2. For almost a decade Euro RSCG
has been creating impactful and
provocative work for EDF. The
current print campaign has been
cited by the APPM (News Magazine
and Press Awards).
Choosing a world with less CO2.
Because greenhouse gases are the main cause of global warming, EDF has chosen to produce energy that
generates very little CO2. To achieve this objective EDF is developing and renewing Europe’s leading nuclear
power and hydroelectric production facilities and investing heavily in renewable energy.
The future: it's in the choices we make every day
3. know
��� ������ �� ��� ������ ��� �� ��� | ��� �
Introduction: Rethinking the Role of the Corporation �
More Power, More Responsibility �
A New Way to Do Business: ��
Five Rules for the Corporate Brand of the Future
4.
5. 2
→ INTRODUCTION: RETHINKING THE ROLE OF THE CORPORATION
The corporate titans of earlier centuries would hardly recognize the modern-
day business world. Over the past century, we’ve seen corporations grow far
larger, more global, and more powerful–but, at the same time, more beholden
to multiple stakeholders, including the general public. Companies have
moved from primarily individual or family owned to shareholder owned and
board governed. Once omnipotent, chief executives now serve at the will of a
committee and are subject to the scrutiny and criticisms of people both within
and outside corporate walls. Profits are still at center, but they’re no longer the
only goal; CEOs of publicly traded companies are under tremendous pressure
to meet the needs of all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
The new pressures corporations face are due in large part ripped off or endangered customers, others have taken a
to a growing awareness of the impact—good or bad—these leading role in important issues of the day, including the
organizations can have on local, national, and international environment and human rights. Thanks to the Internet
affairs as well as on people’s everyday lives. Corporations and the democratization of media, corporations feel more
have grown so large that 37 of the world’s 100 largest approachable and accountable. Ordinary citizens can find
economies are now businesses rather than nations, out just about anything they want about companies online,
according to Swedish economist Johan Norberg. Greater a platform that also allows consumers to “talk back” to
size more often than not translates into greater power, and big business through blogs, message boards, product
that’s a real issue at a time when consumer confidence in reviews, and the like. The entire relationship between
corporations is at record lows. The 2007 Gallup Poll found consumers and companies is changing as people rethink
that only 18 percent of respondents had a “great deal” the role corporations can and should play within local
or “quite a lot” of confidence in big business. This lack of communities and society as a whole.
faith should come as no surprise given the past decade’s
This issue of Know explores the future of the corporate
string of corporate scandals, ranging from accounting
brand, with an emphasis on evolving consumer
fraud and abusive working conditions to contaminated
expectations and demands. It draws on findings from
food and potentially lethal toys. Corporate corruption and
Euro RSCG Worldwide’s 2007 Future of the Corporate
malfeasance have moved beyond news headlines and
Brand Study. The online survey was conducted by Market
into the broader culture, thanks to a steady slate of films
Probe International in three markets: the United States
focused on the evils of Big Business (e.g., Lord of War,
(n=700), the United Kingdom (n=700), and France (n=450).
The Constant Gardener, Syriana, Michael Clayton).
Prosumer breakouts are included throughout the report
In this new environment, the public is more wary of to provide insights into the influence these leading-edge
corporations but also has higher expectations of them. consumers are wielding among the general public and
Even as some companies have duped investors and within the corporate world.
6. 3 �: ����� �: ��������� �: �����
�� �� ������
More Power,
More Responsibility
As the influence of corporations grows and the power of nations
decreases, companies are expected to take on roles once relegated
to government. This is especially the case in those areas in which
government intervention has been seen as weak or ineffective. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, for instance, 87 percent of Americans
polled by Cone, Inc., expected corporations to play a major role in
rebuilding affected areas. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) agreed
companies are better able than government agencies to respond
effectively to disasters.
���������� ���� �� ���� �������������� On a broader scale, corporations are now regarded
�� ����������� ��� ������� ��������
������ ������
as important facilitators of social progress. In each
of the three markets surveyed, large majorities
agreed businesses bear as much responsibility as
government for driving social change. What once
� : % % % might have been the view of a leftist fringe is now
mainstream thinking.
