{"id":2878,"date":"2016-08-28T22:00:46","date_gmt":"2016-08-28T22:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/?p=2878"},"modified":"2023-10-16T19:11:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T19:11:35","slug":"ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Big Brands The Answer For a Brighter Future?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Will it be big brands who will be the answer to a more sustainable, ethical and brighter future for us all?\u00a0The \u201cus\u201d being the world?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Reported in July\u2019s Trend Briefing this is certainly a possibility \u2013 if we look to believe it and of course push to make it happen.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#The_beginning\" >The beginning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#Is_it_really_this_clear_cut\" >Is it really this clear cut?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#So_are_big_brands_really_in_charge\" >So are big brands really in charge?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#The_direction_of_travel\" >The direction of travel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#Having_an_ethical_and_sustainable_impact\" >Having an ethical and sustainable impact<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#Examples\" >Examples<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/2016\/08\/ethical-branding-big-brands-save-futureg\/#Not_new_just_bigger\" >Not new, just bigger<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_beginning\"><\/span>The beginning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It is often felt that it\u2019s some of the largest brands in the world which are causing our pollution. \u00a0Feeding us too much sugar, exploiting vulnerable workers. \u00a0Invading our privacy and even lying to us to boost sales.\u00a0 It\u2019s often because of their legacy in processes, infrastructure and thinking which means they cause more problems than possibly need to. \u00a0All because of the inability to adapt quickly to change to make it cost effective for them to do so.<\/p>\n<p>So what we\u2019re now seeing is start-up businesses showing us the way forward.\u00a0 Right from the outset these companies have values of sustainability, ethics and fairness.\u00a0 They\u2019re compact, agile and smart \u2013 it is this era in which they have been built and started.\u00a0 These terms and way of living are not new to these start-ups.<\/p>\n<p>The consequence?\u00a0 Millions of consumers actively want to engage with them \u2013 work for them.\u00a0 A company dedicated to serving consumers but also set on building a better world?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_really_this_clear_cut\"><\/span>Is it really this clear cut?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Well of course no.\u00a0 It is very much a simplification of the thinking, analysis and reality.<\/p>\n<p>Of course for start-ups it is a little simpler.\u00a0 They\u2019re starting from scratch so everything is new and they can automatically build better processes, business models, infrastructure and more.\u00a0 However, we also have to understand that start-ups also lack reach and resources. \u00a0As well as the overall lack of scale to effect widespread change.<\/p>\n<div class=\"thebr-posts-middle-2\" style=\"text-align: center;\" id=\"thebr-434187081\"><div id=\"thebr-3938182327\"><a class=\"advanced-image\" href=\"https:\/\/edu.thebrandingjournal.com\/ultimate-brand-building-system-marketers?utm_source=website&#038;utm_medium=banner&#038;utm_campaign=course_articles&#038;utm_content=blue_arrow\" data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n    <picture>\r\n        <source media=\"(max-width: 991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TBJ-Brand-Building-System-Blue-Arrow-300x250-1.gif\" type=\"image\"\/>\r\n        <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TBJ-Brand-Building-System-Blue-Arrow-600-x-300.gif\" type=\"image\"\/>\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"banner\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TBJ-Brand-Building-System-Blue-Arrow-600-x-300.gif\" alt=\"Course image\"\/>\r\n    <\/picture>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><\/div><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_are_big_brands_really_in_charge\"><\/span>So are big brands really in charge?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Well according to Trend Watching, yes.\u00a0 They are the cause of the problem, so let\u2019s think about the possibility of them changing their ways for good.\u00a0 For example could some of the biggest brands in the world such as Coca-Cola, Toyota, McDonalds and Starbucks be the saviours of consumerism? \u00a0The guiding force behind the creation of a better world?<\/p>\n<p>These brands have huge target audiences.\u00a0 They reach far and wide and have vast material and human resources at their disposal.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Not only this they have decades of accumulated skills and knowledge all within specific sectors\/arenas.<\/p>\n<p>What Trend Watching are questioning, is, is it time for these big named brands to start putting what they have to better use?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_direction_of_travel\"><\/span>The direction of travel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Creating a trend where we refocus a big brand around a problem that they are best positioned to solve.\u00a0 This may seem a little \u201cout there\u201d but could it be a trend to catch on?\u00a0 Think about it from a brands point of view. \u00a0 It could \u00a0not only make them more powerful than their competitors in the eyes of the consumer it could also in turn, increase their sales.<\/p>\n<p>Consumers are now becoming more educated and aware of the negative eco, social and health impact of their decisions, on what they buy, what they eat, what they drink etc.<\/p>\n<p>According to Edelman Trust Barometer, 2016, they state that \u201ceight out of ten people say it is the responsibility of business to lead the solution of social problems\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Having_an_ethical_and_sustainable_impact\"><\/span>Having an ethical and sustainable impact<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Of course, big brands do carry out and have their programs which reach out, help and support communities, people, sports etc.\u00a0 But what is being discussed here is how they can really compete to win: on size, reach and their potential impact.<\/p>\n<p>It is these elements which a start-up, with all the good intentions in the world, can\u2019t compete on.