Bangkok, Thailand, November 2022 – Lexicon Business Communications, a leading social media agency in Bangkok, Thailand, has officially launched its Sustainability Marketing department, headed by Director Johan Vandebeek.

Vandebeek – who has over 10 years of experience in the global petrochemical industry with a specialization in recycling projects and is currently enrolled at Harvard University to pursue a  Master’s of Liberal Arts degree in Sustainability – joined Lexicon in July 2022 to lead the company’s Creative Projects team. Prior to formally joining Lexicon, Vandebeek had also been a consultant on several of the company’s sustainability-related projects.

Vandebeek has been working closely with Lexicon’s Founder & CEO David Norcross, planning the structure and service offerings for the new department. Seeing as sustainability is poised to be one of the hottest marketing trends of 2023, the two agreed that the time was right for the launch.

In addition to hosting its own podcast, (filmed at our in-house podcast studio in Bangkok, no less!)where Vandebeek will be speaking with leading experts, scientists, and business people on the subject of sustainability, the video production agency in Bangkok will be creating podcasts, animations, short documentaries, studio videos, and much more for clients of the new department. Lexicon will also be involved in live events, bringing together stakeholders from governments, non-profits, and private businesses alike in order for them to work together to address the world’s many challenges.

“We work with clients from all sectors – governments, NGOs, petrochemical companies, retail, professional services – and the key concept that kept coming back again and again was sustainability,” said Norcross. “Sustainability is such a broad concept, and it’s not just about environmental waste. It’s about sustainable organizations. It’s about gender equality. There are so many facets of sustainability that it’s really something meaningful for us as an organization to focus on. It aligns with our core values of professionalism, teamwork and creative storytelling. And it’s meaningful work that we can do to use the power of storytelling to make the world a better place. The demand was there. The capabilities were there. And now that we have a clear focus on this niche, we’re able to provide something that no other organization is providing at the moment.”

Norcross and Vandebeek also stressed that prioritizing sustainability is not only the right thing to do for the environment and society, it can also help companies improve their bottom line.

The relevant research backs this up. A 2021 McKinsey report found that businesses can see a 60% reduction in operating costs through investments in ESGs. According to a recent KPMG survey, 80% of companies worldwide now report to investors on their sustainability practices. Just like investors, consumers are also increasingly demanding that companies be more sustainable, with the younger generation leading the charge. Nearly 75% of Gen Z consumers recently surveyed by First Insight stated they are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

“Sustainability of course concerns people and the planet, but it is also connected to profit,” said Vandebeek. “Something can only be sustainable if it’s financially viable as well. But the relevant stakeholders will only buy in if they’re aware of the sustainability efforts companies are undertaking. So we’re very excited to help companies and organizations get the word out, using creative storytelling as a catalyst for change.”

About the Author

Justin St-Denis is Director of Digital Storytelling at Lexicon with over 15 years of experience as a writer, strategist and B2B marketing specialist. He is a regular speaker on the topic of social media and storytelling for businesses, as well as a popular guest lecturer at various universities in Thailand.

Lexicon is an award-winning brand storytelling agency focusing on telling impactful stories for clients based in Thailand and South East Asia. As well as integrated tech solutions, they also help tell clients’ stories through social media, branding and video production.