� : % % %
Reducing extreme poverty around the globe is one
� : % % % area in which corporate involvement is particularly
expected. In 2000, the United Nations pledged in its
“Millennium Declaration” to halve the proportion
of the world’s people living in extreme poverty by
2015. It’s an objective that is in no way feasible
without the concerted involvement of many of the
world’s largest companies. It’s a huge undertaking,
but one with an enormous upside for business.
Multinational companies have already benefited
greatly from the creation and growth of upper and
middle classes in developing countries. But the real
promise of globalization lies not among the people
who currently consume, but among the billion or
more others who have thus far been excluded from
the consumption process. If this change is to take
place, corporations will need to drive it.
7. What’s a Prosumer?
Prosumers are the most influential men and women
within any market. Empowered by new technologies
and improved access to information, they have tipped
the scales of power away from manufacturers and
retailers, and toward themselves. They are highly
knowledgeable and demanding consumers who expect
their brand partners to acknowledge their value and
treat them accordingly. Prosumers typically make up
15 to 25 percent of any market. Euro RSCG Worldwide has
made them an ongoing focus, because, beyond their own
economic impact, prosumers influence the brand choices
of others. Simply put, what prosumers are doing today,
mainstream consumers are likely to be doing six to
18 months from now.
KEY PROSUMER TRAITS:
» Embrace innovation — curious » Are marketing savvy and plugged
to try new things, challenges, in to multiple media sources
and experiences
» Demand top-notch customer service
» Keen on new technology and gadgets and access to information
» Transport new attitudes, ideas, » Proactively seek to maximize control
and behavior — they are “human media” over their lives through information,
communication, and technology
» Pursue timeless value
» Constantly seek information and
» Recognize their value as consumers and opinions; eager to share their views
expect brand partners to do likewise and experiences with others
8. 5 The Tables Have Turned
“Big Brother is watching you.” It’s a phrase taken from George Orwell’s
1984 and has been in frequent use over the last half century. Whether
referring to the government or big business, the phrase has suggested ongoing
surveillance–and control–of the general population by overly powerful and
intrusive authority figures. Today, Orwell would likely be surprised by the extent
to which the tables have turned on corporations. For all the fears of big business
tracking consumer movements with digital cookies and RFID tags, the truth is
that consumers are keeping equally close (if not closer) tabs on corporations.
Anyone with Internet access can easily look up an annual report, track
corporate movements, and contribute to conversations about what a particular
company or industry is doing right or wrong. jetBlue learned the hard way how
easily an angry customer armed with a video-enabled phone can spread the
word about corporate transgressions or errors in judgment.
Having witnessed the damage big business ������������ ���� ������ � ����
��������� ���� �� ��� �������
can cause when left unchecked, a growing
number of people feel they have a right to
monitor corporate actions and take companies
to task when they step out of line. A majority � : % % %
of respondents in each of the three markets
acknowledge corporations’ increased � : % % %
cultural role and say they have become more
interested in corporate conduct and brand � : % % %
image over the past few years. Significant
proportions, including more than half of � ���� ������ ���� ���������� ��
leading-edge prosumers, had actively sought ������������� ������� ��� �����
out information about a company’s ethics in ������ ���� ��� ���� ��� �����
the few months prior to the survey.
Whether protesting the treatment of
chickens by KFC or denouncing Apple’s � : % % %
rapid discounting of its new iPhone, ordinary
people now have the wherewithal to force � : % % %
corporations to respond to their complaints
and demands. This puts significant power � : % % %
in the hands of consumers who take the
time to blog about a company, post a video ������ ��� ���� ��� ������, � ����
about poor customer service on YouTube, or �������� ������ ��� ����������� ��
slam a product on a customer-review site. ��� ���������� �� ������ �� � �������
Consumers can now look beyond the glossy
ads and rosy product statements, and find
a very different truth. Euro RSCG’s survey
shows that substantial numbers of consumers � : % % %
have already changed their minds about a � : % % %
potential purchase as a result of information
in blogs and other online forums. The fact � : % % %
that prosumers score higher on this count
indicates it’s a trend likely to grow stronger.
