La Fageda is a social enterprise founded in 1982 in Olot, Spain. Its core business is the production of dairy products, such as yogurts, ice creams and jams. Nowadays, it is the third yogurt producer in the province of Catalonia, and they not only taking care of the production of the products, but also taking care of the entire supply chain (from raise livestock to the final product). Moreover, La Fageda is really attached to the territory and the community where the main offices and warehouse is. For them sustainability, innovation and quality are three aspects that go together and extremely important to make the business succeed. This is why they control and improve every year the impact that the business has in the environment.

However, what makes this company really special is that their social approach. La Fageda is keen on embracing equal opportunities and manner for everyone, avoiding any type of discrimination due to capacities, sex, religion, etc.  To follow their values, approximately, 70% of the work force in this company suffers from some type of intellectual or mental disability. They give labour support to all their employees, as well as homecare and social inclusion.

What seemed to be a crazy idea if you asked many people some years ago, nowadays it is not only a very well-performing company but also the major successful history of social entrepreneurship in Spain. They offer tours to education centres, companies and families to show their production process and business model.

I believe that this company has an extremely specific business model. It is, not only an important and profitable enterprise, but also it helps to improve the community with their performance. I think that it is also impressive that La Fageda has been able to adapt their way of doing things, being at the same time a really strong competitor in front other brands. This shows that both objectives can be achieved at the same time, and that a profitable company can also be sustainable.

http://www.expansion.com/emprendedores-empleo/emprendedores/2015/06/26/558d8b8fe2704ec4458b458e.html

Ice cream is a snack or dessert that is loved by millions of people. There is something in this frozen food, made from dairy products and fruits or other flavours, that makes it delicious. However, when you are having your ice cream, you are not usually thinking about all the process and people that are behind its production. Nevertheless, for Ben&Jerry’s this is a core aspect.

Since 1978, this brand has been selling ice creams. They started with a small shop in Vermont and now they are present in many countries in the world. CEO, Jostein Solheim believes that nowadays the world is living critical challenges and changes, such as climate change or the uncertain global economy.

Even if they are just ice cream makers, they believe that as members of the society they are responsible to take actions to bring positive change. To do this their mission is divided into 3 parts: the product, the economic and the social mission.

First of all, Ben&Jerry’s must ensure that they keep doing what they do best: ice creams. Their products keep to be all natural and of the finest quality. Secondly, they operate with the objective to bring value to their stakeholders and employees. Finally, they want to use their company in innovative ways to make the world a better place.  As you can see in the video below, they support family farms, products like sugar or coffee are fair trade certified and the packaging is environmentally sustainable.

I believe that this vision of being responsible for their actions as members of the planet should be implemented in other companies. Ben&Jerry’s is a leader in this aspect because there are many researches that show how there is an up growing trend of people being aware of the sustainability of the products they are purchasing. As this tendency grow, more companies will see how important is to take responsibility on their actions and to try and improve the world through their performance.

References:

http://www.benjerry.com/about-us/sear-reports/2014-sear-report

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/77987584/Sustainable-companies-reap-benefits-of-increasingly-conscious-consumers

We are just facing another example of how the relationship between business and sustainability is possible and, even more, it can be profitable.

This last week it has been announced a partnership between Whole Foods and SolarCity. Solar power systems are going to be installed in the roofs of 100 Whole Foods stores around the United States.

I believe this plan is going to have mutual benefit for both companies. On the one hand, SolarCity, the top commercial and residential solar installer in the United States, is going to expand its business and empower its image. On the other hand, Whole Foods is going to enhance one of its main values: sustainability. This company has always been known for having healthy and natural products.

Furthermore, this alliance is also making Whole Foods save some money. Since solar providers can offer energy at a lower price in comparison with normal utilities. This represents a great advantage for the grocery store because they can reduce its fixed costs.

I think this partnership is a good marketing strategy for both companies. If we look at the Green Marketing Strategy, they are both in an Extreme Green Positioning because sustainability is their key message and the market knows them due to this aspect.

In terms of public awareness, I believe this is an earned type of media. The partnership has only been released a few days ago and a lot of people are already talking about it. These two companies have not paid for any media and from one day to another many people are talking about them.

