Brands and responsible business
In 2009 the British Brands Group commissioned Fleishman-Hillard to conduct a study on the investment made by brands into responsible business practices and the developing partnership approach between Government and brands to deliver public policy goals. This included a review of projects such as Change4Life and the Campaign for Smarter Drinking.
The study, which was launched on 16th February 2010, comprises a series of essays which identify the significant investments in responsible activity, how such activity now lies at the core of business activity and how branded companies are increasingly partnering with Government to support the delivery of public policy.
The full study is available for download here (1MB).
If you prefer a 2-page Brand Briefing summarising the study, this is available here.
The key findings of the study are:
· Brands make significant investments in CSR programmes and sustainable activity – this includes making staff available to work with communities, developing sustainable supply chains and developing healthier products;
· Social responsibility is increasingly a part of core business activity;
· There is currently no comprehensive model for assessing the social, economic and environmental value of branded companies’ contribution through CSR;
· Brands are increasingly partnering with Government to support the delivery of public policy;
· Approximately £370 million has been invested by brands to support public policy partnerships;
· Early assessments of the impact of this investment show significant returns:
- Voluntary salt reduction targets have decreased salt consumption by 0.9g per day compared to 2000/1, preventing around 6,000 premature deaths every year saving £1.5 billion to the economy;
- Chewing Gum Action Group raised awareness of the responsible disposal of gum from 37% to 42% and reduced the “gum counts” by 62% in some areas;
- Defra has estimated that partnerships with retailers have reduced plastic bags distributed by 48% saving 130,000 tonnes of CO2;
· Branded companies are eager to see these partnerships continue.