���� ��� ���� ����, ����������� ����� ��
������ ���� �� ������ �� ���� ����� �
������� �� ������� � ��� �������� �� ���
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
10. 7
Ethical Consumption: Survival of the Fairest
“Can you have an impact by making none at all? Why not?”
That’s more than just a tagline from Toyota’s new advertising campaign.
Consumers in the developed world are more aware today of the negative
consequences of capitalism and mass consumption. And they’re under
increasing pressure (societal and self-imposed) to limit the damage
caused by their personal consumption choices. This means making
the “right” purchase decisions and also influencing the behaviors of
companies hoping to obtain their business. In the United States and
France, eight in 10 consumers believe they have a responsibility to
censure unethical companies by avoiding their products. In all three
markets, a majority have already made a purchase decision based
on a company’s conduct. Once again, prosumers are taking the lead.
�� � ��������, � ���� � �������������� �� � ���� ���� � �������� ��������
������� ��������� ��������� �� �������� ����� �� � ��������� �������
����� ��������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
11. 8
In this new context of doing business, companies ��������� ���������� �� ������
��� ������������� ��������������
have no choice but to adapt. More and more, �� � ��� ������ �� ����������
consumers are factoring issues of ethics and
social and environmental responsibility into
their purchase decisions—and that applies to
shareholding as well as personal consumption. � : % % %
Morningstar reports there are 130 socially
responsible investment funds today, with � : % % %
$48.8 billion in assets, up from just 39 funds
with $5.4 billion in assets a decade ago. Natural � : % % %
selection is beginning to favor those companies
that are integrating high ethical standards into
their policies and practices. ������� ������� �� � ��� ������
��� ���� ��������
How are these good intentions translating in the
real world? A 2004 report prepared for Wal-Mart
by McKinsey and Co., found that as many as
8 percent of Wal-Mart customers no longer shop � : % % %
there because of “negative press.” The consultancy
concluded the retail giant could gain 8 percent in � : % % %
financial value if it were to improve its image to
� : % % %
the level of competitor Target. Whether directly
correlated or not, Wal-Mart has since taken a
leadership role in such areas as organic food, lower
prescription prices, and sustainability. Among ��� ���� ���������� ��� ����������
other pledges, the company has committed to ���������� �� ��� ������ ���� ��
����� ���� �������� ��������������
reducing the energy needs of its existing stores
20 percent by 2009 and its overall CO2 emissions
25 percent by 2012.
Once dismissed as unaffordable and unwise, � : % % %
sustainable practices are now viewed by many, if
� : % % %
not most, companies as a competitive advantage.
And there’s a growing body of evidence to back � : % % %
that up: When investment research and advisory
firm Innovest back-tested a hypothetical portfolio
of its Global 100 Most Sustainable Firms against
the MSCI World Index from December 1999
through December 2005, it found the Global 100
outperformed the broader index by 7.11 percent.
Numerous other studies corroborate that positive
environmental and social performance can create
financial success—increasing investor confidence,
strengthening brand recognition, and boosting
stock performance and competitiveness. GE’s
recent ecomagination initiatives, including a
pledge to double investment in clean technology
by 2010, have been credited with helping to increase
corporate earnings 11 percent in 2006.
13. 10
A New Way to Do Business
Business as usual, as practiced in the last century, is insufficient in
today’s environment. Corporate strategies—including branding
strategies—must take into account the value accrued by a reputation
for social responsibility, as well as the very real disadvantages faced
by those companies that fall short in this regard. Where once CSR
activities were an adjunct relegated to the PR department, now they
are a core component of competitive business. Whether they regard
these practices as “caring capitalism” or pure self-interest, the most
successful companies of tomorrow will infuse elements of social and
environmental responsibility throughout their operations, from
human-resources practices and customer service to supply chains,
retail venues, and packaging.
