Brands Going Green

With nearly every industry and company out there “going green” Two West decided to take a look at consumer reactions and the socially responsible efforts of different industries. Check out the podcast to listen to our interview with Mary Gorman, associate provost of Dartmouth University. Gorman discusses Dartmouth’s sustainability efforts and how they encourage students to “go green.”

There was a lot that we didn’t get to with this show. Check out “Man on the Street” interviews we conducted. Listen to real people discuss the greening trend and their own efforts towards sustainability.

In addition there were several surveys we weren’t able to discuss on the show. Let us know what you think of them. Do you agree with them? Do these brands ring true to being green in your opinion?

A 2007 ImagePower Green Brands Survey, conducted by WPP’s Landor Associates, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates and Cohn & Wolfe survey categorized the top 10 green brands:

1. Whole Foods
2. Wild Oats
3. Trader Joe’s
4. Toyota
5. Honda
6. Sub Zero
7. Ikea
8. Body Shop
9. GE
10. Aveda
    

The top 10 green brands in the UK according to a a survey of 1,000 UK marketing pros from Marketing Week and Yougov are:

1. M&S
2. The Body Shop
3. Innocent
4. Co-OP
5. ECover
6. Honda
7. Waitrose
8. Tesco
9. BP
10. Greenpeace
    

The bottom 10 are:

1. Shell
2. Exxon/Esso
3. McDonald’s
4. BP
5. BA
6. Ryannir
7. BAA
8. Coke
9. E.ON
10. British Gas

UPDATE 6/17/2008

Our friends at ImagePower® Landor did a recent Green Brands Survey for 2008, and we wanted to share that information as an update to our 2007 statistics from them. Their survey indicates energy and economic issues take precedence over the environment during challenging times. Consumers in their survey identified the top ten greenest brands in their eyes.

U.S.

1. Whole Foods
2. Burt’s Bees
3. Trader Joe’s
4. Tom’s of Maine
5. Toyota
6. Seventh Generation
7. Honda and GE (tied)
8. Whirlpool
9. Aveda
10. Method
    

U.K.

1. Body Shop
2. Marks & Spencer
3. Waitrose
4. Tesco, Sainsbury’s (tied)
5. Asda
6. Dove and Google (tied)
7. Co-Operative Bank
8. E.ON
9. Morrisons
10. Nivea and Toyota (tied)
    

Similar to the 2007 Landor ImagePower® findings, US consumers believe body care and grocery to be the “greenest” product categories, while travel and energy remain at the bottom of the list. One of the most significant differences between the 2008 and 2007 findings is the shift in thinking about the most pressing environmental concerns. In 2007, most consumers were concerned about global warming, and this year’s survey shows that energy and resource issues have increased in importance. What do you think about the trends in “green brands?” What do you think consumers are most concerned about?

Best & Worst of 2007 & 2008

Two West commended Old Navy for their makeover in the Brand Spotlight. Check out their new logo and look. Let us know what you think.



Every year Landor Associates publishes their Newsmaker Brands Survey. This survey examines Americans’ perceptions of high-profile brands that made headlines in 2007 and are expected to make headlines in 2008.

On the Brand Show, Two West was excited to have Landor as a guest on the show once again to discuss the winning and losing brands of 2007 and their predicted winning and losing brands of 2008. Russ Meyer, Landor’s Chief Strategy Officer, explained how Americans continue their obsession with online brands and the indications of an upcoming recession have consumers searching for brands that will help them stretch their dollar.

Here’s the top 5 predicted winners & losers of 2008 according to Landor. Let us know if you agree with this list.

Winners
Google
Amazon
Wal-Mart
eBay
Target

Losers
United Airlines
Delta Airlines
Blockbuster
Countrywide
Gap

How Employees Can Build Your Brand

Branding is about creating an image that sets your organization apart from the rest of the market. Nothing delivers and reinforces this brand image better, or worse, than the employees that represent the organization. Establishing a brand is hard work, so it’s critical for employees to understand and live the brand throughout their daily interaction with clients. Internal communication is key to employees building their brand.

Brand Rant highlights how Best Buy, the nations leading electronic dealer known for burnout and high turnover, is implementing project ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment) to increase employee morale and productivity. This week in the Brand Spotlight, Citigroup Inc. reveals how important a logo is to branding, as well as the challenges that come with re-branding. Lori Rosenwasser is the executive director for brand engagement working out of the Landor’s Associates, UK. She joins the show to talk about how she works with clients to build engagement programs that align their internal organizations and employees to deliver on their brand promise.