<\/p>\n<p>For brands, it\u2019s not about them removing the bad altogether. \u00a0It\u2019s about changing mindsets and engaging with audiences, in only a way in which that brand can.<\/p>\n<div class=\"thebr-posts-end-2\" style=\"text-align: center;\" id=\"thebr-2126677631\"><div id=\"thebr-3778572130\"><a class=\"advanced-image\" href=\"https:\/\/edu.thebrandingjournal.com\/brand-improvement-mini-course?utm_source=website&#038;utm_medium=banner&#038;utm_campaign=mini_course_articles&#038;utm_content=green\" data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n    <picture>\r\n        <source media=\"(max-width: 991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mini-Course-Green-300x250-1.png\" type=\"image\/png\"\/>\r\n        <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mini-Course-Green-600x300-1.png\" type=\"image\/png\"\/>\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"banner\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mini-Course-Green-600x300-1.png\" alt=\"mini-course image\"\/>\r\n    <\/picture>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><\/div><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Examples\"><\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Examples<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Looking at the future what if brands such as Adidas committed to making every pair of its shoes from recycled ocean plastic (around 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year).\u00a0 The more consumers buy, the more good they do?<\/p>\n<p>Airline Transavia has been offering cost-price accommodation and direct flights from Amsterdam to Levos for volunteers helping with the refugee crisis on the island.\u00a0 But what if Transavia became the airline that helps humanitarian workers worldwide get to where they are needed the most?<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Oil company Shell opened a human and solar-powered football pitch in Lagos, Nigeria.\u00a0 The pitch features over 90 underground titles, which capture kinetic energy created by movement of the players; the energy is then combined with the power of the solar panels to operate floodlights.\u00a0 But taking this a step further what if Shell became the company that builds a clean energy future in Africa?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_new_just_bigger\"><\/span>Not new, just bigger<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This trend isn\u2019t a new thing.\u00a0 It\u2019s simply being thought about on a bigger scale.\u00a0 It is, however, now turning into a branding mega trend.\u00a0 Identifying a problem and knowing how your brand can solve it.\u00a0 Whilst also accepting that this can\u2019t be necessarily for monetary gain.\u00a0 But for long term sustainability and also power.<\/p>\n<p>For many brands, they\u2019re already noticing the change in consumer behavior.\u00a0 And processes and procedures are slowly starting to change to fit with this more dynamic and self-aware world.\u00a0 But I agree with Trend Watching, for brands to really make a difference and be remembered in history, they have to use their reach and their resources on a much larger scale.<\/p>\n<p>We talk about how powerful a brand can be for a company but in this essence we\u2019re talking about power on a global scale.\u00a0 We\u2019re assuming that they can do things that no one else can, in some cases, not even national governments.<\/p>\n<p>If this is the case then all of a sudden it does seem possible that big brands could possibly be the ones to change the world, make a difference and reach people in a different way.<\/p>\n<p>To finish &#8211; we invite you to watch this very interesting TED Talk by Jason Clay. He convinced\u00a0just 100 key companies to go sustainable. You will find out more about how can big <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a id=\"march\" style=\"text-decoration: none; color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/showboxforipad.com\/download-showbox-for-ipad-iphone\/\">Showbox for iPhone<\/a><\/span> brands make a big and positive difference in today&#8217;s world:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.ted.com\/talks\/jason_clay_how_big_brands_can_save_biodiversity.html\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>What about you? Do you think big brands have the power to solve\u00a0most of the today&#8217;s world issues?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>References: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/trendwatching.com\/trends\/big-brand-redemption\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trend Watching<br \/>\n<\/a><\/em><em><strong>Pictures from:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<em>Huffingtonpost.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Will it be big brands who will be the answer to a more sustainable, ethical and brighter future&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Reported in July\u2019s Trend Briefing this is certainly a possibility \u2013 if we look to believe it and of course push to make it happen.","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[207,729,4,524],"tags":[645,644,647,480,270,648,646,527],"ppma_author":[757],"class_list":{"0":"post-2878","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brand-strategy","8":"category-ethical-branding","9":"category-news","10":"category-trends","11":"tag-big-brands","12":"tag-brand-trends","13":"tag-ethical","14":"tag-future","15":"tag-global","16":"tag-global-brands","17":"tag-sustainability","18":"tag-trends","19":"cs-entry","20":"cs-video-wrap"},"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":207,"label":"Brand Strategy"},{"value":729,"label":"Ethical Branding"},{"value":4,"label":"News"},{"value":524,"label":"Trends"}],"post_tag":[{"value":645,"label":"big brands"},{"value":644,"label":"brand trends"},{"value":647,"label":"ethical"},{"value":480,"label":"future"},{"value":270,"label":"global"},{"value":648,"label":"global brands"},{"value":646,"label":"sustainability"},{"value":527,"label":"trends"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/big-brands-ethical-the-branding-journal.jpg",570,379,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Amanda Wright","author_link":"https:\/\/www.thebrandingjournal.com\/author\/amanda-w\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":207,"name":"Brand Strategy","slug":"brand-strategy","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":207,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Brand strategies are made out of so many different steps, from defining a brand purpose and positioning to brand identity. 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