The State of Our Campaign and Shared Future

I spent a good part of the summer sharing the collective accomplishments of the industry’s national marketing campaign since the P+PB’s Board of Directors made the decision in 2021 to communicate our industry’s sustainability ethos.   

If you are a numbers person, then what really stands out to me in the last 12 months (July 2022-June 2023) about our campaign is: 

• Reaching 80% of our 50 million custom target audience, age 18-49 
• 734 million video views of our campaign materials 
• 23 million social media engagements 
• 3 million website visitors 

• More than 3 billion impressions                                                                                                            

But our sustainability campaign is more than numbers. It is our industry’s leadership in creating innovative products that meet customers’ and consumers’ demand for renewable and recyclable paper and paper-based packaging that differentiates us from other materials. As a result, the North American paper and pulp industry is expected to grow from $64 billion in 2021 to $65 billion by 2029.

We are now at an inflection point – we have built the heart and soul of a sustainability-focused campaign that resonates with those who see it. And increasingly the industry is seen as modern and innovative and part of environmental solutions.  The question on the table that is up for a vote in October is whether paper and packaging companies are going to continue to invest in telling its contemporary story and build on the solid foundation the campaign has created to face what lies ahead.

Together as an industry, we accomplish what one company can’t do alone with our collective marketing efforts. Through economic ups and downs, the consumer campaign provides a steady drumbeat of information and education about our sustainability practices, recycling advancements and product innovations that advance the reputation of our industry and preference for paper. Regardless of your business model and audience, sustainability is our shared future and the tie that binds. Let’s continue to build on the gains we have made and the momentum we have built communicating why paper and packaging companies are champions of sustainability.

2023 Campaign Continuance Referendum - Voting Begins Oct. 6

The campaign is working to increase recycling/fiber recovery through education, showcasing innovation through plastic substitution and demonstrating the industry's forest stewardship. 

Have questions about the 2023 Continuance Referendum? Read here.