TrendWatching: O que sua marca está disposta a "sacrificar" por um objetivo maior
Autor: Sergio Kulpas | Publicado: 2014-10-01T12:58:00-03:00



O TrendWatching apresenta vários exemplos de empresas que sacrificaram suas práticas e até parte do lucro em troca de um bem maior -- maior responsabilidade ambiental, atenção às regras trabalhistas, defesa de causas sociais, etc.
Essas empresas deram um passo difícil, mas as ações são inspiradoras e podem render grandes dividendos a médio ou longo prazo.











BRAND SACRIFICE

One powerful question for brands to answer in 2015: what are you prepared to SACRIFICE?



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Consumers don't want to make the world a better place.

They want brands to do that for them ;)




Okay, that's a simplification of a complex issue.
But when it comes to making the world a better place, many consumers are setting a more stringent standard for brands than they are for themselves.
And let's face it, given decades of unethical operations, rampant pollution, disinformation and more, brands&nbsp;deserve it. After all, many brands have&nbsp;worked extremely hard to&nbsp;create many of the behaviors and lifestyle choices that well-meaning consumers are now finding so hard to change.







In
 a global survey of 30,000 consumers, 72% of people said&nbsp;that&nbsp;business 
is failing to take care of the planet and society as a whole.

Accenture &amp; Havas Media, June 2014







What are you prepared to SACRIFICE?

The powerful question consumers will be asking brands in 2015.




The situation now? Endless brand sustainability initiatives and CSR-speak; endless consumer skepticism.
The only meaningful path left for brands is to stop talking and&nbsp;act.&nbsp;One powerful form of action that will rise to the top of the consumer agenda in 2015? Real, constructive, painful SACRIFICES.
Because the message from many of these consumers will be 'do as I say, not as I do'.
Sounds unfair? Who said consumers had to be fair?
Still,
 if you take some time to understand the epic force driving this trend, 
you'll understand why consumers are acting this way...









In
 the pursuit of the nirvana that is GUILT-FREE CONSUMPTION, consumers 
are looking for brands to make SACRIFICES (so they don't have to).





WHY?
SACRIFICES aren't easy.

In fact, they're downright painful!




We know&nbsp;plenty of consumers agree that it would be good for the planet if we all flew a little less. But how many consumers are really&nbsp;stopping&nbsp;flying? (How many flights have&nbsp;you&nbsp;SACRIFICED this year? ;)
The
 US Department of Transportation reported&nbsp;domestic routes were 87.4% 
full in June 2014 – a new monthly record, while the IATA reported global
 passenger demand had increased 5.9% in the year to date&nbsp;vs. the 
comparable period in 2013.
Because&nbsp;while some consumers are actively making SACRIFICES of their own, many more crave&nbsp;a
 new kind of consumption: one that allows continued indulgence without 
guilt over negative impacts on SELF, SOCIETY or the PLANET.






The easiest and most desirable way for consumers to assuage (or obliterate!) their&nbsp;guilt?
For brands to make visible, meaningful and constructive SACRIFICES: of products, processes, attention and opportunities.









FEATURED INNOVATIONS
SACRIFICING for the SELF

See how these brands and businesses are SACRIFICING to reduce negative impacts on consumer wellbeing.





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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING for the SELF
CVS

US drugstore chain stops selling tobacco products
As of September 2014, US drugstore chain CVS&nbsp;pulled
 cigarettes and&nbsp;tobacco-related products from all its stores. Predicting
 that the decision will cost around USD 2 billion in annual revenue, the
 chain states that stocking tobacco products is in conflict with its 
role as a healthcare company. The company also launched the quit smoking
 campaign&nbsp;#OneGoodReason&nbsp;on social media, and rebranded its corporate entity as&nbsp;CVS Health.




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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING for the SELF
Tesco

UK supermarket removes checkout candy
In May 2014, Tesco
 announced that it would remove candy from its checkouts by the end of 
December 2014. The policy will apply to all of its stores, and aims to 
help customers choose more healthy options. The UK supermarket's 
research showed that 65% of shoppers felt that moving candy to elsewhere
 with the store would encourage them to be more healthy.




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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING for the SELF
Subway

Sandwich chain removes potentially harmful chemical from its bread in the US
In February 2014,&nbsp;Subway
 announced that it would remove the chemical&nbsp;azodicarbonamide from its 
bread products in the US, after&nbsp;a consumer petition raised over 60,000 
signatures in a week. The chemical – which lengthens the shelf life of 
bread – is&nbsp;approved by the USDA and FDA, however is not allowed to be 
used in food products in Europe or Australia. Advocacy groups claimed 
that the chemical converted into carcinogens when baked.





FEATURED INNOVATIONS
SACRIFICING for SOCIETY

See how these brands are making sacrifices to reduce negative impacts on society.





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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING FOR SOCIETY
Intel

Chip maker stops using minerals from conflict zones
In January 2014, multinational technology firm Intel
 stopped using materials from conflict zones to build its 
microprocessors. Minerals such as gold and tungsten are often mined in 
countries&nbsp;affected by armed struggles and human rights violations, such 
as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Intel has urged others in the 
technology industry to follow its lead by sourcing materials from 
conflict-free locations.




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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING FOR SOCIETY
Guinness

Drinks brand pulls out of NY's St. Patrick's Day parade over LGBT participation exclusion

In March 2014, Irish brewer Guinness
 announced it would not participate in New York City’s annual St. 
Patrick’s Day Parade because gay and lesbian groups were prohibited from
 carrying gay-friendly or LGBT identifying signs. The brand, one of the 
event’s biggest sponsors, withdrew support the day before the event 
after negotiations to reverse the exclusion policy failed. In September 
2014, event organizers announced that an LGBT group would be allowed to 
march under their own banner in the 2015 parade.





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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING FOR SOCIETY
Apple

CEO claims that consumer privacy is protected because company profits from device sales rather than advertising
A
 self-claimed BRAND SACRIFICE ;) Following public controversy over 
purported customer data security breaches, in September 2014 Tim Cook, 
Apple's CEO published an open letter to customers outlining the company's commitment to privacy. In the letter he stated:&nbsp;"Our
 business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We 
don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits
 to sell to advertisers. We don’t 'monetize' the information you store 
on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your 
messages to get information to market to you." The letter was 
widely interpreted to be a challenge to competitor Google, which derives
 much of its revenue from advertising based on consumer data.





FEATURED INNOVATIONS
SACRIFICING FOR THE PLANET

See how these brands are making SACRIFICES to reduce negative impacts on the planet.





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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING FOR THE PLANET
Tesla

US electric car manufacturer won't enforce its patents
In June 2014, Tesla&nbsp;announced
 that it would no longer&nbsp;initiate patent lawsuits against anyone using 
their&nbsp;technology in good faith. The company stated that given the 
incredibly small size of the&nbsp;electric car market relative to the total 
automotive market, and the urgency of the carbon crisis, there would be 
an overall benefit to humanity in making their technology available 
(even to potential competitors).




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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING FOR THE PLANET
STA Travel

UK travel company says no to the unethical treatment of animals
In May 2014, UK-based student travel agency STA Travel
 announced that it would stop selling trips to destinations associated 
with the ‘unethical’ treatment of animals. The ban initially included 
all SeaWorld theme parks and elephant tours at the Tiger Temple in 
Thailand. It was implemented following advice from People for the 
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). STA Travel also committed to a 
wider strategy to promote responsible tourism around the world.




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FEATURED INNOVATIONS: SACRIFICING FOR THE PLANET
H&amp;M, Forever 21, Topshop, ASOS &amp; more

Fashion retailers stop selling angora wool products
Following
 allegations that suppliers in China were mistreating rabbits during the
 production of angora wool in November 2013, multiple global&nbsp;fashion&nbsp;retailers&nbsp;have
 removed angora products from stock and suspended sourcing. More than 30
 brands, including H&amp;M, Forever 21 and Topshop (who received a 
petition with more than 100,000 signatures), committed to removing 
angora products, with ASOS, Mango and John Lewis implementing permanent 
bans in the UK. Other retailers, including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin 
Klein, committed to global bans. The original video footage was released
 by animal-rights organization PETA and was widely circulated on social 
media.






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So what is your brand prepared to SACRIFICE?






NEXT
Time for a SACRIFICE audit?

Want to apply this trend? Start with an A-Z audit of your organization intended to identify potential SACRIFICES. Remember, SACRIFICES should be constructive, not purely cosmetic. That means they're going to hurt. Need more tips? Keep reading for a step-by-step checklist to run with...



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NEXT
1. SACRIFICE something you sell.

One crystal clear kind of SACRIFICE? Stop selling something that's causing harm to consumers, society at large, or the planet. See how Tesco are to stop selling candy at checkouts, citing consumer health as the reason.



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NEXT
2. SACRIFICE something you do.

Another key type of BRAND SACRIFICE? Stop or change some aspect of your process in the name of SELF, SOCIETY or the PLANET. See how Intel stopped using minerals from conflict zones.



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NEXT
3. SACRIFICE something you have.

SACRIFICES can also be about giving up something you hold dear (and that has significant value), for the greater good. Witness how Tesla 'gave up' their intellectual property despite knowing that doing so may empower competitors.



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NEXT
4. SACRIFICE attention.

A less tangible form of SACRIFICE, but one that can speak volumes about who you are. SACRIFICE attention because you think the platform – or others standing on it – are causing negative impacts. See how Guinness pulled out of NYC's St Patrick's Day Parade when LGBT groups were banned from carrying identifying signs.



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