Business Writing
For decades, John Clayton brought his writing skills and storytelling style to the needs of businesses. He developed books, reports, bylined articles, white papers, benefits-focused case studies, and other materials for companies in logistics, technology, energy, transportation, retail, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, publishing, and other industries. John has stepped away from business work now that his own books are taking more of his time.
In his final years of business writing, John was gratified to focus on sustainability projects. Businesspeople often refer to this as "ESG" (environmental, social, and governance) work: reducing carbon impacts, mitigating climate change, or otherwise helping the environment (and social conditions) -- using market forces. John often wrote for CxOs. His work appeared before boards of directors of Fortune 500 companies, Presidential transition teams, members of Congress, and many other decision-makers in the private and public sectors.
Examples of sustainability projects:
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Large corporations can lead the way to a reduced-carbon world. That's the premise of John's work. Here his clients show how.
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To achieve those goals, companies need to change: John helped clients write about the role of the board of directors in shaping ESG outcomes.
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​Recruiting and developing the right talent also helps
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So-called 'Scope 3' emissions will require the biggest cultural changes, yet this increased collaboration can also increase profits.
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That’s especially true for chemical companies.
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A business needs to know the difference between a sustainability strategy and a sustainable strategy.
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Many sustainability initiatives are already underway: John co-developed the Sustainability chapter in the 2021 State of Logistics report, detailing efforts by transportation and warehousing companies. John also helped clients light a fire under retail pharmacies to catch up to other industries (forthcoming).
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Sometimes governments can help: John drafted a white paper on how governments can encourage adoption of battery electric vehicles.
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That means governments worldwide: John ghosted an op-ed on the challenge/opportunity in Saudi Arabia
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One key is continued innovation, for example in wind energy production: John co-wrote a successful $750,000 National Science Foundation grant for a startup with a radical new wind turbine design.
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Reducing energy consumption increases profits: John wrote a case study for an international software company on how a paper manufacturer reduced power consumption on the factory floor.
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Indeed, nature provides powerful metaphors for business: John developed the overarching metaphor in a white paper that encourages executives to think about business transformation the way foresters do about prescriptive burning.
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Other projects:
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Why businesses should pay attention to quantum computing
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How companies can structure their thinking about the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence
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"Industry 4.0: the future of production": webpage landing text and case studies describing the practice of a consulting firm
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The changing role of the merchant
- "Unbound media: 6 lessons for a post-agency world": an article in MarketingDive on how companies can take advantage of trends in digital advertising
The boxes below contain an exhaustive list of John's past projects!
Reshoring, e-commerce, & transportation
Kearney.com
Pumpkin spice: Business genius
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Kearney.com
The year in Logistics
2020
Supply Chain Mgmt Rvw
Encouraging battery electric vehicles
Kearney.com
State of Logistics 2020: key takeaways
Kearney.com
State of Logistics 2020: full report
Kearney.com
State of Logistics 2020: web summary
Kearney.com
Navigating tomorrow's "Last Mile"
Kearney.com
Freight brokerage shake-up
Kearney.com
5G network virtualization: will you lead?
Kearney.com
Lessons from prescriptive burning
Kearney.com
Quantum computing: you should care
Privately published
Coronavirus and the
supply chain
MIT Technology Review
Coronavirus and airline impacts
Kearney.com
What's your transformation story?
Kearney.com
The Year in Logistics 2019
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Supply Chain Mgmt Review
Optimizing a Maintenance Turnaround
Supply Chain Management Review
WEF's Opportunity to Learn From CES
LinkedIn Pulse
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Logistics Trends: Steep Grade Ahead
Supply Chain Management Review
Jump-starting your merger
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Washington Technology
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How to succeed in media
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ATKearney.com
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What the RealReal's IPO is really about
Digital Commerce 360
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The State of Logistics 2019
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A thorough report from A.T. Kearney
Christmas in July: The importance of Amazon Prime Day
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A.T. Kearney
How chain drug stores can help manufacturers
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Chain Drug Review
The cannabis opportunity
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A.T. Kearney
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A consumer survey reveals how other retailers can take advantage of the world's newest holiday
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Tomorrow's consumers will demand new forms of value, and retailers can help their suppliers understand how
A consumer survey reveals positive attitudes toward cannabis-based health products
How CEOs should act more like elk
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A.T. Kearney
In the 1988 Yellowstone fires, elk instinctively knew how to survive. Can data help CEOs do the same?
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How technology will affect the shipping industry
TLI Magazine
What to do about mounting transportation costs
Chain Drug Review
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Amid a giant capacity crunch, shippers can use technology to find new supply
How shippers and retailers can address recent increases in transport costs
The Future Consumer: From Idle to Agile
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A.T. Kearney
The Changing Meaning of Diversity
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LinkedIn Pulse
"Last mile" as an opportunity
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Supply Chain Management Review
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How leading companies are responding to demographic changes
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Why International Women’s Day matters to everyone
Savvy shippers need to disrupt their fulfillment strategies before Amazon does it for them
Retailers' Next Big Challenge
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Retail IT insights
It’s not only Amazon putting on the pressure. Meeting the changing, segmented needs of tomorrow’s consumers has become vital for retailers’ success.
Global Consumers of the Future
Forces that will shape the future of pharmacy
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Chain Drug Review
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A white paper probing the shift from affluence to influence, based on a global survey of 7,000 consumers.
Recommendations for pharmacy retailers to negotiate the future.
Australia: Taking Bigger Steps
With China slowing, and a wave of new disruptive technologies coming, Australia is at risk of decline -- unless it develops a compelling strategy to improve its long-term competitiveness.
How Bitcoin Has Been Building Brand Equity As A Spectator Of Itself
Cracking the Culture Code: How Organizations Get Where They Want to Go
Bitcoin is a hugely successful product, but one that works without a traditional marketing strategy. Indeed, that leaderless-ness may be its greatest strength.
Everyone talks about changing a corporate culture. But how do you actually do it?