About the Book:

HOW ARE retail giants paying premiums for ethically produced products...and finding that it is good business to do so?  Why are many global corporations taking steps to clean up their social and environmental act?

THE ANSWER is simple: corporations must protect their most precious asset - their carefully built “brands.”  Advocacy organizations (NGOs), small but powerful, have been highly effective in launching “market campaigns” against corporate giants caught in unethical or irresponsible acts.

JUST AS effectively, these market campaigns validate and affirm the practices of socially and environmentally responsible corporations; and some of the world’s most powerful and newly accountable company leaders are eager to exhibit their commendable corporate citizenship.

BRANDED! IS a fascinating account of the NGO ability to affect corporate markets directly, and the development of “certification systems” for corporate social and environmental practices.   Find out:

        • Why coffee retailers like Starbucks and Nestle responded to record-low green coffee prices by paying more than they ever have.

        • Why Home Depot pays a premium to buy as much wood from certified sustainably managed timber products as possible.

        • Who gives the advocacy NGOs their credibility, and where the movement is going next.

        • What the challenges are for both NGOs and corporations and how they can respond.

RICH WITH vignettes of firms, NGOs, campaigns, responses, failures, hard-nosed negotiating, and the memorable personalities involved, this is a must-read book for corporate executives, NGOs and concerned consumers.