The customers on the high street or online do not want to make the world a better place!! They want the brands to do that for them. The brands need to obliterate guilt in buying their products and services by making visible, meaningful and constructive actions in their products, their processes and the way they sell.

Some recent examples in how the major global brands are trying to obliterate the guilt free buy and develop a better world for their stakeholders.

• Tesco: The giant UK supermarket chain decided earlier this year that they would remove chocolate and sweets from the sales check out in order to help the customer to make a more informed purchase.
• Subway: The sandwich retailer removed chemical ingredients from its bread that enhance the shelf life, despite them being legal and being approved by the FDA in the US.
• Intel: The technology chipmaker has removed all ‘conflict’ minerals from its products.
• Apple Inc: Have publicly confirmed to the world that they make profit from great products. They do not monetise data and customer information.
• Tesla: The electronic car maker no longer enforces its patented auto technology, in order to secure faster development of electric cars and the global benefits that this will bring.
• European cloth retailers eg H&M, ASOS, Topshop etc: no longer allow the use of angora in its products due to the industry practices in its supply.

All the above examples have been implemented this year. They have resulted in extra costs and sacrifices to the above organisation, but they have responded to the stakeholder issues and concerns in their supply chain.. The point about sacrifice is not valid in the medium to long term. There will always be an alternative and most of the time better solutions, its part of the business evolution of change and adaption.

In the supply chain, this evolution and brand responsibility to make the world a better place should be a constant part of the process. Its needs to continually find efficiencies through Product Quality, Social and Environmental compliance, Availability and Price. It has to develop and grow to ensure a guilt free, affordable, product purchase by the customer – GOOD BUSINESS GROWTH..

Robert Vernon Associates looks forward to helping your organisation to achieve Good Business Growth..

Mark K. Astley