filter by tag: sharedresponsibility
Out with Transparency: In with Transparent Brands
This week the Sustainable Apparel Coalition – comprised of big brands such as Patagonia, Timberland and H&M – announced efforts to build a database of the environmental impacts along the apparel production supply chain. Eventually, the database will help ensure every garment sold has a consumer-facing sustainability score, clearly communicating impacts to the purchaser in a form they understand.
Companies in the coalition come from different points along the sustainability journey, yet each is willing to share operational challenges and collectively focus on issues that matter to the industry. Engagement with other companies, nonprofits and government organizations to realize shared solutions is a win for all involved. More importantly, it brings corporate operational challenges and innovations to consumers in a relevant and approachable way.
Although transparency can be scary for companies and most organizations are still in the nascent stages, building a transparent brand is the new path to better business and brand trust. Cone’s senior vice president, Jonathan Yohannan, shares his thoughts on what it means to be a transparent brand – including 10 essentials for building one – on our website.
Have you been impressed by how a transparent brand has made operational issues accessible and relevant to consumers or other stakeholders? We welcome you to share your examples below.
Posts under the Knowledge Leadership byline come from Knowledge
Leadership team members Sarah Kerkian and Casey Brennan. Follow us on
Twitter: @ConeLLC, @SarahKerkian, @CaseyB
Tags: corporateresponsibility transparency labels sharedresponsibility
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Laws that Encourage the Triple Bottom Line
California introduced a bill this week that will make it easier for businesses to pursue a social or environmental mission with equal fervor as they pursue profits. The classic argument against corporate social responsibility initiatives is that they interfere with the primary responsibility of business – to drive shareholder returns. This sentiment is often used against investment in social or environmental issues, as current law in many states allows shareholders or investors to sue companies taking environmental or social measures that negatively affect shareholder financial returns (such as a philanthropic donation or investment in energy retrofits). The proposed bill would establish a new model of business called a “flexible purpose corporation,” allowing companies in California to give equal weight to all elements of the triple bottom line.
The California bill is the latest in a number of proposals on the state level to encourage responsible business practices. Nonprofit organization B Lab advocates nationwide for what it dubs Benefit Corporations – “a new class of corporations that are required to create a material positive impact on society and the environment.” Maryland and Vermont have already enacted Benefit Corporation legislation and several other states are following suit by introducing bills for review.
For years, Cone has studied and preached the business case for engaging in cause and corporate responsibility activities. We know these efforts can help drive reputation, employee loyalty and sales for companies. Yet the focus on short-term shareholder returns still exists as the biggest barrier to doing good. With legislation supporting new, dual-benefit business models – such as flexible purpose corporations and Benefit Corporations – business and social good can live together in harmony. We are encouraged by the efforts in California, Maryland and Vermont and look forward to seeing the potential influx of for-profit companies with social and environmental missions baked into their DNA.
Posts under the Knowledge Leadership byline come from Knowledge
Leadership team members Sarah Kerkian and Casey Brennan. Follow us on
Twitter: @ConeLLC, @SarahKerkian, @CaseyB
Tags: Leadership trends sharedresponsibility corporateresponsibility causebranding
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Cone Leads the U.S. Sustainability Communications Market
Cone is pleased to be recognized as a leader in sustainability communications in the just released “Green Quadrant: Sustainability Communications Agencies (US),” conducted by independent research firm Verdantix.
This is the second commendation for Cone’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) discipline this year, as it was earlier named a top five corporate responsibility agency by CR Magazine.
Tags: Leadership sharedresponsibility corporateresponsibility cone awards
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Why Corporate Responsibility Lives (Despite The WSJ Trying To Kill It)
The Wall Street Journal prominently featured an opinion piece this week challenging Corporate Social Responsibility. The article, authored by University of Michigan business school professor Aneel Karnani, argues that it is “fundamentally flawed” to believe companies have a responsibility to act in the public interest. Professor Karnani takes the position that “in most cases, doing what’s best for society means sacrificing profits.” Since he believes all business decisions should be based on maximizing profits, he warns that CSR is “dangerous,” and “an illusion.” 
Karnani’s argument is based on two faulty premises. First, the reality is that Corporate Social Responsibility – properly planned and practiced – can and does drive profitability. Second, the reality is that with corporate sins and secrets spilling onto computer screens, empowering citizen activists, it is in a company’s self-interest to consider the public interest.