I personally believe that this unit is good for both companies. First of all, the agreement has been done by two companies that share many values. This alliance is going to make this easier for both companies when trying to make a decision. In addition, as previously said, it has advantages for both parts.

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/09/business/energy-environment/whole-foods-plans-100-rooftop-solar-systems.html?_r=0

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/techflash/2016/03/whole-foods-signs-solar-roof-deal.html

http://www.solarcity.com/newsroom/press/solarcity-work-whole-foods-market-install-solar-power-systems-across-us

This last week Barcelona has hosted the Mobile World Congress. This is an annual event that gathers different companies and stakeholders related with the mobile industry. Every year, new phones and accessories are presented with the latest technology and gadgets in the world. This year, more than 94,000 people have attended to the Congress.

Companies launch new types of phone every year. The problem is that, even if the ones they have are working perfectly fine, people buy the newest model just to fit in and be in fashion. However, is everyone involved in this lucrative industry aware of the big issue behind it? This high consuming process has some implications that people do not know or do not want to know. For example, the waste they create or the human labour exploitation in the mining process. We must have in mind that giving money to some companies we are contributing to some practices, as the Coltan mining in Congo were many men work in almost slavery conditions to make a living.  And this is only one of all the issues regarding the phone industry.

Even all these facts, I am not against mobile phones. I believe they are a great tool of communication and they have done a lot of improvement for the society. However, I think there are some aspects that need to change in this industry. Here is where companies like Fairphone appear. This social enterprise creates value by making a positive impact through all the supply chain, from mining, design and manufacturing of the product. As we said in class, it is a product that works – it has to be competitive with other products in the market – but also care about ethical values. I believe that this company looks beyond current needs and and are designing a product prepared for the future.  As time goes by, more and more people are being concern about how products are made, under what conditions or what is their environmental impact. I believe that Fairphone is doing an extremely good job by changing some aspects of the industry and making others realize about what do we actually buy when we are buying a phone.

Extract of a documentary of mining in Congo. It is in Spanish, but is very recommendable. The images talk by themselves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofZQ4ZRy-1I

Articles:

https://www.mobileworldcongress.com/what-to-expect/what-is-mwc/

http://news.yahoo.com/dark-side-worlds-lucrative-mobile-phone-industry-111821184.html

It is said that one of the first things that you realize when you go on an exchange is the cultural shock. However, they said that Vancouver was a city with similarities to the cities back in Europe so I did not expect much difference.

I have been in Vancouver for almost two months now and I must confess that there is a cultural shock. Nevertheless, it appears with the small things and actions. For example, the society here is much more aware and conscious about recycling. It took me a while to understand and to get used to separate things when you are throwing them away. However, Canadians are used to it and see it as a normal thing to do. I have heard that you can even get a fine if you do not do it correctly! I could not believe it.

I find this cultural difference quite interesting. That is why, when in one of my classes we talked about Urban Impact, I decided to investigate more about this company. For those who might not know it, Urban Impact is a multi-material recycling company in Vancouver. They work with industrial, commercial and government sectors to help them to reduce and manage their waste, teaching them how to go green.

I think that is a really good idea to base an enterprise in helping other companies to improve their recycling practices. Many of these companies do not have “Green” as their key message. In other words, in the Green Marketing Strategy Matrix they are either in the Shaded or in the Defensive Green position. Most of these companies would not spend time or effort to improve their performance in sustainable terms. However, a partnership with Urban Impact can benefit all. In the first place, they would be decreasing the volume of waste that they create and reducing the negative impact in the planet. In addition, the brand image of the companies would also improve.

In conclusion, I believe that Urban Impact’s activity is a very good idea. It is nice that a community can get together and help one to each other in being more sustainable, making this planet a better place for future generations.

http://www.bcbusiness.ca/people/nicole-stefenelli-winner-clean-tech

Here is another example of a sustainable company. Levi Strauss & Co., the 163 years old clothing company is also taking some action towards sustainability.

This old apparel company has the sustainable values deep in their core business. In an interview Chip Bergh, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Levi’s, he explained how important was this value for the brand. He said this fundamental aspect goes back to the founder of the company, Levi Strauss. For him, it was key that the company performed doing the right thing and giving back what they had been given. This point of view falls directly into sustainability, taking care of the planet and the communities. Due to this fact, sustainability drives the innovative program in Levi’s.

