Transparency is a key driver of corporate reputation, but it is also an area in which companies commonly underperform. There is increasing external and internal pressure on organizations to become more transparent, not only from customers and employees, but also from other stakeholders such as investors, media and regulators. Stakeholders need evidence that environmental and human rights risks are being systematically managed. But too much disclosure also can create risks. In this edition of Proof Points, we examine some barriers to transparency … “How to Remove Barriers to Corporate Transparency”
On September 9, 2014, GlobeScan and HP will host the HP Living Progress Exchange, an online forum bringing together experts and opinion leaders from around the world to create a dialogue where we can learn from others, inspire fresh thinking and share good practice. The Exchange will take place using GlobeScan’s new approach to stakeholder engagement: a real-time, online, text-based Collaboration Forum hosted at www.GlobescanForum.com/HP-Living-Progress. The Exchange will bring together experts from academia, business, civil society, and government in a discussion … “Join the HP Living Progress Exchange: Creating a Better Future Through Actions and Innovations”
In celebration of today’s World Humanitarian Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked us to reflect on the following question: What do you think the world needs more of? Many people hoped that the end of the Cold War in 1991 would bring about global peace and prosperity. Yet the world does not look like a better and safer place today than it did twenty years ago. Looking at current events, naming one thing that the world needs more of appears easier … “What Do You Think The World Needs More Of?”
Our most recent wave of public opinion research across 23 countries shows that 45 percent of consumers are unable or unwilling to name a socially responsible company. The top socially responsible brands that consumers do name include a range of global and national brands representing a range of sectors, as shown in the table below. When asked how they learned that these specific companies are leaders, consumers point primarily to personal experience, the media and advertising. These channels are seen as particularly … “What Responsible Company? Almost Half of Consumers Can’t Name One”
In public debates over environmental, economic and social issues around the world, some of the most important voices have yet to be heard: the voices of our youth. For over a century, Boys and Girls Clubs have been helping young Canadians discover, develop and achieve their best potential as they grow to become the nation’s adults, citizens and leaders. In 2013, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada (BGCC) and GlobeScan joined forces to better understand global issues of concern to young … “How Canadian Youth Would Change the World: A Celebration of International Youth Day”
The need for corporate leadership has never been more acute. We are grappling with large scale global challenges – think climate change, social cohesion and economic inequality – that require a new type of leadership from truly global entities. Governments appear unwilling or unable to lead. Civil society, while highly engaged, does not have the scale or infrastructure to deliver the required change. Despite low levels of societal trust, all roads lead to more committed and effective leadership by business … “The Strategic Importance of Recognized Leadership”
GlobeScan partnered with BT to hold the second Better Future Forum at the start of July. The online dialogue hosted 300 sustainability and technology experts, from 29 countries, and provided a hotbed of discussion and rich insights. Our objective was to bring people from across the world together to determine the state of current thinking around “big data” and how this relates to sustainability and consumer behaviour change, with a view to moving the debate forward and crowdsourcing ideas for … “BT Better Future Forum: Collaborating on the Role of Data for Social Good”
Over the past two years, GlobeScan and its colleagues at BBMG have tracked the emergence of a market segment that is driving sustainability toward a tipping point. It is one where consumer motives are shifting away from obligation to do the right thing to desire to consume both differently and better. Choice frameworks are transitioning from “Or,” the trade-off model, to “And,” the co-benefit model. We call this important market segment the Aspirationals. In this edition of Proof Points, we ask which brands will be … “Why Companies Must Win the Trust of Aspirational Consumers”
When you assemble 2,500 (is that all of us?) or so of the world’s leading corporate sustainability and brand innovation folks for a week, one expects the unexpected. Sustainable Brands 2014 in San Diego last week lived up to (un)expectations. Prior to the conference, our colleagues at HP got in touch with GlobeScan’s James Morris and Eric Whan with an exciting idea in hand. The plan was to teleport a seven-by-seven metre glass house into the centre of the main exhibition, dining and … “Living Progress at Sustainable Brands”
We recently held our first roundtable event in South Africa where attendees from a mix of industries including extractives, food & beverage, forestry, healthcare, financial services, tobacco, telecommunications and IT came together to discuss stakeholder engagement and its place in the South African market. GlobeScan’s South African representative Anneke Greyling, presented new research findings on the current state of stakeholder engagement in South Africa which showed that the landscape is clearly changing but it is questionable whether corporates are adapting … “Stakeholder Intelligence is Crucial for the Long Term Success of South African Companies”