The Top 50 Global Green Brands
by Carol Miller, MHI VP of Marketing and Communications
Brand consultant Interbrand and Deloitte recently released its list of the 50 Best Global Green Brands for 2014.
For the first time in the history of Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands report, there is a new #1 brand: Ford. Toyota, which had held the top spot since the report debuted in 2011, falls to #2 with Honda (#3), Nissan (#4) and Panasonic (#5) rounding out the top five.
This year’s top finding’s include:
–Sony (#7) and adidas (#8) enter into the top 10 for the first time, while Johnson & Johnson falls six places to #12 and Volkswagen falls nine places to #16.
–Top Risers: IKEA climbed 14 spots to secure the #19 position while Zara also climbed 14 places to claim the #34 position. Philips moved up nine places to take the #14 spot and adidas jumped up seven places to #8.
–Automotive, electronic & technology brands occupy nearly 50 percent of the overall ranking; 10 brands hail from the automotive sector, while 12 brands come from the electronics and technology sectors.
–Brands within the financial services sector struggle to become sustainability leaders: Allianz and Citi fall off this year’s ranking, while AXA falls one place to take the #45 position and Santander moves up two places to #44.
–Three new brands joined the 2014 ranking, including Chevrolet (#32), Disney (#49), and Heineken (#50).
The report examines the gap that exists between a brand’s environmental performance and consumers’ perceptions of that performance. Understanding the gap that exists between a company’s actual Corporate Citizenship practices and consumers’ awareness of those practices is vital to building brand value.
Today, consumers hold the world’s leading brands to an extremely high standard and expect such brands to act responsibility. If consumers feel as though they’ve been misled, brands will suffer the consequences.
“An effective way to close the gap is for companies to invest in sustainability initiatives and programs that become inextricably a part of their brands’ DNA,” noted Will Sarni, director of Deloitte Consulting LLP and leader of the sustainability and enterprise water strategy practice in the U.S. “As companies work to improve their environmental sustainability performance, it is imperative that they communicate their efforts and engage with the public and other stakeholders through reporting and disclosure. Simultaneously working to improve environmental performance and perception in the marketplace is key to enhancing business and brand value.”
Click here to view the complete list of Global Green Brands.
