Just about every major corporation today understands the importance of running a sustainable business. Generally speaking, this means one in which water gets conserved, energy and materials come increasingly from clean sources, and the social impact of the business is positive. The trouble is, until now there have been few ways to measure not only how brands are performing environmentally but also how the public perceives that performance. And how the public perceives a company’s greenness is becoming increasingly important.
That’s especially true of the millennial generation. In general, they prefer to buy from companies who share their worldview – especially when it comes to the environment. In the decade ahead, those companies that invest in initiatives that help people and the planet as well as their bottom line and who can communicate those efforts effectively will have a competitive edge.
Fortune recently published the 50 Best Global Green Brands for 2014 in conjunction with consulting firm Deloitte and Interbrand. The list was first created in 2011. This year’s nominees were drawn from Interbrand’s annual Best Global Brands report, which ranks the world’s 100 most valuable brands. The 50 companies on the Best Global Green Brands list were ranked in two ways: on the strength of their sustainability initiatives and on how the public perceives those efforts.
The surprise on this year’s list was that Ford replaced Toyota as the No. 1 brand. Ford’s philosophy is that sustainability issues should be integrated into the business. The automaker now offers seven electrified models. Six are hybrids. The seventh, the Focus Electric, is a pure battery electric car.
The two brands that jumped the most this year were IKEA (No. 19) and Zara (No. 34), each rising 14 places from last year. The Swedish home furnishings chain announced that it would be teaming up with Nissan (No. 5) and energy provider Ecotricity to install electric car charging stations for customers at all U.K. stores. IKEA is one of the first major retailers to offer electric charging points – a proactive strategy to help meet the growing demand from their customers. Here’s the best of gang green:
Top 10 Greenest Brands of 2014
- Ford
- Toyota
- Honda
- Nissan
- Panasonic
- Nokia
- Sony
- Adidas
- Danone
- Dell
Goalden Mic | Tim Howard’s Super-Human World Cup Performance
As Team USA battled through an ulcer-inducing overtime against Belgium, one thing was clear: Tim Howard single-handedly carried America through its bittersweet World Cup adventure. More than a dozen times he rescued the U.S. from the Belgian onslaught, improbably blocking shot after shot. It cannot be overstated how devastating Kevin De Bruyne’s game-changing goal for Belgium was but neither can Howard’s super-human performance. Howard had the most saves in a single game, 16, in World Cup history. America owes an improbably large thank you to Howard for leading us. And it seems with Howard’s heroics, Americans are officially caring more about soccer. We watched the game in record numbers, eclipsing both baseball’s World Series – our national pastime – and the NBA finals. But Howard single-handedly kept the U.S. afloat, and in the process took soccer awareness – and fever – to new heights. For that, he takes this week’s Golden Mic.
Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand!