How Valuable is Your Brand -- and What Are You Doing to Enhance the Brand Through Your Company's Sustainability Journey?

Some of the most popular -- and valuable -- brands in the world are housed under the big umbrella of Unilever (and consider that the Anglo-Dutch parent company name itself is a valuable brand).  Think Unilever brands: Dove (soap); Hellmanns (mayo); Lipton(tea); Breyer's (ice cream); and Ben & Jerry's (one of the great pioneers in CSR and purveyors of iconic ice creams).

In results announced in January, Unilever said its sponsored international survey results revealed these top lines:  (1) today a third of consumers are buying from brands based on their social and environmental impact; and (2) there's a billion Euros opportunity now for brands that make their sustainability credentials more clear to the marketplace.

The company said in announcing results:  "As well as confirming the public's high expectations of brands when it comes to having a positive social and environmental impact, the study's findings uncover an unprecedented opportunity for companies to get it right.  More than one-in-five people surveyed said they would actively choose brands if they made their sustainability credentials clearer packaging and in marketing."

This represents a potential untapped opportunity of almost one trillion Euros out of a 2.5 trillion euro total market for sustainable goods.  Wow!

Looking at this, Jake Dubbins, savvy CEO of the London-based media/ad firm, Media Bounty, was moved by the results to offer his own views on "brands, and the multinational companies that own most of them."   He looks at the actions of Unilever, Tesla, The Body Shop, Energizer, and other brand marketers. 

Says Dubbins: "...there's a huge shift taking place...effectively positioning your brand as sustainable...you'll be well placed to tap into the emerging  markets across the globe who are now leading the way in sustainability..."

Jake offers us more of his expert perspectives on why the most "sustainable" brands enjoy clear competitive advantage (and "top tips for success") in his post on The Drum. 

This is just a sample of some of the articles from this weeks SustainabilityHQ Highlights. You can view the full Highlights by using the following links. Sustainability | ESG,Highlights for the week of March 2, 2017.