Great stories are the ones that change the world.
The ones that spark steady transformation as they’re heard again and again, as many voices speak the same words. The same beginning, middle and end. The same story.
Powerful brands stick to powerful stories, using them to strengthen their vision, align
their people and drive real, responsible change.
How?
We’ll show you how.
2. 2
Great stories are the ones that change the world.
The ones that spark steady transformation as
they’re heard again and again, as many voices
speak the same words. The same beginning,
middle and end. The same story.
Powerful brands stick to powerful stories,
using them to strengthen their vision, align
their people and drive real, responsible change.
How?
We’ll show you how.
The
story
A story is more than
something you tell,
it’s an opportunity
to make the world
a better place.
3. 3
The world
With evolution comes challenge.
As technology races ahead, the planet
teeters on the edge of decline, and social
issues grow in public consciousness,
businesses are increasingly seen as
part of the problem.
But if businesses are part of the
problem, they can be part of the solution.
By embracing a greater role and taking
responsibility for their impact on society,
brands can harness the pace of change
and use that momentum to make a real,
positive difference.
THE CHALLENGE THE OPPORTUNITY
TECHNOLOGY
–– Rapid development
–– Ethical concerns
–– Big data
–– Leverage expertise
–– Join the conversation
–– Collaborate
ENVIRONMENT
–– Climate change
–– Water scarcity
–– Plastic waste
–– Take action
–– Lead by example
–– Reduce footprints
SOCIAL
–– Wealth disparity
–– Inequality
–– Automation
–– Speak out
–– Challenge inequality
–– Support wellbeing
4. 4
“ Small actions can make a huge
difference. It starts with staying
in tune with current issues, working
out what aligns with your vision,
and taking responsible steps
towards progress for everyone.”
5. 5
The impact
Every size of business has the ability
to instigate change and start the ripple
effect that builds to create a movement.
Businesses’ impact is widespread – from
the supply chain and employee’s lives to how
they market products and services externally.
Whether your impact is on a global, local
or one-to-one scale, it’s never been more
important to keep sight of the tiny details
as you step back to see the bigger picture.
Keep the wide-angle lens to stay in touch
with the community, the planet, the culture,
and focus in on the minor transformations
that create major impact.
6. 6
Small change, Big difference
has pledged to
recycle half a billion
coffee cups by 2020
aims to engage
75% of UK employees
with environmental
issues by 2020
VODAFONE
COSTA COFFEE
set to remove
plastic from all
branded products
diversity campaign
looks to end the stigma
of mental health
LLOYD’S
ICELAND
phasing out
plastic straws
from UK branches
will trial five
zero-emission bikes
across South London
SAINSBURY’S
MCDONALD’S
7. 7
The
opportunities
When businesses take action to develop
a responsible culture, they develop an
authentic way to connect with employees
and customers.
It’s not about a total reposition of company
values, and it’s not about centring every
element of a business around ethics. This
is about combining revenue creation with
responsible business practices in a meaningful
way – and being honest about that process.
Putting responsible business at the heart creates:
01.Competitive advantage
02.Innovation
03.Employee engagement
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1
Green Giants: How Smart Companies Turn Sustainability Into Billion-Dollar Businesses, E Freya Williams 2015
01.
Competitive
advantage
Almost three quarters of Generation Yers and
Zers are willing to pay more for sustainable services,
and 51% of the boomer generation agree. IKEA’s
‘Products for a More Sustainable Life at Home’
line now generates a billion dollars.1
9. 9
02.
Innovation
Redesigning products in line with environmental
or social values creates new business opportunities.
BMW i cars are not only emission-free, they’re built
with the maximum amount of sustainable materials.
10. 10
2
Environmental standards and labor productivity: Understanding the mechanisms that sustain sustainability, Magali A Delmas and Sanja Pekovic 2012
03.
Employee
engagement
As focus mission, purpose, and work-life balance
increases, companies with environmental standards
are seeing productivity up to 16% higher.2
At Unilever,
half of all new employees cite the company’s ethical
policies as their main reason for joining.
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The belief
Taking responsible business seriously
means developing the right mindset and
aligning every action with that – tapping
into a higher sense of purpose and
ensuring nothing happens in isolation.
When employees engage with
progressive values, that culture
become more than just something
a business does. It becomes the
business itself.
