By 2050, 9bn people will be forced to share the earth. If nothing improves by the time those 2bn new arrivals show up, entire countries will compete fiercely — and possibly even do battle — for the basics of food and energy, creating global instability. Taking the long view, DuPont sees 3 emerging areas where their applied science can help the world:• Ensuring food security • Maximising use of fossil fuel resources while developing cleaner, renewable alternatives• Protecting people and the environment as communities become more densely populatedThe challenge of any one these mega-trends is immense. All 3 together require giant changes in how we arrive at solutions.What’s more, the task is made more daunting by the sharp divisions that now exist among governments, public policy leaders, corporations and other stakeholders as to how these challenges can be met.

DuPont saw a responsibility to act. As a company with a 200-year history of leveraging science to solve tough problems, DuPont recognized it could be the honest broker – the catalyst and convener – bringing together the disparate parties that must unite if we are to succeed.The result is campaign themed, Welcome to the Global Collaboratory. This non-traditional, 360-degree approach employed digital dominance, thought leadership and 3rd party content partnerships to begin a worldwide dialogue with global influencers and policymakers, express the urgency of the megatrends facing them, and demonstrate the power of collaboration in meeting the challenges of the coming decades.

Branded content partnerships were developed with the BBC and National Geographic, 2 of the most trusted names in mass communications. For the BBC, a custom television series, Horizons, was created and supported with 14 mini-documentaries showcasing DuPont scientific achievements. 3 films on the three mega-challenges were created in conjunction with National Geographic, as were editorial sponsorships and a co-branded website.

Thought leaders and policymakers around the world came into the conversation via two international summits. DuPont engaged with leading academics, government officials, regulatory organizations, heads of business and industry to move the mega-trend issues to the forefront of policymakers.Digital media encouraged a true global dialogue by creating a sustainable business forum network (www.sustainablebusinessforum.com), a Facebook page (www.horizonsbusiness.com/account/facebook) for Horizons , and a collaborative microsite featuring interactive white papers and videos. (www.collaboratory.dupont.com)

Making DuPont the honest broker at the center of the collaboration quickly and substantially enhanced the company’s reputation by several measures.Fortune magazine took notice of the 'Global Collaboratory', with DuPont climbing to #37 on their Most Admired Companies list in 2012, up from #52 in the previous ranking.

DuPont’s own key metrics in awareness, reputation, and recommendation increased an average of 15%.

Additional notable results included:• A National Geographic poll showed 92% of respondents now have a very positive opinion of DuPont.• Horizons drew the BBC’s second highest rating, with 450m households tuning in.

• 10,000 people became Facebook fans of Horizons.• The mini-documentaries garnered 2m views on the DuPont YouTube Channel in just 2 months.• 200 key clients and influencers, the heart of the target audience, attended seminars in India and Turkey.