Come in Nestle... your time is up.

Watching the Nestle Social Media debacle unfold earlier in the week, once more made me feel how completely inevitable major corporate change is in the face of co-ordianted, amplified consumer action through Social Media.

Whilst there was an appreciable drop in Nestle's share price on Monday the 22nd March, substantial long term impact from the brilliantly co-ordinated GreenPeace campaign still seems a little way off.

What's is beyond doubt now is these campaigns increasingly generate and leverage major global news coverage, driven by word of mouth connectors & influencers.

The frequency and reach of campaigns is expanding rapidly as people understand the impact collective engagement around a cause can have and this process is only going to accelerate with the growth of technology and connectivity.

Future campaigns will inevtably generate greater momentum that will start to counteract marketing efforts, impact on sales and a brand's market share and profit and Nestle cannot ignore this potential.

It's frequently said in my day job that corporates who do not monitor their social media presence will be seen as negligent in coming years. People have an appetite for transparency and no amount of Corporate Social Responsibility handwringing/greenwash will cover up or deflect those seeking and communicating the truth through Social Media.

Yet the harsh free market economic realities of modern globalised business mean a large scale controversy free supply chain is an extremely challenging goal for most brands. The fact is there is practically no purchase in the present unsustainable energy and profit hungry system we create wealth through in the west, that is guilt free.

In the present system Nestle management cannot simply switch off the supply of a key component of many of their products, even if it is un-ethically and destructively sourced at present.

They need to understand that they cannot continue to produce raw materials wrecklessly and un-sustainably - I'm sure (privately) they already realise this. But maybe there also needs to be a mentality shift in the just world of green and environmental activism from destroyers of corporate reputations – to rewarders of “do-good” busines?

In an eco-fued, it's easy for both parties to sit in their righteous bunkers (shareholders v activists) and remain entrenched in their comfy postions. It's much harder for both parties to recognise that both have a huge role to play in positive change... together.

It's a very big ask for Greenpeace to have resisted beating up Nestle so visibly when they have a just cause and a dynamic, hugley influential network network to broadcast the message, but I wonder whether amplifying a direct and prominent competitor brand alongside a more considered and rational critique of Nestle's alliances with rainforest vandals would have had a more virtouos long term effect?

This campaign leaves me with the usual bad taste about Nestle products, but Greeenpeace could spell out some alternatives for people? Do we buy Cadburys (Kraft) chocolate instead? Maybe they cant align themselves overtly with commerce (?) but overt positive engagement with a competitor, helping to change consumer buying habits and apply economic pressure to Nestle is surely a viable strategy too?

Brands need to understand the paradigm shift going on through social media and rapidly prepare for a very different relationship with their customers in the future, but activists should also see the opportunity for rewarding genuine attempts to make positive change in corporations, because it too will bring about positive change.

Real, lasting, sustainable, profitable change.

Doing a world of good?

I am ashamed to say I didn't really know about World Of Good until this morning, and it makes me wonder what on earth have I been doing for the past 5 years to remain ignorant of a business like this? (another post - another blog)

A totally inspiring story of social responsibility combined with entrepreneurialism and (presumably) a great education, took founder Priya Haji on a 6 year journey to connect developing world producers with mainstream business markets in the west.

Selling the World Of Good brand to eBay, to me makes perfect sense and the potential of expanding her Fair Trade empire to a mainstream audience is really exciting.

The more seamless the connection between mainstream consumerism and good quality, sustainable, ethical brands and businesses the quicker those businesses and critically their brand values become the mainstream.

Just keeping "do good" business as a private club that's the sole preserve of ethical and environmental purists is completely detrimental to the bigger picture.

In the UK's current (consciously miseducated) consumer economy, I don't expect mainstream shoppers to suddenly see the "sustainable" light and convert to consciously buying good overnight. But invisibly making the sustainable purchase the mainstream option pays the ethical producer a much bigger dividend and re-enforces the fact that "good" can be (is) profitable. Very profitable.

It's only this scale of change that will make sustainability an inevitability rather than a "fingers crossed behind the back" pipe dream.

Great move Priya. Now eBay, get busy doing your economies of scale "thing" and make World Of Good an immensely profitable part of your business, driving growth and dividends for your shareholders and "the market" (whatever that really is).

