Value with values

Employees Protest Goes Viral

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:06:00 +0000

This week 7 staff members of a ski operator (Skithe3v) barricaded themselves in their chalet in protest of their unfair dismissal and were refused to be paid by their former employer. The‘Les Menuires 7’ as they call themselves have stirred up unanimous Twitter and Facebook support using the social network sites to generate publicity and facilitate discussion.

Having worked for a similar operator myself dramatic action such as this comes as no surprise. I am all too familiar with the poor pay, high staff turn-over and unprofessional behaviour that, it must be conceded, comes from both employers and employees in this sector.

In a time when companies reputations can be destroyed (and built) overnight due to social media, it has become more important than ever for companies and brands to consider their practices, transparency and of course their responsibility. Whilst employees can be excellent ambassadors they can also, as we have seen in this case, help destroy a company’s reputation. Social media is fuelling consumer and employee power which should be welcomed and it’s playing an important role in why companies need to be more responsible.

I hope that the debate that the Les Menuires 7’s protest has sparked moves the whole ski operator industry to act and consider their responsibility to their employees. The grievances they cite are a standard in this sector that is in desperate need of reform and independent regulation.

In fact there is something that can be learned by every company through the Les Menuires 7 example – employees, armed with the tools of social media are very powerful. If you treat them well and keep them happy they can be your best asset and if not well then they may just pull a stunt like this.

A bitter taste for Valentine’s

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Hershey’s has announced that that the Rainforest Alliance is to certify its famous Bliss chocolates – what lovely news, just in time for Valentine’s Day! But it comes days after a rather more bitter sounding commercial titled Hershey’s Chocolate: Killed by Child Labor was scheduled to screen to the crowds at the Super Bowl. This so-called “brand-jamming ad” was withdrawn at the last minute when Hershey’s announced a $10 million project to tackle child labour in West Africa.

This is crisis management, not leadership. Hershey’s has been subject to an embarrassing multi-year campaign accusing the company of turning a blind eye to child labour on its cocoa farms. The onslaught included blanketing the company’s Facebook wall in messages, posting ‘brand-jamming’ videos and photos of Hershey products online and releasing a report of accusations and demands, titled ‘The Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report for the Hershey Company’. Hershey’s is reported to have received over 100,000 letters asking the company to improve its cocoa sourcing practices, as well as a barrage of Facebook posts, tweets and emails.

The attacks on Hershey’s are just the latest example of the spotlight being shined on the apparently murkier side of big brand supply chains. Certifying Bliss chocolate is a move in the right direction – but by letting the storm clouds gather before making this big change, the company has left itself looking reactionary and defensive rather than visionary.

The ‘Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report’ accuses the company of “greenwashing” because it “points to various charitable donations” rather than stamping out “forced, trafficked or child labour” in its supply chain. Hershey’s insists that it's taking a responsible stance towards its supply chain. But to quell the storm and protect its brand, the company now needs to demonstrate that it has a more comprehensive CR strategy. The alternative is to continue the embarrassing public battle with the activists and risk leaving a bitter taste with its consumers.

Keeping up with the lingo

noreply@blogger.com (Harriet) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:56:00 +0000

Inclusive innovation is heralded as the solution to the problems faced by the financial sector. According to a report by the Center for Responsible Business at the University of California-Berkley Haas School of Business, The Future of Finance, the only way for the financial sector to get back on its feet and win back trust is to ‘turn their innovation outwards’ and ‘find ways to grow their businesses and build positive relationships through society’.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this all sounds a bit familiar! Whilst the new term is nice – it reflects the importance for companies of engaging and listening to stakeholders, and continually innovating and changing to meet or, where possible, to exceed their expectations – the concept isn’t new. Perhaps, a new label is what is needed to inspire companies to take action, a way of re-engaging the corporate world and reminding them that operating in a way that has a positive impact on society and the world can also be better for business. Somehow I’m not convinced - surely time would be better spent acting, rather than coming up with new labels!

