Raising the Retail Sector’s Sustainability Bar
June 12, 2008
“Oh, that’s just perfectly normal paranoia,” said Slartibartfast breezily. “Everyone in the universe suffers from that.”
It’s always good to know that the architects of the Earth, as depicted in Douglas Adams’ “The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy”, were aware of the fundamentals of life.
Nevertheless, it can be disconcerting to find these theories being borne out in real life.
For instance: I always had a sneaking suspicion that some smaller country was quietly getting on with sustainability without getting hung up over principle, cost or advantage.
That country, I’m starting to conclude, is Portugal. It appears to be a hotbed of Social Entrepreneurship, a centre for positive news reporting and, now, the home of the sustainable shopping centre.
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Retailers Embrace Media Responsibility By Being Proactive
June 12, 2008
The largest retail giant in the United States has learned the secret to offsetting any negative perception about its practices in the media. Working closely with their corporate executives and high-profile key media personnel, Wal-Mart is seeking to establish a new identity. Since perception is everything, their goal is to create a new way of thinking, a sort of “re-branding” of itself, and is using media relations to accomplish that goal.
The negative air that surrounds the retail giant is due in part to executive decisions to:
1) Outsource jobs to other countries, thereby reducing the number of available jobs here in America and,
2) Significantly reduce industry wages, leading to disgruntled, unhappy employees who generally voice their concerns - - to the media!
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A Chocolate Box Of Waste
May 26, 2008
Sometimes the choices put in front of you are a veritable chocolate box of decisions. Strawberry or Coffee; Praline or Brazil? Life is sometimes just far too short to come to a final decision.
The same applies when reviewing the sustainability sections of the major food and drink retailers’ websites. There are food miles; working conditions (both in the UK and abroad); organic, fair trade and ethical considerations… (deep breath)
…. vegan and vegetarian, halal and kosher requirements; waste and packaging; additives, colourings and preservatives … and, of course, the dreaded plastic carrier bag.
Out of these one stands out: packaging. It doesn’t matter how near or far your food’s source or what its moral, spiritual or religious provenance is, it still need to be in something when it leaves the shop.
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Thinking About Thought Leadership
May 22, 2008
It all started with consulting companies, then moved to software/technology companies and now is spreading to all types of companies. Thought leadership, simply put, is giving away content. This could be developed from what your leaders know, case studies or the musings of gurus and subject matter experts you hire.
Why do this? It drives traffic to your corporate website and enhances your company’s reputation as one that buyers may want to do business with. Think of thought leadership as stealth advertising and promotion. The content may not, and some say should not, mention your company. But the association is still made and by sharing your knowledge you build credibility.
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When it all goes wrong in the FTSE 100
May 20, 2008
Standard 404 Page
You know how they say you can judge someone by their shoes? It’s often the little things that let us down. FTSE 100 corporate sites tend to be big and complex to match the organisations they serve, but can be seriously underpowered when it all goes wrong.
Being presented with a 404 page is irritating at the best of times, but there are different ways of handling this, and - predictably enough - the FTSE 100 demonstrate the full range of options available.
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