At Cone, we call this “Better Business, Greater Good.” And we talk about “Corporate Responsibility” – dropping the word “social” – because key aspects of the strategy also impact economic and environmental business practices.
read more...
Tags: corporateresponsibility roi research trends walmart sharedresponsibility
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Playing Nice for a Sustainable Future
When it comes to corporate responsibility, sharing with others is at times more valuable than keeping things to yourself – even if it means playing nice with your competitors. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve observed an impressive number of organizations coming together to address long-standing barriers to sustainability. The efforts have been diverse across sectors, yet all require a new level of collaboration with others in their fields.
Solving for Companies: The Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), two reporting organizations, collaborated to form the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC). The mission of the new group is to create a global framework for integrated reporting that brings together financial, environmental, social and governance information in a clear, concise, consistent, comparable and integrated format. The IIRC hopes to make this integrated reporting mandatory for large companies.
Solving for Suppliers: Companies within the Outdoor Industry Alliance developed the Eco Index, an environmental assessment tool that provides an environmental footprint benchmark to organizations throughout the supply chain. The tool will help suppliers identify areas for improvement and make informed sourcing and product life cycle decisions.
Solving for Manufacturers: Greenbiz.com and UL Environment are collaborating to create sustainability standards for manufacturing organizations, called ULE 880. The standards will guide manufactures in several areas of sustainability, including governance, environment and community engagement. The draft is currently open for public comment, allowing people to submit thoughts and ideas about the design of the standard – a true demonstration of co-creation.
Solving for Small Businesses: Green America, a nonprofit member organization, announced its Green America Exchange (GAEx), a barter network for small businesses that “promotes trade between America's sustainable and socially responsible enterprises.” The GAEx will help provide its members with a flexible way to purchase goods and services without spending cash, giving a needed boost to small businesses at the heart of America's green economy.
Until now, many sustainability efforts have been individual, disparate and inward-facing. The work of these groups to come together to co-create solutions to problems they all face will push the sustainability needle forward and help eliminate many of the inefficiencies organizations face when they take the journey alone. The road ahead may be difficult to predict, but we foresee playing nice as paying off.
Tags: trends sustainability corporateresponsibility sharedresponsibility
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Good Competition
Get your game face on because this summer, companies, government agencies and nonprofits are all offering big bucks for game-changing ideas that contribute to the greater good. Conscious consumers and innovators are suiting up to compete for the opportunity to make an impact.
- This week, GE announced the Ecomagination Challenge, which invites inventors, entrepreneurs and startups to compete to develop the next-generation of power grid technologies. The $200 million in prize funding will be doled out in $50,000 to $500,000 increments starting this September.
- The EPA recently announced a National Building Competition, where commercial buildings will compete to shed the most energy waste. Fourteen buildings across the country have been selected to contend for the winner’s title.
- Pepsi extended its Refresh Project by issuing a special Do Good for the Gulf Initiative. Starting this week, participants compete for part of the $1.3 million in grants the beverage giant has set aside for projects that help Gulf residents.
- Also seeking to aid the Gulf crisis, the X PRIZE Foundation is developing a multi-million dollar competition for ideas that will help alleviate the effects of the BP oil spill. Although planning is still underway, oil-cleanup innovators are ramping up for what will likely be a fierce competition.
Leading companies know corporate responsibility is more than just handing over a check. If some friendly competition is what it takes to captivate stakeholders and foster a sense of shared responsibility to solve pressing social and environmental issues – then game on!
Tags: engagement campaigns corporateresponsibility contests causebranding sharedresponsibility
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The Debate of Mandatory CR Reporting
In 1989, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, nonprofit organization CERES developed the CERES Principles (previously “Valdez Principles”), which introduced specific environmental reporting guidelines. These values became the driving force behind the Global Reporting Initiative standards, which, today, 77 percent of the global 250 use to disclose environmental, social and governance data.
