Havas rates companies' sustainability credentials

UK-- Havas Media has developed a new framework to allow brands to measure and track how consumers view their efforts to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The Sustainable Futures 09 framework was formed after the company carried out research into sustainability issues last year and found that it was an increasingly important subject for clients and consumers.

To come up with the findings the firm surveyed around 20,000 consumers in 10 markets earlier this year, covering more than 50 brands across eight sectors.

In the first results, in what Havas Media say could become a yearly project, 48% of consumers said they were willing to pay more for products produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way, but 64% viewed companies' communications about sustainability as “marketing tools”.

The firm has also developed a metric to track and compare companies' sustainability “performance” based on consumer perception, the Sustainability Futures Quotient (SFQ).

Guy Champniss, director of business insights at Havas Media, said: “The SFQ in particular is key in helping companies maximise their [brand value] advantage. In the long-term, this metric will be a vital tool to take a corporate ‘temperature check': a healthy SFQ will indicate significant brand value is being derived from consistently and authentically communicated sustainability endeavours.”

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