2010 - the year of brand responsibility?

Last month Giles spoke, as part of a panel discussion, at the Business and Sustainability Event (base). Below is an extract from his speech and also a link to read the full piece. Is 2010 going to be the year of brand responsibility? Are we about to reach a tipping point? Only time will tell, but it certainly feels like an exciting time to be in the world of brands and sustainability.

"I believe that in years to come we will look back on 2010 as the year that marketing and sustainability departments finally got it together, and started working together. This moment has certainly been a long time coming – when I started Good Business over ten years ago, people thought I was crazy when I suggested that marketing could be the vehicle for delivering sustainability goals and objectives, but it looks as if the rest of the world is finally catching up. So, what’s behind this sea change? Well, looking closely, I think we can identify four main drivers.

First, in most large companies, corporate responsibility, or sustainability teams are well established and embedded, and are doing a good job of managing social and environmental risks effectively.

The second factor is the way that climate change has shot up the agenda over the last five years or so.

The third is our emergence from the recession. The recession has held back many companies who might have been ready to move further and faster over the last two years.

And the forth and final driver is consumer desire for values, even in the face of a recession.What’s been interesting is that although the importance that consumers place on value for money has, unsurprisingly, increased, there has been no marked reduction in their desire to see companies put values at the heart of what they do, even if it means the products and services they buy cost a little bit more.

There is still some residual nervousness amongst marketers about whether they can legitimately talk to consumers about social and environmental issues. A little nervousness is no bad thing if it curbs some of the more excessive claims we have seen in the past. But that aside, I do firmly believe we are reaching a tipping point. A point from which there will be no going back. If the successful brands of the 20th century were built upon a strong consumer proposition, the successful brands of the 21st century will be built on a strong consumer and social proposition. Those brands that can demonstrate to customers that they take their responsibilities seriously will be rewarded. Those brands that can demonstrate mutual benefit will be the ones that survive and flourish.'

Click here to read the full speech.