And what this means for greater changes in society.

From regulators to investors to curious consumers and members of the C-suite, companies' sustainability initiatives are being scrutinized with increasing intensity. As the 2015 Millennium Development Goals deadline looms on the horizon, many companies are faced with answering the question: "What progress have you made in your sustainability journey?"

If you think that garnering "likes" and monitoring how many times your green content is shared across social media platforms is the Holy Grail, then think again. Consider that it simply means that your customers perceive it as accessible, engaging and useful, but it may not actually be moving the needle and contributing to your brand's bottom line. Research indicates that marketers are not confident in the effectiveness of their content marketing almost half the time, but that it is a medium or high priority for 90% of survey respondents.