Tesco misses the mark

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Tesco is said to be dropping the carbon labelling that it displayed so prominently on many of its products. This was a groundbreaking scheme for a monster of the retail sector. Where did it all go wrong?

Marketing Week reports that Tesco’s move reflects “disappointment” that more supermarkets didn’t follow suit. But this isn’t a blame game of Tesco showing leadership and others failing to follow. Plenty of activity is going on to communicate product sustainability to consumers, whether it’s the mass of Fairtrade labels in Sainsbury’s and the Co-op, free-range-egg labelling on Hellman’s mayonnaise and McDonald’s paper bags, or the pictures of smiling, eco-friendly farmers on pots of Yeo Valley, on the meat in Waitrose and on the KitKat wrapper. Retailers and Brands are talking to consumers; they’re just talking in a different way to Tesco.

The fact of the matter is that many consumers don’t fully understand what a carbon footprint is, let alone feel informed to make a decision based on a “360g CO2” label on their orange juice. We need a clearer message about the products on Tesco’s shelves. That could mean more recognised labels such as Fairtrade, Red Tractor, Freedom Food or even the new WindMade sign. But even better would be embedding sustainability into the brand so that consumers trust that what they’re buying meets a certain standard. Hats off to M&S, there. Tesco was right to think that consumers want supermarkets to show leadership, but its attempt to engage them in that conversation missed the mark.

Wikipedia's protest

noreply@blogger.com (Ann) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Wikipedia's protest last week was interesting. Taking down the whole of the English section of their encyclopaedia to raise awareness is a pretty bold step and so there's obviously a lot that can be said about it.

It appeared at first a great example of a company using its brand power to champion a social campaign. It worked well through making its point evident of its action - imagining a world without free information.

It was done in order to argue that American legislation to police the internet should not be passed. However whilst it seemed great at using its product to prove its point, I was disappointed by its use of power instead of its use of its expertise.

I, like others that visited the site, followed the link to learn more and yet it left me even more confused. I still did not understand exactly what the legislation was about and how it would affect companies like Wikipedia. Whilst it was good to have precise action points, what could have made its campaign even better is if it had simply laid out a very clear page explaining the proposed legislation with the pros and the cons - thus educating people to decide for themselves instead of biasing their views by providing too little information.

Wikipedia's position has always been strong for providing clear, unbiased and organised information which makes it easier for readers to gather knowledge. Yet with the protest last week, with some irony, its greatest strength became its greatest weakness as it did little to prevent its view from seeming biased. As a company that even refuses to display adverts for fear of biasing its content it seems a shame that it took this route to explain its views.

New Year, New Capitalism

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:23:00 +0000

When the Prime Minister keeps his speech so hidden that even Robert Peston can’t get a sneaky peek, you know he’s got something important to say.

And when the leader of the opposition is making a speech on the same subject on the same day, you know they’re talking about a hot topic.

Today, David Cameron and Ed Miliband will be talking very loudly about responsible business. They’ve seen the opinion polls, and they know that the public is ready and waiting to see political and corporate leadership in building sustainability into our economy, post-financial crisis.

‘But what will the government actually do?’, we all say. Rumour has it that Cameron plans to announce new policy to make it easier to set up co-operatives. With their typical partnership model of democratic management and shared profits between members, co-operatives find it easy to create shared value. So much so that the UN has declared 2012 to be International Year of Co-operatives, hoping to “raise public awareness of the invaluable contributions of cooperative enterprises to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration”.

Co-operatives are certainly gaining a lot of attention – but it’s not just because they’re ‘nice’. It’s because they’re successful.

In the UK, John Lewis has announced bumper profits for the Christmas period, while The Co-operative has grown to such strength that in December it was announced as the preferred bidder to take over the 632 branches that Lloyds is being forced to sell. Overseas, in the economic powerhouses of Brazil, Russia, India and China, there are now four times as many co-operative members as direct shareholders. Globally, the top 300 co-operative businesses turnover $1.1 trillion a year – that’s equivalent to a top 10 economy of the world.

The growth and successes of co-operatives are, of course, influenced by a myriad of factors from sound financial management to marketing, from the appeal of the products to the appeal of the brand.

