Is Category Design the Secret to a True Triple Bottom line Business?

By Jonny Prest, Creative Strategist, Seed.

What do net positive homes, hydrogen cars, direct carbon capture, green pensions, ocean plastic trainers and plant-based tuna all have in common? Guessed it? They are all regenerative categories.

Some of the categories mentioned above now operate in billion dollar industries and are building businesses that are visibly contributing to a more meaningful cause. Regenerative categories can deliver powerful strategies that will eventually touch and transform the landscape of every global industry.

So, can category creation really save us from a climate disaster? OK, I’ll break it down a bit…

Let’s start with the basics. What is regenerative? I find it best to say repair or repairing. We have a damaged planet that’s being broken by modern day existence. It desperately needs repairing.

So what is a category? Your category is the space in which the business and brand operates. It’s the problem that it solves or the value that it offers. The difference between regenerative category design to normal category design is that there’s an equal focus on planetary impact as well as consumer problem or perceived value.

Most categories are chaotic, competitive and inconsistent. Yours is probably very similar. But if you carve off a new space, niche down and design a new category that is simple to understand, in-demand and consistent, you can play in your own playground. A more profitable space that supports people and the planet. This is described as regenerative category design.

Category design can be a game-changer for businesses looking to innovate new products, differentiate themselves from competitors and contribute meaningfully to the planet with minimum impact. The core unified value that binds leadership teams is a mindset and unwavering commitment that business is about promoting life.

Regenerative categories should:

• Advance the health of ecological systems with practices that protect and promote nature and the natural world
• Continually decrease planetary impact, restore natural spaces and sequester more greenhouse gases than it omits
• Guard the health of (and provide equitable living for) its workers, supply chains and the communities that are impacted the most by its direct or indirect operations

Designing a new category is a process of reinvention. Through a decade of observing strategies from planet conscious and successful leaders, I’ve put together some key steps to designing a new regenerative category…

Shape

Spend tonnes of time with the community you want to help. Meet them where they are. Literally! Go and meet them where they live, work, socialise, understand their worries and stresses. What part of your industry, sector or vertical creates the most amount of headache? How could your new category play a role in their life? What problem would it solve?

Design

Is there a space to niche down into those problems? Do you have a solution that is the more sustainable option whilst creating demand and value in your customers’ lives? Much like in traditional category design, here, you’re designing the space surrounding your company. It’s not just about what you sell, your category is the very solution and value you want customers to associate with your identity.

Audit

Auditing the new category’s impact ensures that your newly shaped category aligns with planetary and social boundaries. There are many frameworks and processes to guide our audit but the one we use is the Doughnut Economic Model. This is a ring-shaped framework that helps us understand how to stay within said boundaries.

Align

This critical stage ensures that the category we’ve shaped aligns with our collective purpose.

How can we make sure our new category stays true to our brand DNA? Pause and reflect. What are the foundational values that we believe in? What societal and environmental goals do we aim to achieve? By reaffirming our purpose, we set the stage for a category that is not just in alignment, but amplifies our broader vision.

As we align, it’s crucial to ensure ethical coherence. Does every component of our category adhere to ethical standards? From sourcing materials to production practices, ethical alignment reinforces our commitment to sustainability – every link in the chain matters.

To sum it up: yes, category creation can really save us from a climate disaster, but it’s not just about the products or services. It’s about the impact you bring to the world. In embracing regenerative practices, you’re not just designing a category; you’re designing the entire ethos of your company.