The Role of Ethical Brands in a Down Economy

Tom Fishburne, the Brand Camp talent who I have long admired for his ability to express stories through vignettes, has just come up with an interesting concept - eco cheap is the new eco chic.

He does make a very good observation overall - how people often tend to want to one-up one another. Brands do, too. That is good.

Especially since right now, as Fishburne says, it will be even more important for brands to make sure they are meaningful.

To be meaningful, brands will need to really reconnect with their story - what makes them different, a choice, a destination. The narrative and interactions will need to be real and true. How about the vehicles brands choose to communicate and interact with their customers? We are becoming more sophisticated in drawing a direct line between lavish ad spend with no return on involvement - the brand's involvement.

This is a conversation about values, not the bottom line - we have not yet hit bottom, I think.

It's not only about consuming less, it's about consuming responsibly and in a way that aligns with our beliefs. This takes brand loyalty to a whole new level.

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Related posts:

Blog Action Day: How Social Media is Greening the Planet (2007)

It Ain't Easy Being a Green Marketer

Design of Future: Sustainability

Also, remember to join the conversation on Poverty for Blog Action Day 2008 (October 15).

Comments

[Ed]

I have long wanted to explore (and hoping to find some case studies) of how companies are trying to display their ethical values through contributing back to the society.

Being eco-friendly is just one of the many ways. On a different end, some businesses are banking on charity activities and social programs to show how involved they are with the humane world. Of course, they spend a lot of time publicizing these. And the authenticity is something that I question from time to time.

I don't know how others feel, but I felt if companies are adopting this for the sake of publicity, it will eventually hurt the brand more than just the economic downturn itself. It's being fake, and too pretentious for consumers to join them in their efforts. Likewise, a company may be boasting their eco-friendly processes but whether they're doing it from the heart, it will always be hard to tell.

The cause is nevertheless, meaningful. That is something I cannot deny.

[Lewis Green]

Valeria,

Excellent post. Thanks for sharing. I think whether we are business or individual, we must live our values, which make us different from every other business and being. It is not about the external (the what: products, services, looks, acts), it is about the internal (the who: what inspires, motivates and drives us to be who we are).

[Kim Moore]

I think that a great example of an organisation, in this case an indivuldual, who has given back to society is Jamie Oliver. Unlike many other celebrity chef's Jamie has undertaken a number of activies that cleary demonstrates a desire to 'do good', not just a publicity stunt. I think that his greatest achievement was his quest to improve the nutritional value of school dinners. I think he took a risk here. he taught schools and government that we can feed our children bettter food, on a very limited budget ... this spread to teaching families, how to get young children to choose and be excited about food that is good for you. he has done other things as well, which i think reveals who he really is - a good person, not just a celebrity chef.
i think The Jamie Oliver brand is a great case study.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Ed - to me it starts with educating customers on the sustainable aspects of how you conduct business. Not flaunting it, not advertising it, simply explaining how it works. Do you have a green building? Then take people though a tour with an expert and show them how. I am actually presenting for consideration that now is a great time to find the business core and hold it steady. In personal development, we talk about doing something for the world - giving back.

@Lewis - I LOVE your distinction between "what" and "who". That really drives it home about the difference. Thank you!

@Kim - and so it is. I had actually read about him before your comment. Who knew that such a popular chef would come out of Britain? Kidding! But I see he has spent time in Italy ;-) Thank you for reminding me.