Branding for Good NEWS Issue 27

Added Value believes that the world’s top brands should concentrate on tackling the biggest societal issues relevant to their consumers if they are serious about making meaningful progress towards their sustainability goals.

In its latest Branding for Good sustainability update, Added Value claims brands have no other option than to be honest about where they can have the greatest impact.

More Information

Marie Ridgley, Managing Director of Added Value, says: “There is no doubt that significant investments have been made by global companies to manage the impact of their brands upon the environment. However, when it comes to new product development, some of this investment has resulted in tactical initiatives that appear to be driven more by meeting growth targets than addressing consumer needs.

“If they are serious about sustainability, they should focus on tackling the bigger societal problems. For example, water scarcity and energy use. The world’s top companies are in a unique position to develop solutions to these issues, and in our opinion it is also where long term brand value lies.”

In Branding for Good, Added Value points towards examples of this new type of sustainability, including Sky, E.ON and SAB Miller.

Added Value also asks leading sustainability experts at NGOs about what makes successful brand communications in 2011.

“Not preachy,” says Trewin Restorick, CEO of Global Action Plan. “They are positive and focus on a tangible consumer activity and deliver a tangible benefit.” Trewin points towards Toyota’s ‘glass of water’ campaign in Sweden, which underlines its leadership in low-emission travel.

Says Dax Lovegrove, Head of Business Relations at WWF, “Businesses will need to reach beyond traditional bolt on CSR approaches and adopt more forward-looking embedded sustainability plans. The dual aim is to drive receptiveness for new alternative business models, and produce innovative ‘feel good’ products that contribute to greener living.”

Added Value perceives 2011 to be a year of collaboration among brands and like-minded NGOs. “Solving deep societal needs is a win-win, and it one that will be best achieved through partnership,” concludes Cate Hunt, director at Added Value.

To access all the interviews in the latest edition of Branding for Good click below.

http://www.added-value.com/source/2011/02/branding-for-good-news-issue-27/