Corporate Responsibility (CR) reporting – often referred to as sustainability reporting – is a voluntary tool used to exercise transparency and proactive engagement on key issues. But what if it was mandated, much like financial reporting? Would this be good for companies? Society? These questions were up for debate in a recent BSR article (membership required), which followed a conversation sparked during the annual conference hosted by the organization. Experts from all sides are debating the implications of such mandates. Highlights include:
Pros of Mandating CR Reporting:
- Gives sustainability the same weight of importance as financial performance
- Creates an equal playing field for companies – requiring all to disclose their practices
- Drives corporate action for positive environmental change
- Encourages companies to simply “check the box” – which goes against the value of Shared Responsibility
- Presents challenge to itemize issues material to all companies across all sectors – therefore, hard to create a standard set of reporting criteria
- Puts liability on companies to ensure accuracy
The question also remains about whether reporting can be an effective tool to meet the demands of all stakeholders. Whether you are for or against reporting mandates, Cone’s research shows consumers are looking to companies to solve societal ills. Most (91%) want companies to communicate their commitments, yet two thirds (67%) of consumers are confused by the messages companies use to talk about their commitments. The challenge for companies today is to create reports or other communications that engage and meet the demands of a range of audiences, including those looking for credible data and those seeking the story behind each CR program.
Reporting is no longer about checking the box. So perhaps it’s less important to debate whether reporting should be mandatory, but rather how CR reports should be executed to meet varied stakeholders’ needs for transparent, yet digestible and relevant information.
Tags: engagement corporateresponsibility sustainability sharedresponsibility
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2010 Cause Marketing Forum Recap: Engagement is Key
I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 Cause Marketing Forum Conference in Chicago this month, and as always, David Hessekiel and his team did a great job encouraging conversation on hot topics in the industry.
Many of the discussions I heard and was a part of at the conference - and afterward - have been around legal issues (Ed Chansky scared everyone in a good way), transparency (Cone's Mike Lawrence helped to simplify it for everyone) and choosing the right partners (Komen & KFC is still being talked about heavily).
Ultimately, the common thread running through all of these topics is the need to engage stakeholders in your cause branding and corporate responsibility activities. At Cone, we call this "Shared Responsibility" and feel strongly that it's where the industry needs to go.
To have the greatest social impact, companies must move beyond philanthropy and transactional cause marketing toward supporting issues that are material to business growth and allow for stakeholders to be engaged in collaborative solutions.
Margaret Morey-Reuner from Timberland (Cone client) spoke directly to this concept during the “CSR Meets CM” dinner, sharing how Timberland has actively engaged consumers through its Earthkeeper program to provide input and be "Voices of Challenge."
No one company or nonprofit can do it alone. By embracing Shared Responsibility, not only can you better identify and avoid potential legal, transparency and partner selection issues, but you can also empower stakeholders to help drive innovation and become true advocates for your efforts.
- Chris Mann, Account Director
Tags: causebranding cone engagement sharedresponsibility conferences transparency
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Consumers as Activists – Against Your Cause
Consumers rule the roost when it comes to online conversations. Technology, paired with low trust in business, has created the perfect environment for consumers to broadcast their objections to business practices and programs. And communicating your well-meaning cause effort is no guarantee the chatter will always be nice.
Case in point: the online backlash to KFC’s “Buckets for the Cure,” which was met with seething criticism by both consumers and seasoned cause marketers. The disconnect between the issue (breast cancer) and the product (fried chicken) was the main point of contention. As the conversation simmered, both the fast food chain and the nonprofit partner came under attack. The fact that this partnership has raised millions to-date is lost, perhaps forever, amid the perfect storm of skeptical consumers and critical chatter online.
The best defense? A good offense. Engage the would-be activists early in the process to better predict what issues could arise. In fact, our research found that consumers want to be engaged in the decision-making process for your social or environmental efforts. To help influence initiatives, consumers are willing to take part in a variety of activities, including participating in a survey (70%) or emailing, calling or talking with the company or an employee (32%). By providing these forums for consumers to voice their opinions, organizations will be better equipped to react to possible criticism and adjust their programs accordingly.
And the benefits don’t end there. When their ideas are put to work, consumers are more likely to buy those products and services (60%), feel more loyal to the organization (54%) and are more likely to recommend it to others (51%). So before you tie a ribbon on your soon-to-launch product, why not ask your consumers what they think about the cause, the nonprofit partner and the details? They’ll be eager to engage, and it may just swap a future headache for a brand halo.
