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March 29, 2010 at 3:42 PM by Cone

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Economist’s Corporate Citizenship Conference in New York City. The discussion focused on the role of business in our society and the opportunity to do well by doing good. There was much discussion around the different approaches companies are taking: various CSR programs, NGO partnerships, sustainable product launches, etc.


I think most would agree that there is a positive bottom-line impact to make the case for corporate responsibility, acting sustainably or whatever you choose to call it. But still many companies are hesitant to open that door. During the conference, one of the panelists said that companies need courage. That comment really resonated with me – and I think it’s true. Courage is an important trait many companies need in order to start looking at themselves with a critical eye and begin adopting strategies to become more responsible corporate citizens.

This idea holds true in several ways:

The courage to admit that your shareholders are just one of your many stakeholders

• Having recently witnessed the failure of many of our financial institutions and massive layoffs combined with big bonuses, it’s hard not to view companies as in the business of making money to pay off corporate leaders and shareholders, above all else. Somehow they have shifted towards this narrow focus of shareholder maximization, leaving all other stakeholders in the dust –  employees,  communities,  consumers. Responsible corporate citizens are recommitting to this broader spectrum of stakeholders and addressing the interdependency among them in order to achieve more sustainable growth.

The courage to collaborate

• While companies have an important role to play in society, they are just one part of the equation. Some of the most impactful efforts are born through partnerships between companies and NGOs. One of the programs highlighted at the conference was 10,000 Women, a program supported by Goldman Sachs. Its mission is to provide 10,000 underserved women around the world with a business and management education (starting in places like Afghanistan). Goldman Sachs works with multiple academic and NGO partners throughout the world to develop curricula and help reach women in need. Goldman Sachs sees this program as more of an economic investment versus charity. They believe these women will play a critical role in building local economies and ultimately help drive future business. In the meantime, the program is empowering these women and changing their lives in extraordinary ways.

• Companies also need the courage to collaborate with their competitors. We often see companies within the same industry developing separate standards to meet their definition of sustainable practices. This can result in confusion among suppliers as they try to adhere to multiple sets of standards. Competitors need to find common ground and come together to harmonize standards and unify efforts. One example of this is the Leather Working Group which brings together competitors in the leather shoe industry, including Timberland and Nike, to agree upon one set of standards and positively impact a critical piece of their supply chain for themselves, for the industry and for social good.
  
  

Courage to be transparent and authentic

• Being responsible also means being transparent and honest with your stakeholders. This can be a scary proposition for many companies unwilling to take the risk of exposing potential skeletons in the closet. But only by being aware can companies fully understand their impact and make the changes required to act more responsibly. It’s easy to talk about the great things we are doing, but it’s much harder to share those areas that need improvement.
  
  

The courage to innovate

• Being responsible (vs. reactive) means being proactive and able to adapt to change. Some of the best examples of responsible corporate citizens are also some of the best examples of innovative companies – Method, ZipCar, Aveda, all come to mind. P&G has taken this innovation for social good and turned it into a new product line called “Future Friendly”. Launching this month, this new line consists of environmentally friendly products to address the needs of the “Sustainable Consumer”. This line will enable P&G to help the earth while driving value via a niche consumer segment.

What do you think? Do companies require courage in order to be good corporate citizens? Please share your thoughts below.


- Erica Vogelei, Account Director


Tags: conferences cone engagement timberland corporateresponsibility

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December 15, 2009 at 8:56 AM by Cone

With COP15 in full swing, climate change discussions are heating up – and environmentally conscious companies are joining the conversation. Several big players, including Timberland (Cone’s client) and Coke have launched consumer-focused campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of COP15, which aims to secure a new global climate change treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol.

 

Image via www.donttellusitcantbedone.com

 

Because Timberland’s business is the environment, the company has a vested interest in proving companies can make a profit and save the planet – without passing the cost to the consumer. Through its global “Don’t Tell Us It Can’t Be Done” campaign, Timberland hopes to bring the importance of climate change, and the need for binding legislation, to the forefront by giving the public a forum to let their voices be heard. Consumers are invited to get involved by signing an online petition at www.donttellusitcantbedone.com and staying up-to-date on conference happenings with an on-the-ground reporting team, comprised of environmental journalist Olivia Zaleski and Found Objects Films founder Gabriel London, who will post daily recaps and exclusive interviews at www.earthkeeper.com/ActionCenter.

In addition to the “Don’t Tell Us It Can’t Be Done” online campaign, Timberland is connecting with consumers on climate change through global advertising, in-store displays and social networks like Twitter and Facebook. And the campaign doesn’t end after the COP15 conference. No matter the result of the conference, Timberland will continue to call for commitment to the long-term outcome. The company has already achieved a 27 percent reduction in emissions since 2006, committed to building all new U.S. stores to LEED standards and implemented the Green Index, which measures and reports on products’ environmental impact, to help inform the design process.

What’s more, Timberland’s sincere attempts to drive social justice through commerce are paying off. President and CEO Jeff Swartz has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Fast Company and The Sunday Times, and on Fox Business Network’s America’s Nightly Scoreboard and several major UK stations to discuss the company’s environmental commitments. And Timberland’s Earthkeeper collection, comprised of eco-friendly gear, now accounts for about 5 percent of total sales—proof that companies don’t have to choose between making a profit and doing good.

 

- Erin Zwaska, Account Executive

Tags: environment newmedia timberland cop15 corporateresponsibility

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July 17, 2009 at 11:30 AM by Knowledge Leadership

The media was abuzz with industry-changing news from retail giant Walmart this week. The company has begun the tricky process of establishing a worldwide “sustainable product index” for its suppliers, with the goal of eventually displaying this on all products it carries. The concept is not new – other companies such as Timberland and Nike have already created their own product evaluation systems – but the goal is to develop the first comprehensive source of data for evaluating sustainability across all products. In the final phase of the process, the company intends to equip consumers with a simple rating system that will disclose product sustainability, allowing consumers to make more informed purchase decisions. As Walmart CEO Mike Duke stated, the company wants to “create a new retail standard for the 21st century.”

 

Although the consumer-facing label will take a few years to develop, the company will begin the process by first surveying its more than 100,000 suppliers on current practices using a 15 question survey focused on energy and climate, material efficiency, natural resources and people and community. Walmart chief merchandising officer John Fleming explained, “The questions aren’t complicated but we’ve never before systematically asked for this kind of information. The survey is a key first step toward establishing real transparency in our supply chain.” Following this, Walmart will collaborate with several universities, governments, suppliers and other retailers to develop a global sustainability index.

 

Suppliers whose products are currently on Walmart shelves will no doubt be scrambling to shine light on their sustainability initiatives. This will be an exciting opportunity for those companies already working to reduce their impacts to display their environmental stewardship. Those not already operating with the environment and society in mind, and/or those not measuring such data, will have a lot of work to do in the coming months. And yet, the generality of Walmart’s questionnaire, which doesn’t delve into product-specific or even industry-specific nuances, just skims the sustainability surface. It leaves lots of room for interpretation, and it is not clear how – or if – Walmart will verify the data.

 

That said, Walmart’s vision is a worthy one and establishing a shared baseline for the industry is a monumental step indeed. The retailing giant, already credited with helping set the standard for items like concentrated laundry detergent, likely has the wherewithal to bring something this complex to life. If the rest of the retail industry joins this effort, it could be gamechanging.

 

Tags: transparency walmart timberland labels corporateresponsibility

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