But what’s interesting (and what the PM and the UN seem attracted by) is that successful cooperatives embed responsible activities throughout the business, building trust in the brand.

I know that the mango I bought from the Co-op has been traded fairly, that it was grown in an environmentally sound way, and that the staff in the store will be helpful and positive. I know, because I trust them. I know, even if I didn’t read The Co-op’s new ‘radical’ ethical operating plan.

The fact that co-operatives are increasingly successful poses an interesting challenge – or rather an opportunity – for other business. It suggests that taking into account the values and the best interests of all those touched by the business is more than fluffy niceties. It’s something that consumers choose, something that builds value for those with a stake in the company, something that the government supports, something that employees value; it’s something that can drive success. And if the growing strength, credibility and popularity of co-operatives is anything to judge by, a more positive business approach might well prove itself to be a key ingredient for the winners of 2012.

Green Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:19:00 +0000

It is that time of year again when the powder hungry amongst us start avidly checking the snow forecasts, dust off our ski boots and dream of snow covered slopes. But most of us spare little thought for the environmental impact of our ski holiday or the sustainability of our pursuit, despite skiers and snowboarders being among the first to experience the direct effects of climate change. Glaciers are retreating and snow lines are creeping higher leading resorts to use increasingly energy intensive methods of artificial snow creation.

Luckily the Ski Club of Great Britain has launched its new website that hosts an array of advice for skiers and holidaymakers on how to ‘Respect the Mountain’. They have come up with the Green Resorts Guide that assesses the environmental management systems that ski resorts are implementing in a bid to improve their environmental impact. Resorts are rated on areas such as green building policy, recycling facilities, no traffic zones and their use of green power.
The Ski Club of Great Britain is doing a stellar job of raising awareness of the environmental impact that the snowsports industry is having on and off the mountain. From encouraging tourists to take the train instead of flying, to organising seasonal ‘Spring Cleans’ to help clear up resorts, this Not-for-Profit is miles ahead of tour-operators and ski holiday companies in the race to reduce the environmental impact of snowsports.

Some other best practice models are popping up across Europe with the White Pod Resort offering a unique concept to eco-ski holidays (www.whitepod.com) and The Monte Rosa Refuge ((www.section-monte-rosa.ch) uses 90% solar power and is a cooking pot of groundbreaking environmental and energy systems

But whilst tour operators are beginning to implement measures that protect the mountain habitat they work in, and are looking for ways to reduce the overall emissions that the Alpine holiday industry creates, there is still a long way to go.

A leap in the wrong direction?

noreply@blogger.com (Ann) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:51:00 +0000

LeapCR recently launched a white paper on employee engagement, and whilst it’s great to have a new contribution to the debate, I have to say that this report left me dissatisfied

There are some significant stats in there: engaged employees are 87% more likely to stay, and 86% are happier at work. Their employer is likely to have a 26% higher revenue per employee. In fact, the report is absolutely spot on in highlighting the benefits of an engaged workforce. But when it comes to the meat of it – how you might actually go about creating this happy, loyal and productive community – I’m left hugely disappointed.

Is engaging employees really as simple as getting them involved in volunteering activity or a charity event every once in a while? Surely to create a truly engaged workforce, the most effective approach is to make them feel a real part of the company and its objectives, to believe in the company vision, be happy about what the business is trying to achieve, be supported by their peers and manager, feel fulfilled in their daily work. This isn’t easy; it takes a proper strategy.

For the 84% of graduates that seek socially responsible employment, I doubt that being given the chance to volunteer would make them feel that they’re working for a responsible business. Surely working for an employer that demonstrates it’s embedding responsibility in business practices would be a greater motivator and more convincing than a few charity events, no matter how worthy the cause.

good to know Google cares

noreply@blogger.com (Ann) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:24:00 +0000

Google has often led the way in innovation and once again it is ahead of the market in it's new 'good to know' campaign. As the internet and digital technologies become increasingly prevalent consumers are often more worried about their privacy and security online.

Google has been quick to respond to this attitude through it's new 'good to know' campaign. A range of unusual, humorous cartoons have started popping up on trains, in newspapers and online, bringing attention to Google's ideas and efforts to ensure safer browsing. By working with the citizen's advice bureau it has gained some real credibility for doing good in society too.

For us, what's really interesting about the campaign is that it shows how a company can truly use responsibility to differentiate from its competitors. A web browser, an email account or a search engine, could easily be seen as commodities. Yet Google has always made great efforts to differentiate itself and that's why it's great to see that its using responsibility as its latest weapon of choice.

November e-bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:31:00 +0000

The protesters of the Occupy Movement have decided to get up and take action on something they believe in, they're looking for ways of getting their voices heard, they want to have a debate about our future.

We whole heartedly welcome the activism and energy and debate. But we don't agree with them. The problem with the protestors is that they don't know what they want to change, they don't have any alternatives and they're wrong to just rail against business as if it's a monolithic entity or against capitalism as though it's the system that's the problem. It's not.

And indeed with the economic news seeming to get bleaker by the day, we need the enormous capacity of businesses to generate wealth and get things moving more than almost ever before. It's the only way we're going to move forward.

In this month’s Good Business e-bulletin, Giles calls for new bravery from business and delves into what this might look like and how we might measure it. To read more, email David@goodbusiness.co.uk.

It's a curious old world

noreply@blogger.com (Harriet) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:14:00 +0000

The Rio +20 Summit is taking place next year and the environment press is already trying to gee everyone up and convince us that this, not Copenhagen 2009 or Cancun 2010, has to be the turning point in a global response to climate change. There are always high hopes for these conferences and to date none have lived up to expectations. That is why Paul Hohnen writing in the Guardian last week quite rightly pointed out that ‘the message from Rio+20 matters more than ever’. Paul identifies 5 groups of people, each with a different perspective on and response to climate change. There’s the ‘clueless’, the ‘cynics’, the ‘curious’, the ‘champions’, and the ‘calamitists’ – no great surprises and I’m sure we all know people that would fit into these categories. The group that clearly need the most focus is ‘the curious’; they are the ones that haven’t fully made up their mind either way and need a bit of encouragement. And this is where businesses can play a powerful role. Both by taking actions to reduce their own impacts and helping consumers find ways to reduce theirs, companies and brands can help empower ‘the curious’ to feel like they are part of something bigger and that their actions, however small they may seem on their own, can actually make a profound and positive difference.

From my sarcasm at the beginning of this post, perhaps you’ll assume I’m a cynic; to a certain degree you’d be right. But it’s not cynicism about the reality of climate change or the need for the Rio+20 Summit; it’s cynicism about what is expected from these summits and whether efforts would be better spent focusing on supporting and pushing business to take a greater lead.

Reinventing the high street

noreply@blogger.com (Kate U) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:24:00 +0000

How do we design a high street as if the world mattered? That was the question set by Retail Reset at the Changemakers Fayre at Westminster Hub, last night.

As the post-it notes and scribbles started flying, pretty soon a debate emerged about chain stores and big business – where do they sit in all this? Do they have a role to play or are they just a recipe for clone town Britain? How can they contribute more positively to our high streets?

Which got me thinking…because while it’s great to see more and more businesses think seriously about how they can have a more positive impact, too often this feels hidden behind a CR report – a series of (albeit well-meaning) programmes, initiatives and commitments which can seem removed from the everyday activity of the company on the high street.

Surely there’s a missed opportunity here? Rather than just talking about what’s going on elsewhere, why not show it in action? Have a clothes retailer give over a section of their shop floor to provide working space for young designers, or a supermarket run regular classes in seasonal cooking in their store, or a bank deliver drop in business advice sessions for young entrepreneurs, or a communications company provide a space to support small business…

You get the idea.

Companies need to be brave about showing people what it means to them to be a good business – and through doing so they can not only talk to their customers more effectively, but play a vital role in making our high streets more exciting, inspiring and interesting places to be.

Sweet Success

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:12:00 +0000

As someone who grew up in a house next door to 6 buzzing hives, I’ve always had an interest in bees.

