Cotton

Hill+Knowlton Strategies edged out a dozen shops to win the sustainability pitch of Cotton Council International, non-profit that promotes US cotton fiber and manufactured products around the globe.

Launched in November 2018 at the Sourcing USA Summit in Scottsdale, AZ, the US Trust Protocol is designed as an integrated data collection, measurement and verification procedure to document US production practices and their environmental impact. The Protocol is slated to launch in the 2020 growing year.

In selecting H+K to handle the Protocol, Bruce Atherley, CCI executive director, praised the WPP unit’s thoroughness and attention to detail.

“From spending time with growers, brands and the influencer community, they truly demonstrated their understanding of the industry, their expertise in establishing a new voluntary standard and most importantly how to engage brands and retailers," Atherley said in a statement.

Sam Lythgoe, H&K’s global chief business development officer, leads the effort, which includes helping CCI identify and prioritize potential partners and developing a campaign to create awareness, adoption and advocacy of the Protocol.

The firm’s three-year partnership with CCI kicks off Oct. 1. Joanne Davis Consulting handled the pitch for the sustainability account.