Tags: research cone engagement advocacy sharedresponsibility
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New Research: Engaging Consumers to Achieve Shared Responsibility
For more than 30 years, we have been helping organizations address social and environmental issues (Cause Branding) and change the way they operate for maximum business and societal benefit (Corporate Responsibility). Today, we see a convergence of these distinctive yet synergistic business strategies taking place. We call this intersection of business and society “Shared Responsibility,” and believe the future of sustainable business rests in this alignment – where companies will collaborate with their stakeholders to help address the social and environmental obstacles that stand in the way of greater business opportunity.
In light of this emerging perspective, we fielded research to explore how companies can take a “Shared Responsibility” approach and more effectively collaborate with consumers to help solve social and environmental issues. The Cone 2010 Shared Responsibility Study revealed that despite great opportunity, companies are not quite making the grade when it comes to engaging consumers. Key findings include:
- Eighty-four percent of Americans believe their ideas can help companies create products and services that are a win for consumers, business and society; yet, only half (53%) feel companies are effectively encouraging them to speak up on corporate social and environmental practices and products.
- Three-quarters (75%) of Americans give companies a “C” or below on how they’re engaging consumers around key issues.
- If a company incorporated their ideas, consumers say they would be more likely to buy its products and services (60%), more loyal (54%) and more likely to recommend the company (51%).
Tags: research cone engagement sharedresponsibility
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Big Things Come with Small Changes
As companies tackle climate change, the global water crisis and human rights abuses across the world, we have one question – did they remember to turn off the lights? It might seem routine, but the little changes are still making a big difference for companies, including Ford, which expects to save at least $1.2 million with a management system that will turn off idle computers. Not only will this save money and benefit the bottom line, it will also reduce its carbon emissions by 25,000 metric tons a year.
And simple changes hold true for consumers as well. Washington D.C.’s five cent tax on plastic bags, instated in January 2009, resulted in a huge drop in the number of bags distributed – from a monthly average of 22.5 million in 2009 to only 3 million in January 2010. Shoppers needed the monetary incentive to bring their reusable bags more often. The result was not only less waste, but also over $150,000 in revenue to support cleanup projects in the area.
We’re all pushing the corporate responsibility agenda forward, and there’s no question that simple financial and resource efficiencies won’t solve all of the problems before us. But, as we venture into Earth month, and you continue to tackle the big issues of our time with progressive social and environmental initiatives, don’t overlook the small changes your organization can make. You could implement them today, and they just may add up to something big.
Tags: corporateresponsibility environment sharedresponsibility
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Who is Responsible for the Nation's Health? Everyone
If there is one social issue capturing attention this week it is the nation’s health, following the monumental signing of healthcare reform legislation by the U.S. government. No matter which side of the debate you sit on, perhaps there is one shared reality – true change will come only when all sectors work together to create solutions. In fact, most Americans (89%) expect business, government and nonprofit organizations to work collaboratively to solve social issues.
We are already seeing a lot of cross-sector momentum which demonstrates a sense of shared responsibility. Organizations have started working together to address the national concerns of childhood obesity and healthy schools. A few recent initiatives include:
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Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to fight childhood obesity, supported by the dairy industry
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The American Beverage Association’s agreement to remove high-calorie beverages from schools, which includes key industry players PepsiCo and Coca-Cola
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Jamba Juice and the National Parent Teacher Association's (PTA) creation of a smoothie to help young people get their daily servings of fruit
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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s partnership with ABC for the premier of “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” a reality series where he sets out to make over the eating habits of families in the “nation’s unhealthiest city”
The government is forcing change, but the responsibility rests on everyone. National health is too large for one organization or sector to tackle alone. Leaders of all sectors should take time to consider how they will impact the issue, and what role they will play in promoting national health solutions. What role will your organization play? Share your plans in the comments below.
Tags: health youth currentevents campaigns sharedresponsibility
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Shared Responsibility: Solving Malaria Together
Malaria has long been a global epidemic, with sub-Saharan Africans under the age of 5 bearing the brunt of almost all the estimated 3 million fatalities occurring every year. Nothing But Nets and similar programs have made great strides toward preventing the spread of this disease in African nations, but a cure has not yet been found.