Whilst you are at it - let the values of World Of Good infect the rest of your business. Welcoming this change will equip you for the future where the relationship between business and consumers is radically different, where corporate values are the only effective marketing strategy and transparency is something businesses welcome.

The sweet taste of change

During today's lunchtime trip to the local market I stopped to do a scrape of the local sweet shop shelves for sustainence to keep my work mates mid-week PM ticking along.

Having grabbed my now standard bar of Fair Trade Cadbury's Dairy Milk I spotted my first bar of Rainforest Alliance certified Galaxy chocolate. Cue small tingle of excitement and a big smile.

I've always adored Green & Blacks for their balance of quality and ethics and they along with other specialist brands should be congratulated for setting in train what is seemingly becoming accepted best practice for parts of this industry now.

But to me these two big brands slugging it out for ethical hearts & minds takes the game to truly meaningful and significant levels. The simplicity and (comparative) perfection of the change to favour socially responsible alliances is quite breathtaking and it's all down to future economics.

I'm less familiar with The Rainforest Alliance than I am with FairTrade, but the organisations credentials seems wholesome enough. The effective stewardship of the planet's precious natural resources through commericial neccesity is wholly sound, as is the process of fair payment to sustainable cocoa bean growers.

The benefits of these commercial engagements will impact on local and ultimately national economies, working towards a futue built through responsible trade not aid.

The world is the way it is because of what we buy, whether we think about it that way or don't. The coup for these mainstream brands maybe short term PR, but I am convinced that further cultural change in big organisations becomes inevitable once the benefits of "doing good" profitably & sustainably are seen on the bottom line.

It's good for business and good for us all... now to do Fairtrade with the environment in mind?

(More) work to do...

Joi de vivre... Montpellier

Took a Carbon Neutral trip to my favourite French city earlier in February.

Montpellier has always struck me a future facing place, not scared to re-model and re-new itself based on the needs of its citizens.

From the graceful and considered re-work of the central "Place de la Comedie" for the tram system built in 2000, to the traffic free weekends (aided by it's public bike hire system), it's a city I admire for joined up thinking.

On a cold tourist free weekend it was a vibrant hub of commerce, culture and humanity of every sort.

Sadly we missed an exhibition of Eco Friendly Architecture at the town hall, but it did make me dream of one day living in one of Europe's oldest centre's of education.

Radical change can be graceful, ecological and commercially sustainable with brave and effective planning.

Good grief...

Started to reach out today.

No pomp - just a bit more circumstance from here on.

If anyone finds this useful or interesting - come and find me @ www.twitter.com/groundsearow

It's been a while...

Back front of mind.

Found my way to Low Carbon Community this evening and then onto 10:10.

Great organisations, great intentions.

Hadn't heard of either until this evening, doubtless been publicised in one of the many worthy tomes my unintended homage to "brand Britain" has kept me from these past months, but pleased I have found them anyway.

I'm fairly sure that me and my guys have been reducing the most offensive of our emissions (ahem) over successive years, but it's good to have targets to abide by.

I suppose the reality is we are one of many trying in our own insignificant (but no less worthy) way to make a difference and be responsible, but it brings me back to the consistent themes this blog.

How to accelerate a significant global change in environment and ethics, that doesn't rely on politicians, negative activism (love it though I do) or reward corporate "Green Wash".

Is it too simplistic to apply say we can buy the change we all need just by supporting the most environmentally and ethically "good" business for any purchase we make?

I fervently believe that IS the simple solution (along with actually buying less of everything)... it just has to be communicated effectively by educated stakeholders in the conversation.

Knowledge, advocacy and social media are the tools for communicating change.

Remind me how to use them again somone, please?

OK then, I'll DIY.

The genius of the Social Media economy

In another life I use Twitter to gather information that helps me turn my mortgage hamster wheel and this includes me "following" a bunch of talented techie "do gooders" (since when was doing good bad?) who's understanding of the the social media diaspora is enlightening and at times bewildering to a luddite like me.

There are many emergent models of how business can be done outside established mechanisms, using 2.0 and beyond to gracefully and skillfully connect a need and potentially balancing supply.