5 Rules for RUL E 1: H AVE A PURPO S E �� �� ��������� ���� ��������� �����
��� ��������� ����� ���� �������������
BEYOND P ROF I T
the Corporate
Consumers in the three markets
Brand of surveyed have made it clear:
� : % % %
the Future Business can no longer be just � : % % %
about profit. More than eight � : % % %
in 10 respondents believe it’s
important for a company to ��� ���� ��������� ���� �� � ��� ��
�� �������� ������� ��� ������������
stand for something other than
profitability, and only around one-
third consider shareholder profits � : % % %
the most important responsibility � : % % %
of the CEO. � : % % %
14. 11 Look at the most successful brands that have
emerged in recent decades, and you’ll find a
���������� �� �� ���������
������ ��� ���� ��������
common thread: Most of these companies have
been built on a strong and clearly articulated set
of beliefs and values. In the space of a decade, � : % % %
Google went from a college research project
to a company with a brand value estimated at � : % % %
more than $17 billion, all while seeking to live
by its credos of “Don’t be evil” and “Work should � : % % %
be challenging, and the challenge should be
fun.” Whole Foods Market has built its brand
on a simple philosophy of “whole foods, whole � ������ �� �� ���������
people, whole planet”—and, in doing so, has ������ ��� ���� ��������
managed to become the world’s fastest-
growing retailer. Starbucks hasn’t just cornered
the world coffee-experience market; it’s done
so while promoting such values as Fair Trade, � : % % %
a respectful work environment, diversity, and � : % % %
community involvement.
Three very different companies, but each � : % % %
one has turned strong beliefs into a winning
proposition.
������������� �� �� ���������
These companies don’t just stand out because ������ ��� ���� ��������
they are values centered; they stand out
because they are creating new ways of doing
business—and that is something today’s
consumers value. Both “innovative” and � : % % %
“visionary” are qualities considered essential
components of good business in each of the � : % % %
markets surveyed. In fact, respondents
� : % % %
ranked both those factors above profitability.
This makes sense at a time when consumers
expect corporations to operate to the benefit
of society at large and not just line the pockets
of executives and shareholders.
“Our communities project started out with thinking
about our mission—bringing health through food
to a maximum number of people—and our growing
experience in developing countries where that
mission is often a huge challenge. How can you
bring products to a majority of people when a third
or a half of the population live below the poverty
line? Thinking along those lines has led us to
launch successful initiatives with our Affordability
Programs, putting our products and the health
benefits they provide within the reach of people
with very limited resources in China, Indonesia
and other countries.”
–CEO Franck Riboud,
Danone Annual Report 2006
15. 12 RUL E 2: TREAT E M PLOYE E S W E L L
Inequitable treatment of employees was one of the major concerns
expressed by survey respondents, particularly in France. This reflects
escalating frustration over the widening gap between executive and mid-
and bottom-tier salaries. Twenty years ago, the ratio of CEO pay to average
worker pay was approximately 10:1; today, it’s 282:1. In some industries,
executive paychecks could be described as obscene. In 2006 alone, for
example, the top 25 hedge-fund managers took home a combined $14 billion.
A report in Alpha magazine noted that this was more than the gross domestic
products of Jordan or Uruguay that year. Three of the managers took home
in excess of $1 billion for their 52 weeks of labor.
��� ������������ �� ��� ����� ������
������ ���� ��� ���������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
��������� ������ ����� ������ �� �������
��� ������ ��� ����� �� ���������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
Some values-led corporations are working
to boost compensation at the lower end and
constrain it at the top. Whole Foods Market caps
executive salaries at 16 times the average pay of
all full-time workers. The cap was originally set
at eight times the average pay, but has since been
increased to bolster executive retention. CEO
and founder John Mackey reduced his salary
to $1 in 2007 and has forgone all future stock
options and other compensation. Approximately
93 percent of stock options granted by Whole
Foods has gone to employees who are not
executive officers.
16.
