As reported by Marketing Charts:

More than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company’s business practices when deciding what to buy. American workers in increasing numbers say they want their employers to support a social cause or issue, according to the 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Survey. Show me more »

smashLAB is a small company with a big idea. Get product designers to design with sustainability in mind. Their philosophy? Designers make choices that impact their company (or client), people and the enviornment. They can choose to make (environmental) change happen through design.

The smashLAB folks believe in this self-designed charter so much they’ve started a Web site and motto, Design Can Change, to educate others. Designers can sign up to the commitment, and you can choose designers that do.

Understand smashLAB’s philosophy through their blog. Then make a choice. Show me more »

Check it out: Zaadz.com, a very interesting new social site that focuses on businesses and forums for social responsibility. If your company has a social mission, you can inform others (and market it) on this site’s zpages. Self-described as a social network with a purpose, I think this is one of the best uses of social Web technologies. The name is a bit difficult to remember (Dutch for the word seed). Hopefully that won’t hold them back. Show me more »

Patagonia started a blog last month, The Cleanest Line. It’s a great example of a company extending its passion and philosophies into a clear voice. There are four things I really like about this blog:

1. It is designed as a stand-alone site to attract and inform people about environmental issues.
2. It is a personal voice and a communal voice where both company and customers can feed their thoughts.
3. It leverages as well as continues to establish Patagonia’s business creed extending the companies voice and authenticity.
4. It is a place where Patagonia can speak openly about products in development and get customer ideas and input at the very earliest stages. Show me more »

I posted an article last December titled, Make Money By Giving. The article focused on how marketers could help drive their companies to employ social responsibility programs that help the bottom line. It was great to see BusinessWeek’s article Beyond the Green Corporation in last week’s issue (January 29, 2006). Show me more »

Many executives believe social responsibility is in conflict with revenue and profit growth. It’s true, a company’s responsibility is to increase profits. Yet social responsibility doesn’t have to be a drag on the bottom line. Social and environmental responsibility is no longer just about donating money and services to needy groups. Business process, product development, partnerships can all be analyzed for better more responsible alternatives. And if the responsible choice saves money in the long run, ads value to the product and creates a positive culture inside the company then it’s a good thing. Show me more »