Such a model is personified by a woman called Katherine Robinson who has a most unlikely role recruiting management personnel for emerging business in clean technology.

Fundamentally she uses social media search, bookmarking, tweets and more to un-earth business talent who can profitably contribute to the fast emerging alternative energy sector.

In said day job I use similar (doubtless less effectively) for far less good, but am aware of how much an understanding of this space can connect and identify people around common interests & needs.

Using these skills to seek out potential advocates around "good" mainstream brands will help move a pro-brand activist agenda forwards, supporting the brilliant work she and her recruitment "spots" for US based recruitment consultants EcoSearch do in modernising the energy industry worldwide.

I'm sure that the good folk of EcoSearch would have an environmental perspective to the way they run their business. I'd also love to think that EcoSearch parent company MRINetwork is a business I could whole-heartedly advocate as part of a Pro-brand & business agenda. Doubtless they have impeccable recruitment skills but are they more ethical and environmental in their outlook than any of it's visionary global search recruitment agency competitors? Where I in the market for their services it's a question I would ask of them.

Obviously this is all hypothetical as I have no site of whether they use green energy in their office, whether they recycle or have an ethically invested pension scheme or indeed encourage cycling to work through tax incentives etc and much more.

It does however slightly circuitously illustrate a point, that where I to be a consumer of their services I would like to have an understanding of their stance on all of the above as a point of differentiation from their competitors.

Like buying organic or fairtrade where I have the right to politicise my purchasing of "good business" making good profit over "normal business" making normal profit, I would like the option to choose the same from all businesses, including them and the people who make tablecloth's and door handles and wall paint and radiators and glasses cases (some of the things I see sitting here at my kitchen table).

I feel confident that a talented and environmentally savvy social media sourceress like Katherine would feel even more engaged with her work if she knew that who she was ultimately working for shared all her values and walked the walk on green energy. Maybe they do but I don't know that when I read their corporate "who is" and I should.

We need a campaign for transparency in business ethics and environmental best practice in western economies that would slap an energy and ethics rating on every business and product consumed. It could be audited from each businesses accounts and reveal where the heads of those business are pointing. Nihilistic pursuit of "greed is good", or responsible and social profit for them, that benefits us all, or maybe somehwre in between. Technology can solve immense challenges and if the data is there and available (Companies House in the UK) surely it just needs to be processed, managed and published.

Without that key information, I am living in a free market economy without my full rights as a consumer, to choose who makes a product or who offers a service more ethically or environmentally than another provider in the same sector. This information would help me make another choice ... and choice is what capitalism is all about, is it not?

Rampant free market capitalism plainly isn't working for the world, it's citizens or our collective futures, and I have never been convinced that it delivers anything other than our mutually assured destruction if unchecked and moderated. Yet I want choices and products that innovate and improve. Products that look great and are functional, that capture the human spirit for invention and entrepreneurialism and capitalism has done that brilliantly to date, but at a terrible cost. But the emergence of green and ethical shopping channels like the fabulous Tree Hugger is evidence that many people feel the same way.

I want to choose which one of the products I buy or services I purchase carries the greenest or most ethical stamp on the box so I can add that to my list of choices. It's my right as a consumer... right?

But we are all blind to the vast majority of those choices.

"Good" business should voluntarily introduce an energy rating to all aspects of their businesses, products and services, so that I know who makes great stuff the best way.

That way, people like me could support their businesses, use word of mouth networks to influence and inform others and positively pressure "bad" business to change and improve their environmental and ethical operating criteria or lose market share and profit to more engaged competitors.

Personally, this is something I do anyway, with the relatively limited knowledge I have. I don't expect to get paid or rewarded for it, but I have no problem spending some of my day campaigning in small ways to support "good" business. If we all had the same mindset to communicate why we chose X product over Y, or bank with A instead of B, using the myriad of social media at our disposal it would make a difference, and I believe it would quickly.

Nobody can doubt that the difference between Barak Obama being elected and not was his deeply engaged and brilliantly guided use of social media and the same potential exists for us all to take control of business for change using the same 2.0 channels.

Until we have a political and economic revolution this is the best and quickest way we can all bring about change.