“We use sustainability as a constraint to drive our innovation program. It’s part of who we are, and I think more and more consumers are beginning to recognize that.” – Chip Bergh

Levi’s Waste<Less Collection is an example of what action the company is taking. This collection gathers products made 20% with used materials, specifically plastic bottles. In average, in each pair of jeans you have between three and eight bottles. This collection started in 2013 and from then, they have recycled 11.9 million bottles. Another example is the Wellthread Collection. These clothes are produced with a dye process that saves 65% less water, they have some modifications to ensure the durability of the product and are made of 100% cotton to facilitate their recycling process.

Moreover, they use their brand awareness to educate people. A lot of energy and water is wasted when the product is at their client homes. The majority of people only uses their jeans twice before throwing them into the laundry. With their brand power, Levi’s wants to guide customers to delay their washings, reducing at the same time the used resources.

In my opinion, it is exceptional what Levi’s is doing. In the first place, this company is using their innovation to create new green products and to reduce waste. In other words, they are using the Architect Path to Green Growth.  Secondly, they are not only innovating, but they are also trying to make the society realize about how much waste we create and teaching ways to decreased.

I still remember the first time I entered into a Lush shop. It was a rainy day in Brighton, England. Walking into Lush was like going in another world. Everything was very colourful, shop assistants were extremely helpful and cheerful, the soap smell was incredible, etc. From that first moment, I loved that unique shop.

Lush is known for their singular natural body soaps. However, what I did not realized was that they were so into sustainability.

First of all, they have eliminated packaging in most of their products and have get rid of palm oil in their supply chain.

Another aspect that I did not notice is that they do not have discounts or “buy 2 get 3” offers. There is a reason behind that. They want to implement a consumption model were people buy what they really need.

Moreover, since 2007 they have the Charity Pot. With the purchase of this product, 100% of the price goes to organizations working towards environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights.

This are some aspects that characterize Lush and make it different from other soap companies.

In my opinion, a company like Lush is an example to follow. They have a strong vision and their all their actions are coherent and reflect their values. Trying to perform in the most sustainable way, they are another case of how been green and profitable is possible.

Moreover, in relation to what we did in class, I think that their position in the Green Marketing Strategy Matrix is in the Extreme Green. On the one hand, they have a powerful differentiation in greenness in comparison to other brands in the sector. On the other hand, the market is growing in terms of sustainable concerns. In conclusion, Lush is in a very good position in terms of strategy for the future.

Articles:

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/07/14/lush-founder-dont-worry-be-profitable

http://www.lushusa.com/New-Charity-Pot/9999905236,en_US,pd.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/helainahovitz/2014/12/22/following-the-millions-in-lushs-charity-pot/#1aa18c0466f5

Tim Hortons is a well known Canadian fast food chain. They are famous for their coffee and doughnuts. However, what many people might not know is that it is ranked in the firsts positions (specifically #11) of the 2015 Global Most Sustainable Corporations in the World index. This company is very concern about its individuals, the communities and the planet. Still, these values are not only words. They are taking some action, as supporting clean-ups in local communities, saving energy or creating The Foundation Camp.

I believe that Tim Hortons is a good example of how big companies can make a difference in their actions. As a member of the society, an enterprise has some responsibilities that cannot ignore, like respecting the environment and the individuals surrounding it. It is clearly seen that this fast food chain has in mind all these responsibilities by looking at its behaviour and way of performance.

Moreover, Tim Hortons is a clear example that creating value for both the shareholder and the society is not impossible. Tim Hortons’ profits keep a positive tendency and it is believed to continue like this during the following years. In other words, being sustainably responsible has not prevent the company to have good financial results.

In conclusion, I think that Tim Hortons is a case of an outstanding company that is not only worried about revenue, but also the impact of their actions in the planet. This example should empower other companies to follow the path and be sustainable in everyway that they can.

http://sustainabilityreport.timhortons.com/pdf/2014-performance-report.pdf

http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/10/27/tim-hortons-new-menu-burger-kings-chicken-fries-take-owner-to-49m-profit.html

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