When we were small, it was all about the delicious honey and trying to avoid standing on the bees that had decided to take a break on the garden lawn. Now, well, it’s still about delicious honey, but I’ve also come to appreciate just how unique and interesting the whole concept of bee-keeping is.

Honey’s great because it’s so easy to be local. And I mean really local, because bees will go far and wide to hunt nectar. This summer, Travelocity identified The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto as one of its top-5 green hotels. The 10,000 bees on its roof, which produce honey for its restaurant, are key to its success and branding as a Honey Moon Suite.

Honey is linked with sustainability – in our minds and in reality. People love honey because it's natural. Its production relies on, and is friendly to, the environment. It can also be a social solution in areas where few sustainable farming options exist. From London to Afghanistan, from NYC to Malawi, bee-keeping is a trend that’s good for the environment and good for communities.

There’s a community in Sweden that’s so convinced by honey as the symbol of sustainability that they’ve made a local currency out of it: the Djing in Lund isn’t backed up with gold, but jars of the golden stuff. Perhaps honey money isn’t the solution for the Euro crisis. But let’s hope bees keep their growing role in our ideas about sustainable success.

Add some colour

noreply@blogger.com (Ann) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Forget naming a star, naming a colour is the new 'in' thing. Dulux's quirky new partnership with UNICEF allows the public to choose and name a colour from the 16.7 million that the average computer, tablet or smartphone are able to display. Whilst at first I found it quite tricky to narrow it down with all that choice, my friend is now the proud new owner of a colour I quite originally named 'teal'. And the clever part is that the price, for the novelty concept of owning a colour, is in that of a donation to UNICEF. So by adding a colour to the list of useless items you own, you will in fact be adding colour to other people's lives too.

Can we survive progress?

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:52:00 +0000

First off I think I should admit that there is a slight conflict of interest in this blog. It is a cousin of mine that is one of the producers for this documentary film.

However, with that having been said (and having only seen the trailor and read the reviews) it feels like a very timely (funnily enough they started work on it way back in 2005) and a badly needed documentary that will hopefully get some real airtime in the way that an Inconvenient Truth did in helping more people understand the direction we are currently heading.

It features some of the world’s great contemporary thinkers including Jane Goodall, Margaret Atwood, David Suzuki and Stephen Hawking. Inspired by Ronald Wright’s bestselling non-fiction book about societal collapse, this documentary explores the idea of “progress traps” in our modern world. At the moment we are on a trajectory that focuses, rewards and delivers bad progress - unsustainable progress. This documentary focuses on taking stock of where are and understanding what we need to change to allow us to make progress in a positive and sustainable way in the future.

The signs are good for its success. It has already taken part in the Toronto International Film Festival, and had its world premiere at the event on Sunday, September 11th. It has also been selected for the Vancouver International Film Festival and Montreal's Festival du nouveau cinema.

Fingers crossed that this helps mainstream some of the real issues business, government and society needs to address.

To see the trailer, go to:

http://kinetictrailers2.com/Progress/Progress_V9.mov

A boost for Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:08:00 +0000

It’s been a good month for positive action by some of the UK’s food giants.

Mums – and nutritionists – will be able to say ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ with more confidence after Kellogg’s announced that it is reformulating Coco Pops to have less sugar, and it’s increasing the number of healthy options in its product range.

And this week McDonalds made clear its support for the government’s Responsibility Deal when it started listing calories on its menus – a very public recognition of its responsibility to tackle obesity (even if it did promote a storm in the blogosphere complaining that ‘nudges’ do no good to change behaviour).

Giving through action

noreply@blogger.com (Harriet) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:10:00 +0000

I came across this interesting social enterprise that enables you to sponsor your friends through action rather than money. It’s the brainchild of Hermione Taylor and her friend who wanted to challenge themselves for a good cause but didn’t like the idea of asking their friends for money. Instead they asked their friends to sponsor them by doing simple green actions instead. This idea grew into DoNation.