Image: http://www.gsk.com/community/malaria/factsheets/amp_english.pdf
Some may say it’s a problem too big to solve – but GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) thinks otherwise. This week, the global pharmaceutical giant announced it will freely distribute its malaria research to any scientist interested in joining the challenge – marking the first time that a pharmaceutical company has made so much of its data public. What’s more, GSK will provide “open lab” placements for 60 scientists at one of its research labs and is collaborating with Medicines for Malaria Venture, a foundation focused on anti-malarial drug development. In an industry that is often highly confidential and competitive, GSK intends to use open-source collaboration to solve this epidemic.
This collaborative approach to the research process could speed solutions. As Dr. Timothy Wells of the Medicines for Malaria Venture notes, “By sharing the data, the research community…could set a new trend to revolutionize the urgent search for new medicines to tackle malaria.”
GSK is making a huge statement for the pharmaceutical industry, and for all of the corporate world, by recognizing some problems are too big and too important to solve alone. By engaging the right stakeholders, sharing knowledge and taking a collaborative approach to critical social issues, GSK could be changing the way solutions are found for both business and society.
Tags: research engagement global sharedresponsibility disease
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Blog Action Day 2009: Y Care About Climate Change?
Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. The 2009 topic is climate change.
Is climate change today’s Y2K? A hyped-up, get-on-the-bandwagon cause that is misguiding our limited attention and dollars? Or, is it the struggle of our generation which will be the root cause of expanding poverty and political instability? We know it’s the latter, so how can any of us make a difference and ensure consumers see it with the same urgency? It’s our responsibility to go beyond the numbers, beyond 350 parts per million, to inspire people to believe that they too can have an impact on something that feels so big and intangible.
The threat is real, the science is in, and we must change our perspective and our actions. As consumers, we need to rethink how we consume - from the products we buy for our kids to the investments we make in our homes. As marketers, we need to build the case for urgent action. Our new sense of pragmatism with the economy is today's opportunity. If cost savings is the driver, let it reign. Whatever it takes to make a difference for planet Earth.
Tags: corporateresponsibility environment recycle sharedresponsibility blogactionday
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Making a (Collective) Difference
It’s the little things that count - when you add up the small efforts of many, they can create real change. As consumers, we adopt simple behaviors that can make a collective difference; turn off the faucet, pick up a piece of trash, buy a product that donates to a cause, recycle a soda can. When times are tough and cash donations are in short supply, how can companies adopt this concept to make a difference in society?
While cash remains critical to any nonprofit’s ability to fulfill its mission, this recession has led to innovative examples of companies leveraging assets, beyond cash, to solve social problems. Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University notes that many companies wanting to conserve cash have shifted from financial donations to in-kind contributions – taking a little and making it into something bigger.
Some companies offer employees a few hours time to volunteer for nonprofits, which combined can amount to hundreds of hours in professional services otherwise unaffordable. Others are donating new or unused materials that meet the needs of nonprofits, which when taken collectively can have big results.
In an interesting new approach to in-kind, a group of airline financiers has established a program called ISTAT AirLink that allows easy donation of unreserved airline seats and cargo space to causes who need to get volunteers and supplies abroad. The program brings together several airline carriers with excess space, offering valuable resources to nonprofit organizations.
A key part of this program’s success is the centralized organization, which allows aid agencies to list people, medicine and supplies they need shipped on a Web site, and permits airlines to post spare seats or cargo space. The result; nonprofits get people and resources on the ground, and companies are able to put to harness space which would otherwise be vacant. There is small added investment for the airline – extra cargo handling or passenger service – but the benefit to the nonprofit is huge. As airline financier and founding member Bob Brown notes, "If we can save an NGO a dollar in cost, that should flow right through to the people they're serving."
What excess capacity does your organization hold, and how can it be put to use for the greater good?
Tags: Volunteer economy donation corporategiving nonprofit sharedresponsibility charity trends
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Action Required: CGI Annual Meeting 2009
The 5th Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (CGI) wraps up today, leaving in its wake a list of new commitments to solve the world’s most pressing problems. The event is structured to spark action – boasting discussions, not presentations, and requiring results. Former president and meeting host Bill Clinton states, “If you don’t make a commitment or you make one and don’t keep it, you don’t get to come back. That’s what started it, that’s what makes it run.”