17. 14 RUL E 3: P ROT E C T A N D PRO M OT E � ���� � ������ ���������� ��� ��������
������� ���� ����� ����
TH E G REATER G O O D
The last few years have seen record-
� : % % %
shattering largesse on the part of
� : % % %
corporate moguls. Microsoft’s Bill
Gates has used his foundation to � : % % %
channel billions of dollars toward
healthcare and education around ���� ��� ���� ���� ����� ���������
��� ������������...
the globe, a cause to which investor
���� ������ ���� ����������
Warren Buffett has pledged stock
worth in excess of $30 billion. Virgin
founder Sir Richard Branson has � : % % %
pledged $3 billion to fight global � : % % %
warming, while Intel cofounder � : % % %
Gordon Moore has invested some
$5 billion in causes related to
���� ������ ������ ����������
conservation and science. Despite �� ������ �������� ������ ������
these high-profile cases, only about
one-fifth of Euro RSCG survey
� : % % %
respondents in the U.S. and France,
� : % % %
and around a quarter of the sample
in the U.K. claim to admire business � : % % %
and business leaders more today.
���� ������ ����� ���������
Why the disconnect? The consensus appears to
be that corporations have benefited enormously
from increased profits and power but that most � : % % %
have not used those things to the benefi t of
anyone but themselves. Eight in 10 respondents � : % % %
to Euro RSCG’s study note the increased
profitability of corporations, and more than six � : % % %
in 10 in the U.S. and U.K. consider companies
better positioned to effect social change. In
sharp contrast, only a minority of respondents ���� ������ ���� �����������
in at least two of the three markets believe
corporations have raised their standards,
become more accountable, or become more
philanthropic. Nearly one-third of the sample � : % % %
in the U.S. and U.K., and just under half of
� : % % %
French respondents believe corporations
in general have failed to make meaningful � : % % %
charitable contributions. And around a third
in the U.S. and U.K., and seven in 10 in France
believe companies aren’t doing enough to
prevent discrimination based on age, gender, ���� ������ ���� �������������
race, or other grounds.
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
18. 15
French respondents, in particular, believe ��������� ������ ����� ������
�� ����� ��...
corporations should be doing much more to
drive social change. They want to see corporate ������� ��������� ���� �����������
executives work with governments to address ��� ��� ���� �� �������
key global issues, and they want to see more
progress in terms of helping developing
countries through trade. What they don’t want
to see is corporations interfering in political � : % % %
affairs for their own selfish benefit. � : % % %
� : % % %
����������� �������� ����������
����� ���� ���������� ���������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
�������� ����� �������� ������ ������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
��������� ������ ����� ��������� �������
���������, �������������, ���.� ����
��������� ���� ��� ���������� �������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
19. 16
When the samples were asked on which issues
companies should focus their philanthropic efforts,
the clear winners were the environment (U.K. and
France) and health (U.S.). Corporate sponsorship
of cultural and sporting events, while common,
is deemed far less important.
���� � ������� �� ���������� ����� ���
������������� ��������, ����� �� ���
��������� ������ ������� �����, ������,
��� ����� ���������
������ ������ ������
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
����������� �������������� �� �������������� �������
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
��������� �����������
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
�������� ������
� : % % %
� : % % %
�: % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
20. 17 RULE 4: THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE,
NOT AFTER, YOU’VE DAMAGED IT
We’ve seen a real shift in the past couple of years, as people who never before
thought about such things have started bringing reusable bags to the grocery
store, replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs, and paying attention to recycled
content. This change in attitude can be traced in large part to concern over
global warming. Unlike some other eco-threats (e.g., rainforest destruction,
endangered species), global warming offers plenty of scope for individual
accountability and action. Numerous websites offer “carbon calculators” for
measuring and tracking one’s carbon footprint, and there’s a growing market
of products geared toward responsible living. In the United States, some credit
for this increased awareness can rightly go to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth,
the fourth-highest-grossing documentary film ever. The movie clearly reached
a receptive audience: A companion book authored by Gore spent 38 weeks
on the New York Times bestseller list, including four weeks at #1. In France,
environmentalist and TV host Nicolas Hulot has spent the last 20 years speaking
out against eco-destruction; his latest book, Pour un Pacte Ecologique
(“For an Ecological Treaty”), also a bestseller, is considered to have had a
significant impact on France’s 2007 presidential race.