It works a bit like Just-Giving, you upload your challenge, and then friends can pledge to do simple green actions such as riding a bike, washing your clothes at 30 degrees, cutting down on meat etc. Each action has a CO2 saving and so far 35,771 kg of CO2 has been saved through pledges. This doesn’t mean much to me and they’d do well to include an equivalent to put the saving into perspective; however, overall, I think it’s an interesting concept.

Like many of you, I get millions of emails from friends requesting sponsorship – especially in the lead up to the London marathon – and think this new approach is quite refreshing. It also follows hot on the heels of Do Some Good, the app from Orange that enables people to carry out actions for charity using their mobile phones. There is definitely a trend towards more innovative ways for people to give something back.

Apparently ‘CO2 is the currency of The DoNation, not the soul’, in other words it’s the only way to quantify people’s actions. This means that the actions are a bit boring and might turn more people off than on. If they could include and find a way to quantify We Are What We Do type actions, it might feel more innovative and appeal to a wider audience.

Whilst I do agree that people are more likely to change their behaviour for their friends than for the good of the planet, I’m still a little bit sceptical about whether this initiative will actually attract the attention of anyone who is not already a ‘concerned consumer'.

Telling the right stories

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Writing in yesterday’s Financial Times, Michael Skapinker argues that the central problem with corporate responsibility is that what the public expects may not be what shareholders want.

What’s needed, he says, is for companies to better communicate the business value of responsible business – and to do that they need a compelling narrative.

So far so good. Gaining the understanding and support of shareholders is an important part of a successful responsible business strategy. They are, after all, key stakeholders. And there’s no shortage of messages to tell. There are the financial opportunities of growth into new markets, reaching new customers, cost savings, potential for new products, and so on, as well as the benefits of improved employee satisfaction, loyalty etc., let alone the potential for brand and reputation strengthening and differentiation.

But too often the importance of that narrative is forgotten or lost. Whilst exploring ways to get shareholders on board, Michael Skapinker gets his teeth into General Electric’s corporate citizenship report and website, lamenting the lack of storytelling to engage the reader. Why, he asks, do they tell us about supporting girls through school in Kenya without giving case studies?

Having an engaging narrative is an important part of communications, but it’s not the golden key to getting shareholders on board!

If we’re thinking about General Electric, how about talking of the 17% increase in brand value as a result of their sustainable venture ecomagination? Or the fact that ecomagination’s revenue is set to grow at twice the rate of total company revenue over the next five years, having generated $18 billion in the tough climate of 2009?

Skapinker is right that responsibility communications benefit from a good narrative. But that narrative needs the richness of business value as well as heart-warming stories, to get all stakeholders on board.

Doing the Right Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:58:00 +0000

‘Doing the right thing’ isn’t always easy in business, even if you can see the commercial opportunity.

John Lewis is celebrating the release of its latest CSR report, which says that doing the right thing isn’t just good economics, it’s also part of their purpose as a partnership.

The colourful report highlights some steady achievements in its summary - in areas like reducing environmental impacts, keeping employees happy and supporting local communities. But why is the really meaty stuff – about products and customers – not put in the spotlight?

M&S is shouting very clearly about what it stands for: it plans to be “the most sustainable retailer in the world” by 2015. What does John Lewis stand for? A partnership, yes; one that focuses on quality in every sense of the word, one might think. With such huge potential to show what this means for the business, its world, our world and the future, a more innovative and relevant CSR strategy and stronger communications are needed. Their latest CSR report feels like it’s missed a trick.

The warm glow of the supply chain

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:21:00 +0000

The private sector should be accepted as a positive driving force behind global poverty reduction - and the international development community needs to stop being so scared of the profit motive. So argues Peter Davis of the Overseas Development Institute this week.

But why does suspicion and concern still surround the role of companies overseas?

Perhaps it’s the continued controversy around the heroes and horrors of supply chain ethics in sectors as broad as electronics and fashion. Some have felt the bite of getting it wrong or, Primark might argue, appearing to get it wrong.