But before the revolution comes the
rethink, that starts with key decision-
makers believing they have the power
to make an impact. Sharper decisions,
energised thinking, connected
employees and a clear future vision
are what follows. Taking responsible
business seriously means developing
the right mindset and aligning every
action with that – tapping into
a higher sense of purpose and
ensuring nothing happens
in isolation.
When employees engage with
progressive values, that culture become
more than just something a business
does. It becomes the business itself.
But before the revolution comes the
rethink, that starts with key decision-
makers believing they have the power
to make an impact. Sharper decisions,
energised thinking, connected
employees and a clear future
vision are what follows.
As a business, what you believe
in really matters.
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IKEA:
Honesty and simplicity
IKEA’s Vision, “to create a better everyday
life for the many people.” is ingrained within
the brand’s culture, services and presence.
Products are designed to help customers
use energy more efficiently, reduce waste
and save water. Prices are good value, items
are aesthetic, designed to make living
environments appealing yet comfortable.
Unilever:
Sustainability and accessibility
Unilever doesn’t shy away from being
a money-making business as well as a
brand with an ethical vision.
Its purpose – “to make sustainable living
commonplace” – echoes the business’s
commitment to doubling sales while
halving environmental footprint by 2020.
WholeFoods:
Wellbeing and community
Whole Foods Market boasts more organic sales
than any other retailer, championing emotional
qualities to create a caring, humanised vision:
“With great courage, integrity, and love,
we embrace our responsibility to co-create
a world where each of us, our communities,
and our planet can flourish all the while,
celebrating the sheer love and joy of food.”
The billion-dollar companies built on belief:
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Since winning the BiTC Responsible Business of the Year
Award in 2017, we’ve continued our journey by moving
with global and local trends, learning from our people
and our clients, and shaping our overarching vision.
As a business, we’re constantly coming together for a
common cause, and realising how that shared sense of
purpose can drive commercial success is what gives us
the energy and innovation to make a meaningful difference.
Internally, it’s about the small changes that empower our
team. Whether that’s fundraising for local charities, helping
in the community, or reminding each other to recycle, every
action builds and ripples to inspire belief in the work we do.
The
mindset
Changing the mindset.
14. “ We help our clients understand
the interdependency of strategy
and culture, and understand how
economic and social values can
be shared – for the greater good
of everyone.”
– James Wilkins, Managing Director
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Mapping the journey
We work closely with brands to
embed strategies that inspire large
-scale behavioural change – shifting
complex belief systems to create
open, engaged mindsets.
But building a brand-new, responsible-
business-focused mindset doesn’t
happen in a heartbeat. It happens when
beliefs, attitudes and feelings shift, and
people naturally begin to make decisions
that align with a responsible vision.
Achieving change with people starts with
mapping the hierarchy of emotional and
motivational factors at play. We spend
time understanding the beliefs, attitudes
and feelings that shape the culture of an
organisation – these combine to form the
overall mindset, and that’s what has to
change before we can expect to see real
actions and results.
The current social and cultural climate
means it just makes sense to take action
in the responsible business space right
now. Our approach creates impact
through creative storytelling, using
insight and imagination to build a
foundation of trust and unite every
individual on a shared mission.
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Creating impact
Beliefs
Do people
believe responsible
business can change
the world?
Attitudes
Do people feel
positive or negative
about the future
and their role?
Feelings
Do people feel
empowered to make
responsible business
decisions?
Actions
What are the
proof points that
the changes are
being made?
Results
What impact
is responsible
business having on
the business?
The mindset model
We first need to shift beliefs, feelings and attitudes. Before we can expect actions and results.
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Making a meaningful difference
Working with influential, forward
-thinking brands is a great source
of inspiration. This year, we helped
BMW engage staff and customers
with sustainable mobility through
its i range, aligning internal activity
with the brand’s commitment to
have 25 electric models by 2020.
We developed a close partnership
with Lloyds Banking Group to embed
their Helping Britain Prosper purpose,
addressing some of Britain’s biggest
social and economic issues –including
house-buying, saving, digital skills,
diversity and social disadvantage.
It was an inspirational project that
allowed us to produce work that
genuinely matters.
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As the world evolves, working responsibly
is just the right thing to do. We’ve worked
hard to create impact with thoughtful,
sustainable practices, but we’ll never
stop learning and growing as we strive
to do what we do in the most progressive
ways possible.
Making a truly meaningful
difference is about striving
to make a positive, lasting
impact every day.And so
our story continues.
WeareVista