Consumers expect companies to share their ��������� ������ ����� ������ �� ����� ��...
environmental concerns and aren’t yet satisfied ������ ������������� ������
with the results. Substantial minorities in � ���� ������ �� ��������� ���������
the U.S. and U.K., and a clear majority of
respondents in France think corporations
are falling short in terms of factoring the
environment into their business decisions � : % % %
and paying fair value for their use of natural
� : % % %
resources. This is of considerable importance
given that more than three-quarters of � : % % %
respondents in each market are less likely
to trust a company with a poor reputation for
environmental and/or social responsibility. ������ ���� ����� ��� ��� ���������
��� �� ������� ���������
Toyota has emerged as a leader in this area,
not just in terms of being eco-conscious but
also because of its success in rebranding itself
as such. The company has managed to capture � : % % %
75 percent of the hybrid automotive market
and is now extending its green approach to � : % % %
energy use, recycling, and emissions offsets
at its plants and other facilities. Its consumer � : % % %
outreach efforts have included an extensive
education and awareness tour, billboards
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��� �
touting gallons of gasoline saved by hybrid ������ �������������� �� � ��������
drivers, and sponsorship of the Sundance �� ���� ��������� ������ �� �� ��������
Channel’s The Green—ongoing programming �� ����� � �������
dedicated to environmental issues.
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
21. we face challenges
all over the world.
in Africa, it’s malaria.
Today, Africa’s economies are growing and contributing
significantly to the world’s energy supply.
But millions of African lives are still being affected by malaria,
a preventable disease that’s spread by infected mosquitoes.
With a presence in Africa for more than 100 years, ExxonMobil
is working to drastically cut the number of malaria cases
through sustained financial and on-the-ground support.
As people around the world mark Africa Malaria Day this year,
we’re partnering with many groups, including governments
and international health organizations, to combat malaria and
save lives. These efforts include everything from developing
new drugs to distributing insecticide-treated nets to places
where they’re desperately needed.
Because if we work together, we can all help ensure Africa
has a brighter future.
22. Euro RSCG has been the AOR for Veolia
since 2006. The current corporate
campaign has won several awards,
including an Effie for corporate
communication (2007) and best
Internet campaign ( Le Journal du
Net, 2007). The campaign launched
in Europe and will expand to the U.S.,
Australia, and the Middle East in 2008.
23. 20 RUL E 5: RES PE C T
CONS UMERS ’ PO W E R
������ ������� ������ ����� �
��������� ������� ��� ������� ��������
Today’s consumers know more
� : % % %
about business and brands–
� : % % %
and want to be kept in the loop.
Beyond knowing what their � : % % %
specific brand partners are up
to, they expect corporations ���������� ���� �� ���� �
�������� ���� ����� ���������
in general to be forthcoming
about their activities, impact,
and goals. Beyond that, they � : % % %
believe companies should � : % % %
behave according to the will � : % % %
of the people. Welcome to the
Consumer Republic! ���������� ���� ������ ���
������� ����� ���������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
���������� ���� �� ����������
���� ��� �����������
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
���� � �������� ����� ��� ����������
�� ��������� ����� ��������� ������
�������������� �����, ����������
�������������, ���.
� : % % %
� : % % %
� : % % %
25. 22 To keep its customers and others informed,
Stonyfield Farm has hired a former journalist to
Open communication with consumers and other
stakeholders is also important when things
run blogs on topics related to sustainability and go wrong. The modern-day consumer expects
health. GE made spreading the word to the public business leaders to be up front about corporate
the fourth pillar of its ecomagination initiative. It’s misdeeds and other crises, and to be proactive
been accomplishing this through its website and about undoing the damage caused. Advertising
public forums, and has even invited customers comes into play here, but the most important
to take part in “dreaming sessions” focused on factor, according to the study respondents, is for
devising potential solutions to specific issues. the CEO to take ownership of the crisis and accept
Purchases made with GE’s Earth Rewards credit responsibility for fixing it fast.
card earn greenhouse gas emissions credits,
helping cardholders reduce their personal carbon
footprints and feel they’re contributing to the fight
against global warming.
