Green and Bare It
Corporate reputation has always been a foundation of brand strength, yet expectations for corporate behavior have never been higher.

The basic strategy for companies used to be as simple as avoiding land mines (e.g. employee and public safety incidents) and giving back a bit to the local community.  After the spate of corporate ethics antics of the late 1990s, the public realized at once how much damage corporate leaders can do to a business, and how much they yearn for companies to be a positive force for good .

Excessive focus on short-term financial performance and market share gain consumes a tremendous amount of a company's energy, and leaves precious little to pursue the higher goals on the people's wish list:
  • Environmental stewardship, beyond using minimal energy resources to operate its business, it includes taking a leadership role in developing solutions for climate change
  • Model employer,  beyond offering competitive-paying jobs, this means hiring local employees and using local vendors where possible, and being a catalyst for regional economic growth 
  • Community contributor, with active involvement in the local issues that people care about, and generous support through its financial and volunteer resources.
  • Transparency, of all company activities and intentions, for better or for worse.  Information breeds empowerment, lack of information breeds fear.

A balanced Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) strategy is required to enable companies to meet the goals of a "triple bottom line":  economic, environmental, and social.  Branding Matters has the solid expertise to help clients take the proper early steps in thinking through the challenging sustainability decisions every company faces.
Branding Matters LLCPhone: 603.312.8457Email:  tim@branding-matters.net