Consumer-facing brands like Apple and Levi Strauss are now leading the charge towards reassuring their customers that there’s a warm glow and no murky shadow behind their products. Some are scared of the risks, others have seen the opportunities.

The flurry of activity so far this year to push up standards in supply chains is refreshing. Those companies that do it with real commitment will reassure the international development community. And those that communicate it right will be rewarded by consumers.

Black Cab Brand Butlers

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:25:00 +0000

My cycle route home is populated by a growing number of Vodafone’s new brand butlers – these eye-catching black cabs.

The cabs enable passengers to pay for the cab by text message – and also to charge up their mobile phones while on the move. The idea is to provide a helpful service, making your life easier and leaving you thinking positively about the brand, thanks to its butler.

This initiative comes hard on the heels of Just Text Giving, Vodafone’s new service to enable all and any charity to receive text donations of up to £10, free of fees.

Some nice and simple steps to making things easier for customers and charities.

RIP GDP?

noreply@blogger.com (Kate U) — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:53:00 +0000

What do we value the most? A healthy bank balance? A clean river? Being able to borrow milk from your neighbours?

What we value as individuals varies immensely, so in some ways it’s surprising that so many of the benchmarks and targets we set ourselves in society and business are focussed on monetary measures of wealth and growth.

But things are on the move.

On Tuesday, the OECD launched their alternative measure of wellbeing – ‘Your Better Life Index’ – which encourages you to explore how countries compare, not just on traditional factors such as jobs and income, but also community, work-life balance and life satisfaction. Rather than proclaiming any one country top of the table, the countries rise and fall as you decide what wellbeing means to you.

And that’s not all. Back in November last year, David Cameron announced plans by the government to measure the nation’s happiness and introduced the notion of ‘general well-being’ (GWB) as an alternative to the traditional GDP. Along with initiatives such as Mappiness, Action for Happiness, and organisations such as the new economics foundation, it’s coming at us from all sides.

So how should businesses respond?

As the backbone of the economy, businesses have been the key driver of GDP and other traditional measures of progress. But with growing momentum behind new measures of ‘progress’, there’s a clear opportunity for business leadership in this space. And with evidence demonstrating strong links between greater well-being and economic prosperity, this is also more than just an altruistic goal. I’m looking forward to some real trailblazers demonstrating creative thinking in creating value and success beyond numbers.

Sustainability in Sport

noreply@blogger.com (Madeleine) — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Good to see that some footballers are interested in more than gagging orders and playing at home...and away

Gary Neville has set up Sustainability in Sport an initiative that aims to "support the continuing growth of sport within UK communities, whilst reducing the associated environmental impacts". He hopes to enjoy as much success making football fans conscious of the environment as the Kick It Out campaign did highlighting sport’s problems with racism.

Really positive interview in the T2 today for those who have access or some part coverage from The Telegraph.

Calculus and curry

noreply@blogger.com (Madeleine) — Mon, 23 May 2011 09:38:00 +0000

I came across this in my local news bulletin and thought it's a really nice example of a simple project that uses local community space in a positive way.

Every Tuesday and Wednesday Tower Tandoori in Tower Bridge Road opens its doors to 20 pupils from a local school to let them receive Maths tuition from City University students.

After their two hours of intensive calculation, the restaurant provides the tutors and students with a curry.

Trig and tikka. Nice.

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5303

The promo that will just keep giving

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:02:00 +0000

Not sure about you, but whenever I see a bunch of promo girls and boys hanging outside a tube or train station I have a sinking feeling that another brand is giving out loads of samples and leaflets most of which end up in the next available bin.

So this morning as I was walking through Trafalgar Square the sight of a promo team coming towards me made my heart sink - that was until I realised what they were giving out...my very own tomato plant all ready to go.

It turns out that B&Q are running a campaign to get Britain gardening. They have teamed up with a charity called Capital Growth dedicated to creating new food growing spaces across the capital. We all talk about locally sourced food. This is a great example of not only a truly useful promo givaway, but something that might just get a few of us growing our own.

It certainly put a smile on my face this morning and I'm hoping by July I might just be enjoying a desk grown tomoto at lunchtime!