Brands with a Conscience: How to Build a Successful and Responsible Brand

by Nicholas Ind (Editor), Sandra Horlings (Editor)

The definitive expert guide to ethical brand practice from the prestigious Medinge Group, Brands with a Conscience dissects the philosophies underpinning sustainable brands to arrive at a set of eight clear guiding attributes which can be used as the foundation of a strategy for responsible growth. These attributes span the public persona of an organization, the actions to take when things go wrong, the effort invested in developing relationships, the promotion of core values and balancing measures of success across economic, human, social and environmental factors. They are then used as the criteria to assess twelve carefully selected case studies, which include Dilmah Tea, H&M, Dr. Hauschka, Merci and the John Lewis Partnership, amongst other leading international brands. Because the potential to have bad practice unmasked or to have successes amplified online is greater than ever, it pays to adopt a strategy that builds customer loyalty and trust.

Brands with a Conscience inspires via examples of brands which not only exhibit a genuine desire to operate ethically, but also have seen impressive success in terms of engagement with consumers, reputation, and return on investment. The book includes a range of practical tools to bring together the main concepts in an easy-to-adopt framework for building a brand strategy based upon real world experience. If you are a brand manager or marketing professional seeking a conscientious approach to consumer engagement, then Brands with a Conscience will support you every step of the way.

Genres: Business

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 29, 2016

Reviews

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can a brand be a responsible brand? Surely a brand would not be knowingly irresponsible? The authors of this book and chapter contributors seek to show how a brand can have a conscience, being both successful and responsible at the same time.

It is not as far-fetched or impossible as it may first seem, since the public persona of an organization or brand is increasingly critical, especially in the age of social media where a sleight or mistake (whether justified or not) can be amplified beyond all recognition at lightning-speed and the Internet’s memory can be long and not necessarily forgiving. The reader is taken through the entire range of activities from developing the brand’s being to what to do when things start to go a little pear-shaped! Backed up by great theoretical advice, practical experience and a range of case studies, the reader can clearly understand the situation and formulate their own plans and strategies. The implementation might be the hardest part, but “no gain without pain” is an understood motto.

The book is relatively concise, yet it does not feel as if any shortcuts have been taken and you are definitely going to get your money’s worth. This is not a read-once sort of book and it may be a frequently consulted companion. There should be no shame in checking back on a key point or strategic action point.

The book notes rather well: “No matter what industry or size, whether you are an entrepreneur or a global corporation, the principles of conscientious branding apply. No effort is too small. Let the stories in this book be your inspiration and motivation. The time has come – business must change. The world demands it. Technology can enable it. But only your actions can make it happen. What will you do? The longest journey that people must take is the 18 inches between their heads and their hearts – then the most important step any organization or individual for that matter can take is the first step of that journey.”

Are you ready for that journey? Maybe after reading the book you will realise that there is a journey to be taken and you’d be a fool to not be joining in on the ride.

There is a wealth of additional, interesting background information that just pours out of the book. It delivers more than just what the core subject promises. The publisher has done an excellent job in corralling all of this information together, aided by a skilful editing process, so it is not an onerous book. Blink and you may miss something – you will pick out additional points with each reading. If you view the book as a series of fast-paced, compact executive briefings or snapshots built around a broad theme that are easy to pick up and run with you won’t be disappointed by its delivery. Information provided is informative and assistive, rather than hectoring and being reactive. You do not notice you are reading a fairly hefty textbook in other words.

This is a highly recommended book. You don’t necessarily need to have a brand under your supervision to benefit from it. It may help, yet you still will get a lot of useful information regardless.

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relevant overview of famous brands, active in different domains - from food to heavy industry - that choose to offer a responsible alternative to consumerism. Made up of different success stories of brands appreciated for their social involvement and not only, the book offers an interesting perspective about what can be done to challenge the old business paradigms. Either you are a simple consumer or part of the business establishment, this book will open new paths and create the premises for a dramatically different approach.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review