Circle)

I was recently asked by Sustainable Brands Media to share some quick points about the insurmountable wall between departments together with some other clever peeps. This is what happened.

This interview was originally brought here   Thomas Kolster is a leading international expert in sustainable communication. He’s the author of the book Goodvertising (Thames & Hudson); the most comprehensive book to date exploring communication as a force for...

Global Marketer Week 2015 brought together global marketing leaders from 30 countries, including the world’s biggest brands – to discuss among other things a way towards better marketing.

Author and ex-ad professional Thomas Kolster on the responsibility of advertising and why its role must change

Have you already failed your New Year’s resolution to live a healthier and happier life? We are own biggest enemy and the sooner we realize this, the sooner we can begin making real change.

I’m really happy to be named “Top Sustainability Thinker & Commentator” on Twitter by Sustainly.

CSR.pl had the pleasure to talk to Mr. Thomas Koesler about his new book, his ideas, and new solutions in how your brand can grow by becoming a part of the quest for sustainability.

An interactive and playful keynote and workshop session (Read: Playshop) that helps your business or (personal) brand develop meaningful conversations and engaged evangelists.

I’m happy that Sustainable Brands have selected my book “Goodvertising” to be on the “Top 30 Sustainability Book”-list together with esteemed authors such as Paul Hawken, Al Gore, Umair Haque and John Elkington.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pejRTuoPZ6M

We’re at a time in history where there is a lot for brands to do besides a cheap sell or a hollow ‘pretending-to-be-different’ branding fix

These days, nobody looks twice when you see someone balancing a takeaway coffee cup in one hand and driving with the other as they weave through traffic. Indeed, even people who take it one step further – rushing past you in the street with a coffee and a croissant...

My latest article from The Guardian: Advertising as usual won’t work in a changing world. Chipolte and G-Star Raw show how campaigns can respond to society’s biggest challenges.

When brands start greener-than-thou battles both business and the environment are the winners, says Thomas Kolster

Creativity is needed more than ever to bring sustainability to our world. For brands, creating sustainable success begins with a simple premise—ask huge questions.

…”leading by example and laying the foundation for our collective greatness”.

There’s a transformational shift happening and it’s picking up pace in the New Year. Business and its far-reaching (some might say overreaching) arm, advertising, are becoming more responsible, more caring and more sustainable.

If we want a better world, we need to tell a better story. Of all advertising out there, 99% says consume the world: buy this car and you’ll be sexier, or buy this toy and your kid will have more friends at school. Is it really a surprise, then, that when we talk about changing people’s behaviour and mindset in a sustainable direction, it seems like a herculean task? If you’re told something enough times you believe it – as advertising professionals, we know this.

Goodvertising is a heavy book. It’s a thorough look at advertising initiatives and campaigns of the last few years that have an ethical dimension. Given how many books are published on advertising and design (not to mention awards annuals and magazines) it’s surprising that something like Goodvertising hasn’t been published before

In all the debate about a new responsible revolution – in the articles, on the blogs and on the bookshelf, what has been sorely lacking is the call for creative communication. I missed the confidence, the firm belief that we as the communications industry can make a real world-changing difference. I can’t help pushing for this again and again. We can solve these worldwide problems in a responsible, sustainable and engaging way. Not only do we know the market and the consumers, we have an abundance of skills that we have used to beg, cajole and convince consumers to buy things they may not particularly need.

  When our children are looking back on the way we did business, it will be as strange a notion as slavery is to us today. How could we be so oblivious to the harm we continue to inflict on people and the planet? Couldn’t we see the icebergs melting or the...

Last Month’s climate talks, COP17, seem light years away. The focus has already tipped from climate headlines to ones dominated by economic recession. The summit’s outcome is best reflected by reframing the the official slogan from “Saving tomorrow today” to “Saving...

Despite a dire economic outlook for the world economy, I'm looking forward to 2012; it's going to be an exciting and positive year. Countries and companies alike might panic and turn their backs on sustainability, asking with a tremble in their voices: Is the...

Dear South African businessmen and women, why so quiet when it comes to COP17 or as the official title reads: the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)? Where's your advertisement, your support, your...

The silence on COP17 and its unintended lesson for South Africans South Africans have an extraordinary social conscience, says Thomas Kolster, the Danish communications consultant and author of the soon-to-be released book The Bible of Goodvertising (from Thames &...

1 Min. With A Superhero: Thomas Kolster on ‘Goodvertising’ Today we’re talking to Thomas Kolster, who recently popped into South Africa from Copenhagen, Denmark. Thomas is a Danish advertising consultant and author of the upcoming book ‘The Bible of Goodvertising’. He...

Thomas Kolster On Why Goodvertising Matters plus insights behind the book. Read it here in a new window    

On Maggs on Media, eNews Thomas Kolster tells us why Goodvertising is a growing trend in brand communications - with some very compelling examples! https://vimeo.com/44738749