Do Good : Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit

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ANNE BAHR THOMPSON is founder of the brand consultancy Onesixtyfourth and former executive director of strategy and planning at Interbrand. She has been featured in the Financial Times, The New York Times, and on Fox Business and MarketWatch Radio.

Increasingly today, in every age group, consumers are committing to brands that show good citizenship--from fair employment practices, to social responsibility, to charitable giving. In fact, support of these generous and socially aware companies is so high that it is safe to say that good works and charitable giving are no longer optional for the company that aspires for financial success--they are necessary! Do Good documents the sea of change that has impacted the twenty-first-century marketplace more than even the most optimistic of business forecasters. Toms grew into a $600 million company by giving away 35 million pair of shoes. Patagonia's profits have climbed year after year even as it funnels heavy investments into sustainability. From CVS's destocking cigarettes to Chipotle's ethical sourcing, customers have shown with their wallets the types of businesses they will support and that they will quickly call out negligence. Buyers today demand more than half-hearted pledges from companies who are clearly just trying to show less profits and decrease their taxes. By implementing the five-step model for the new rules of business laid out in Do Good--Trust, Enrichment, Responsibility, Community, and Contribution--companies can take the necessary steps to embed social consciousness into their DNA, in turn capturing both markets and hearts.

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