Helping Buyers Save the World with Shared Value

Our worldview has changed. People no longer expect the government to solve global problems, especially where it cannot cope with local ones.

We will not solve them ourselves either — and we turn to brands that can help. This is not philanthropy, but a commercial interest: the success of a business depends on the well-being of the society in which it operates.

Shared value is more than choosing eco-friendly packaging for a product or participating in a charity project. The company is changing its mindset and investing in community values. This can be done in three ways.

Create a new product or sales market. This will help you better meet your needs. An illustrative example: the SodaStream company released a siphon that makes sparkling water from plain water. This reduces the consumption of water in plastic bottles and reduces the pollution of the planet. Savings — hundreds of bottles per family per year.

Optimize resources. More productive use of raw materials, labor, logistics, suppliers. Like the first option, this method is available even for small businesses. Find a supplier that makes eco-friendly disposable tableware, or ditch it in favor of capsharing. Or choose a sewing factory that minimizes water waste, as Levi’s did with the WaterLess jeans.

Develop a local environment. New markets need reliable local suppliers, infrastructure, and human resources. This is why Nestlé, entering developing countries, builds roads there, gives loans to farmers, helps veterinarians, and frees children from working on farms. It is more difficult than importing milk there, but much more efficient in the long run.

This is how private business improves the standard of living across regions and even countries. And at the same time, it increases profitability, strengthens brand value, and builds contact with the audience. And at a level beyond the reach of conventional marketing tools.

Is it important for you that the brand cares about people and nature?