Wedgwood Wild Strawberry collection
Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton and Jaguar Land Rover are among the brands being transparent about their corporate responsibility through participation in Business in the Community’s 2015 CR Index.
The thirteenth annual list from the charity organization serves as a benchmark for brands to measure their sustainability progress. As Responsible Business Week runs from April 20-26, the brands that shared their efforts publicly will act as examples of companies making a contribution to something greater.
Open communication
For the CR Index, brands fill out a self-assessment via an online survey. This can then be used to help them identify strengths and gaps where they can bolster their efforts.
In addition to providing internal understanding of progress, the index creates a report for the company’s stakeholders, and lets them know where they stand against competitors.
WWRD scored 2.5 stars, for initiatives including developing corporate responsibility strategies and reporting on them, appointing a board member accountable for CSR and making corporate responsibility a part of executives’ performance reviews.
Jaguar Land Rover scored a four out of a possible five points. The full list can be viewed here.
Land Rover Discovery Sport coming off production line
Other brands have brought consumers into their responsible efforts.
Precision cut-crystal maker Swarovski is keeping up its dedication to sustainability practices with a consumer survey asking for personal views of the brand.
Asking for consumers to participate on social media in a branded survey can lead to a small amount of leads, so Swarovski is offering respondents a chance to win an animal charm to entice participation. Understanding consumers’ views on sustainability and ethical business practices of the brand will help Swarovski grow into a better company (see story).