“You can’t avoid the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
– Abraham Lincoln
We define responsible branding as envisioning and communicating the behaviors and messages an organization is committed to, in order to protect and enhance a healthy planet—environmentally, socially, and ethically.
The challenge is that these messages are often complex. They require time and patience to convey to an audience. They don’t necessarily lend themselves to sound bites or :30 spots. We believe your sustainable branding solution is not about creating a new logo or adding a green seal to your package or advertising. It must never be a fad or trend or “green washing”.
Responsible branding may require both verbal explanation and visual demonstration. It mandates public education and a long-term commitment. It is most successfully about meaningful actions—real world sustainable strategies executed in the community so that people can truly experience the difference you are creating. And can be inspired to join your movement.
Once understood, these messages and actions resonate. They motivate employees to feel better about where they work and in turn, inspire them to share the story and their excitement with customers. They give customers reasons to talk about you again, to spread the word through the most valuable and efficient marketing medium: word of mouth, person to person.
These messages about responsible brand behavior will let people believe that your motivations are deeper than the next transaction or next quarter’s profit. They will acknowledge you as a positive player and they will invite you into their lives on a regular basis because too few companies are yet to play at that level. And those messages and actions will win the respect of many other audiences who are important to your business success—employees, investors, suppliers, partners, the trade, regulators, the government and the media—all constituents who need to know what you are doing and should give you the credit and support you deserve.
Eric Block On Responsible Branding 
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