This Marketing week article - The new CSR, Explains how the old model is out and brands have to create a whole new outlook ok CSR. "What is the point of a business behaving well and responsibly if it does not actually generate more profit? " . With this starting sentence the article highlights the old model and everything it stands for. The article then challenges this showing that what is the point if we are not really doing good in the long run?
Puma Chief Executive, Jochen Zeitz, comments on the whole idea of a new CSR model " saying that companies need to consider how to “do more good, not just less bad”. The article discuses how brands must take as many things as they can into consideration do overall do better for the environment and to create a sustainable future and consider short -term growth but long term sustainability.
One of the business models they use to demonstrate this, is one I myself am very familiar with. The Marks & Spencer PLAN A. With their slogan "Plan A, because there is no plan B". With small things such as 5p carrier bags towards sustainable fish, recycling everything and anything from in store than can be recycled and not letting any vehicles go unloaded, it leads to a big impact. M&S Head of sustainable business Mike Barry, claims that although it took a while to see the benefits financially, they are definitely reaping the rewards after much hard work, an extra £50 million was made by the company in 2010.
Although this article makes compelling points,and uses big brands such as Puma, M&S, Unilever and Coca-Cola to prove its successfulness, how could this work for a small brand with significantly smaller revenue?
CSR is an evident trend in the market with the RSPCA now awarding retailers (of both General merchandise and good) for being ethical and sustainable. With these brands being some of recent winners :
Fashion without fear
Global fashion giant ASOS scooped this year’s Innovation Award. Despite the online fashion and beauty retailer offering over 50,000 branded and own label products, they lead the way in developing and implementing an impressive animal welfare policy that covers wool, angora, cashmere, feathers and down; animal testing, as well as endangered species, fur, leather and exotic skins.
George at Asda was presented with the Large Fashion Company Award, while Izzy Lanescooped the Small Fashion Company Award for producing desirable, ethical high fashion at an achievable price. Eco-fashion label Rapanui was highly commended in this category.
Designer and co-founder of Red or Dead Wayne Hemingway, an RSPCA Good Business Awards fashion judge, said: “This proves the industry has run out of excuses. If a company as large as ASOS can bring so many labels and lines together under one ethical sourcing policy then there is no defence for others.”
Source :http://www.goodthings.org.uk
According to an article by the RSPCA "Ethical consumerism is worth a staggering £25.8 Billion a year.
Source :http://infurmation.com/downloads/pdfs/RSPCAfashion.pdf
According to a study conducted by the cooperative group for the ethical consumer organisation "Sales of ethical personal products, including cruelty-free cosmetics and ethical clothing increased to £1.8bn" .
Source: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/portals/0/downloads/ethical-consumer-markets-report-2012.pdf
One of the main issues with ethical clothing ( as mentioned in my first post) is that it tends to not look great of be fashionable. The general connotations to ethical clothing is hippieish, unfashionable, unflattering , not on trend. However with Designer Duchess I am to change that.
After assessing the brands budget and needs I have developed a CSR as follows. The fact its a fairly new brand with a low budget has to be taken into consideration:
Ethical values & Practice:
All of the faux furs that Designer Duchess supply are made in factories where the workers receive a fair wage, so no worker goes exploited at any point in the manufacturing procedure.
Designer Duchess will also limit the use of unrecyclable materials. The packaging instead of using tissue paper will come in a voile bag for safe keeping and the box it comes in is 100% recyclable.
Environmental /Social concerns and actions:
The brand will aim to raise faux fur awareness. This will help raise awareness on faux fur availability and help consumers choose faux instead of real fur. Many real fur coats come from animals who are close to extinction and/or kept and killed in unethical ways. For this reason Designer Duchess will partner up with animal rights group PETA.
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