The results of the initiative to-date prove the effectiveness of this model: $46 billion in funding has been directed toward causes such as education, climate change and healthcare since the CGI inception in 2005.
Cross-sector collaboration is the other key tenant of the CGI. This year, a record 960 attendees representing 84 countries took part, including heads of state, celebrities and nonprofit and corporate leaders – a true Who’s Who of cross-sector leaders and dignitaries with personal passion for societal solutions. The media buzz alone surrounding the event helped spur action by attracting attention and notable donors to important causes. This year’s event focused on harnessing innovation for development, strengthening infrastructure, building human capital and financing equitable sustainable future. For the first time, the event also focused on narrowing the gender gap.
Action speaks loudly. As President Obama stressed during his kickoff speech, “You can't just be an advocate of someone else doing it, preach lofty goals and wait for someone else to act. You have to step up." Could his words hold true for G-20 Summit leaders gathering this weekend in Pittsburgh?
Tags: philanthropy currentevents charity sharedresponsibility CGI
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Shared Responsibility: Game Changers
Shared Responsibility is a new What Do You Stand For? series from Cone’s Corporate Responsibility team that focuses on addressing the sustainability challenges of our time.
Cause-related promotions and light-hearted campaigns have dominated much of the cause landscape this year as many companies took a “back-to-basics” approach to cause to drive short-term sales and loyalty. However, amid all the creative cause campaigns are the stirrings of a new crop of companies who, understanding their shared role in addressing crucial world issues, are stepping up to the plate to understand, to engage, to collaborate and to solve. These are the game-changers.
Two examples in the news this week:
P&G – No question, P&G is a cause leader with many of its brands executing some of the most creative and powerful campaigns in the marketplace today (e.g., Pampers’ One Pack = One Vaccine). But these campaigns all have their roots in a deeper corporate philosophy - P&G’s “purpose-inspired growth” strategy, which emphasizes the company’s culture and values as drivers for innovation and sales. New CEO Bob McDonald states, “We will provide branded products of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come. As a result, consumers will reward us with leadership sales, profit and value creations, allowing our people, our shareholders, and the communities in which we live and work to prosper.”
Merck & Co. – The pharmaceutical giant announced a partnership with British nonprofit the Wellcome Trust, to create affordable vaccines against diseases common in underdeveloped countries. Both partners will make equal cash contributions for the project, but what is most powerful is the “shared responsibility” approach this project requires. It will engage governments, charities, universities and other for-profit pharmaceutical companies for additional funding and solutions. Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose says, "The goal here is to involve a number of parties that would be interested in the success of vaccines in the developing world.”
“Shared responsibility” is about identifying the right opportunities to engage stakeholders and to collaborate to solve the world’s most pressing issues. It’s about being part of the solution, without going it alone. In these examples, company goals are not lost, but rather enhanced through collaboration, stakeholder engagement and a focus on innovation. These companies are not only supporting important social or environmental issues. They are also changing the way they – and others – do business.
Tags: corporateresponsibility causebranding trends sharedresponsibility
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Shared Responsibility: Green Tchotchkes - An Oxymoron?
Shared Responsibility is a new What Do You Stand For? series from Cone’s Corporate Responsibility team that focuses on addressing the sustainability challenges of our time.
I’ve spent the past year attending many conferences. Green conferences. Sustainability conferences. I’ve also spent time counseling clients on corporate responsibility thought leadership strategies and how to engage with key influencers. Some of these discussions go down to the pedantic, such as being appropriate in terms of the brand’s presence at shows.
At every show, there are branded reusable shopping bags. I have so many – too many – strategically placed in my office, in my car, etc. There are also a variety of other tchotchkes. I use the word because its definition is: inexpensive, showy trinket. I wonder if we could do ourselves a favor and not buy trinkets for the sake of branding, but instead spend time, money and resources on doing, connecting and making a collective difference in the issues that matter.
Instead of another pin, bag or magnet, why not sponsor an extra networking session, a special guest speaker or a donation to an important cause on behalf of attendees? Your company will still benefit from the brand recognition, but instead it will be tied to a thought-provoking discussion or issue, not desk drawer clutter. We can and do work with companies, NGOs and others to make this world a better place – one less trinket at a time.
- Jonathan Yohannan, Senior Vice President
Tags: environment corporateresponsibility conferences sharedresponsibility
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