The Transition from Marketing-Led to Supply Chain-Led Sustainability

This blog is part of a series published by Elizabeth Pulos, head of compliance, sustainability, and traceability innovation, and leader of Inspectorio’s Center of Excellence.

Ever since Patagonia pioneered the first recycled polyester fleece jacket made from plastic bottles in 1993, the fashion industry has used inspirational messaging to sell “sustainable” products to consumers.

Momentum built leading up COVID and didn’t stop there—until an onslaught of greenwashing regulation and consumer lawsuits popularized the term “greenhushing” in 2023. Now, brands are shifting their focus and resources from product storytelling to supply chain traceability and regulatory compliance and reporting, leaving sustainability teams struggling to keep up with administrative requirements.

This shift from marketing-led to data- and supply chain-led sustainability is redefining how companies approach responsible sourcing. The brands that succeed are those that gain a firm grasp on who and what is in their upstream supply chains, moving beyond PR to measurable, data-driven impact.

Why Marketing-Led Sustainability Failed

For years, sustainability teams primarily sat in silos under communications, legal, or operations departments. Their role was limited to catching problems after the fact, not driving impact through the product creation and distribution process.

But as sustainability became a compliance risk, this approach started breaking down for several reasons:

• Regulatory crackdowns on greenwashing – laws like the EU Green Claims Directive, Canada’s Competition Act, and U.S. FTC guidelines now require companies to prove their sustainability claims to a degree never seen before.
• Investor and consumer skepticism – vague sustainability commitments without real action are eroding trust and prompting class action lawsuits around product claims
• Lack of leadership support for sustainability teams – an absence of expertise in C-suites and boards make it difficult to drive meaningful, long term supply chain improvements
• The disconnect between goals and execution – companies set ambitious sustainability targets but lack the resources and supply chain engagement architecture to achieve them

In response, we’re seeing sustainability leaders who pioneered the product marketing first approach leave their roles in favor of supply chain professionals who understand the real risks and opportunities around compliane issues.

The message is clear: sustainability leadership must be laser-focused on supply chain strategy as opposed to aspirational product claims and indefensible green promises.

Stay Ahead of Supply Chain Compliance Changes

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Sustainability Must Be an Operational Function

To build a sustainability strategy that goes beyond marketing hype, companies must integrate sustainability into their supply chain operations. This requires:

• Deep supply chain visibility – brands must track materials, emissions, and labor practices at every tier of the supply chain.
• Supplier engagement and partnership – real sustainability impact happens at the facility level, not corporate HQ.
• Cross-department collaboration – sustainability teams must partner with product, sourcing, procurement, technology, logistics and marketing to align goals to corporate strategy.
• Technology-driven data collection – AI-powered platforms help track supply chain metrics, reducing reliance on manual reporting and self-declared data.

The Future of Sustainability Leadership

With sustainability now a compliance priority, companies need to rethink who leads their responsible sourcing strategy. Instead of relying on marketing-driven leadership, successful brands are appointing sustainability executives with deep supply chain expertise.

This new breed of sustainability leader understands:

• How factories operate and the constraints they face.
• How to work with suppliers to drive measurable improvements.
• How to use technology to collect real-time performance data and mitigate risks.

This is the next evolution of corporate sustainability: data-driven, operational, and supply chain-focused. The future belongs to companies that integrate sustainability into their supply chain operations—backing up their commitments with real action and data-driven results.

Ready to transition from sustainability storytelling to supply chain execution?

Discover how Inspectorio can help.

Next in the Series: Turning Compliance into Impact – Actionable Steps for Companies

In the final blog of this series, I’ll explore how companies can move beyond compliance checklists and turn ESG into a true competitive advantage.

About Elizabeth Pulos

Elizabeth is the head of compliance, sustainability, and traceability innovation at Inspectorio. As the leader of Inspectorio’s Center of Excellence, she fosters innovation and drives best practices in supply chain sustainability, compliance, and traceability among brands, suppliers, and technology vendors.

Before joining Inspectorio, Elizabeth was the director of global sustainability at Converse (Nike Inc.), served as Macy’s sustainability and social responsibility lead, and directed the compliance factory certification program at Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP).