INTRODUCTION
Brand Valued?
‘Brand Valued? Don’t you mean Brand Value?’
That’s the response we’ve had from a fair few people with whom we’ve shared the title of this book before laying out our arguments.
‘No,’ we say. ‘Brand Valued is exactly what we mean.’
For several years we’ve been watching with growing interest how brands have a growing interest in the nebulous, contradictory but compelling area of sustainability. Yes, we know, probably the last thing we need now is another book with the words brand and sustainability in the title. Not a week seems to go by without another report or book extolling the virtues of connecting with consumers in this emerging, complex and highly ambiguous space, and the subsequent benefits that then stream towards the business. It’s invariably painted as a virtuous circle, where brands lead from the heart, trust is restored and we all inch that little bit closer to what is positioned as a more sustainable lifestyle. It seems sustainability for many represents the mother of all ‘win-wins’.
Our take on this is a little different. Yes, we agree with the enthusiasm and energy with which many of these reports hit the market, and cannot fault the belief that this represents an opportunity for some sort of brand renewal. But we struggle with sustainability. Whilst sustainability is, of course, incredibly important, we don’t believe it’s what brands should be focusing on. For a start, sustainability tends to be abstract, reactive and apologetic. And it ...