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��� �� ������������ ��� ������
��� ������������� ��� ������ ���������� ��� �������, �� �� ��� ����
��� ������ ��������� ������ ���� �������� ������ ��� ����������
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
� : % % % � : % % %
�� ����������� �������� ��������� ��������� ��� �� ������� ����������
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���� ������
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� : % % %
� : % % %
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26. 23
CONCLUSION: CORPORATIONS AT A CROSSROAD
Today, corporations are at a crossroad. Companies that believe the
new realities are no more than a phase will continue to treat brand
values as an adjunct issue to be appended to their annual reports.
They’ll donate money to worthwhile causes, but those philanthropic
goals won’t be reflected in their corporate behavior. And they’ll
continue to put off reform until the regulators mandate change. As
a consequence, they will lose out on the considerable competitive
advantage a better-than-average reputation brings.
Those corporate brands that will own the future As a growing segment of the business
will behave quite differently: For them, social world has come to realize, we have entered
responsibility will be manifest throughout the an era in which it’s no longer enough for
brand and communicated in a single-minded companies to simply provide products and
vision. Corporate values will be pushed services, and operate within previously
downward and outward from the board level accepted standards of behavior. Consumers
and delivered in actions, not words. These are asking their corporate partners to make
companies will avoid recriminations over a positive contribution to the world, while
“excess success” by creating profits that are also helping them feel good as individuals
purpose-driven. Their business decisions will about the impact of their own consumption
create financial wealth—for the company and choices. People want to continue to enjoy
its shareholders—as well as social wealth for the pleasure of consumption, while also
the larger population. These future-focused knowing their purchases are contributing to
companies won’t need to resist government the greater good—or at least not detracting
regulation or popular pressure; they’ll serve from it. The most successful corporate brands
as standard-bearers, working in concert with will be those that address these twin pulls of
NGOs and other stakeholders to build new, selfishness and altruism, and help consumers
more ethical practices. And they’ll invest in feel that what’s good for them is also good for
internal and external communications to the world. ←
drive meaningful change.
27. “Breathe in, breathe out…With us, choosing
mass transportation means choosing to
produce 10 times less greenhouse gases
and to consume five times less energy than
if you were driving your car. Love the city.”
RATP has been a client of Euro RSCG’s
since 2006.
Inspirez, expirez...
Avec nous, choisir les transports en commun, c’est choisir de produire 10 fois moins de gaz
à effet de serre et consommer 5 fois moins d’énergie que si vous utilisiez votre voiture.
28. Know is a publication of the Euro RSCG Worldwide Knowledge Exchange, a global knowledge-sharing
initiative that leverages intelligence and insights within the Euro RSCG Worldwide network of agencies.
Led globally by Andrew Benett, Marianne Hurstel, Ann O’Reilly, and Katina Scott, the Knowledge Exchange
includes multidisciplinary leadership teams focused on a wide range of categories.
Know: The Future of the Corporate Brand presents the agency’s perspective on the radically different
business environment in which the corporations of tomorrow will operate. It is intended to inform our
work for clients and to help prepare clients to take advantage of emerging opportunities. All advertising
included within the publication was created for clients by Euro RSCG Worldwide.
Euro RSCG Worldwide, a leading integrated marketing communications agency and Advertising Age’s
2006 Global Agency of the Year, is made up of 233 offices located in 75 countries throughout Europe, North
America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. Euro RSCG provides advertising, marketing services, corporate
communications, and interactive solutions to global, regional, and local clients. The agency’s client roster
includes Airbus, Air France, BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Charles Schwab, Danone Group, Diageo, IBM, Jaguar,
L’Oréal, LVMH Louis Vuitton, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Reckitt Benckiser, sanofi-aventis, Schering-Plough,
Verizon, and Volvo. Headquartered in New York, Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, a world
leader in communications (Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA).