Abstract

Sustainable brands may have started as 'doing less harm' and shaving costs off the bottom line. But brands today, supported by over a decade of phenomenal changes in sustainability, are looking for the holy grail of sustainable business -- a fusion of products and branding that can actually drive sustainability and grow the business top line. Consumers have already joined the party. Just look at TOMS, Patagonia, Method, Seventh Generation, Dove and many more. What is missing isn’t the consumer but a better understanding of what fully-rounded consumers really want in their quest for a healthy, fulfilling life. This guide by sustainable brand expert Henk Campher is the model for creating a sustainable brand that people can trust, buy and above all, advocate for. Campher cuts through the myths and noise to offer an experienced expert's 101 for creating an irresistible brand, clearly setting out: what makes a product or service sustainable; the basic elements of sustainable branding strategy and a deep understanding of how consumers connect with a brand; an original model for assessing the sustainability of your brand, and; a host of examples of sustainable brands, drawing on the author's firsthand experience as part of the team at Edelman and Oxfam and founder of the Nelson Mandela initiated Proudly South African campaign.
Creating and building a sustainable brand is all about putting beliefs, business, and a brand into engaged action. This action will require confidence & courage, with some great guidance from thought leaders like Henk. At this stage, we all know the ‘why’, but this book provides the ‘how’ in the journey towards our common future. JAMES CURLEIGH, President, Levi’s * "What it means to create and nurture a ‘sustainable brand’ is different today than it was just a few short years ago – and it is evolving daily. Henk has laid out the ingredients and a recipe for today’s brands striving to break through relevance and affinity to a true consumer relationship. This to-the-point Guide to Creating a Sustainable Brand provides actionable tools that can be put to work immediately." DAVE STANGIS, Vice President of Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility at Campbell Soup Company, President, Campbell Soup Foundation * "Henk is one of the smartest in the sustainable brand business. Now he busts the myths we have about what that means. He uses great research to show us what we now need to know - 'What does really change the Customer's life, and bond them to you, anyway?' Henk tells us how to how to grow a brand, responsibly, and the revenue that brings." CAROL SANFORD, author The Responsible Entrepreneur and The Responsible Business