What defines a responsible brand?
A responsible brand is a business that’s committed and accountable to caring for people (social) and our planet (environmental) through their actions and behaviours, processes and policies (governance), profitability and performance. How a business lives and breathes their brand ethics – their values and the principles they uphold, work and live by.
It creates a sustainable business, uniting and living the brand strategy and business strategy as one. Alone, a business strategy would be empty and without brand purpose. Therefore objectives and pathways of both need to be considered and aligned. They go hand in hand.
Brand strategy and business strategy
Whilst they are often seen as separate entities with;
- Business strategy holding a strong focus on the financial side and how things are done.
- Brand strategy holding a strong focus on the why and the emotional connections.
this individualisation can do more harm than good, supporting the ‘business as usual’ narrative, which makes it easy to dismiss, delay or distract from sustainable efforts, initiatives and innovations when the going gets tough, or when differing agendas are at play.
Business efforts need to be held to account though the brand purpose. So, perhaps time for a reframe with purpose-led, responsible brands leading the way. I personally prefer to use the words brand and business interchangeably, as to me they are one and the same ecosystem, and at the end of the day the people and the resulting brand experience.
‘Companies that embed purpose into their operations, measurement, and decision making are seeing tangible business benefits—from stronger financial performance to deeper stakeholder trust and long-term resilience.’ Daryl Brewster, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose
A sustainable brand strategy both reflects:
- internally; the reason why the business exists in the first place, who you help, what you stand for, what you do and how you do it, forming and aligning processes, culture and policies with the brand purpose running centrally through each;
- and externally; brand personality, relationships, communication platforms, collaborations, reputation and long term value generation.
It holds the brand purpose at the heart of every decision. But it needs every team and stakeholder to hold each other accountable to the purpose, meaningful objectives and working towards the bigger vision.
What are the key challenges?
- The gap between intent and processes:
Only 2 in 10 businesses have a defined brand purpose statement and consider it completely integrated into their business. (Accenture)
- Reduction in trust in companies:
‘71% of global citizens trust companies less than they did a year earlier.’ (Edelman 2025)
- Communication, transparency and accountability throughout the organisation
‘66% [businesses] are more concerned about greenwashing than 12 months ago.’
‘39% observe their organisation shifting towards ‘quiet sustainability’ with a focus on action over promotion.’
(‘Greenhushing’ – Silence is Costing Credibility (2025) is part of the annual Green Claims Pulse Survey commissioned by Futurebuild, The Carbon Literacy Project, The Anti-Greenwash Charter and Hattrick in April 2025).
Authentic visual cues to help communicate your responsible business practices
Communicating your authentic brand purpose goes beyond words. It’s communicated through your actions, behaviours and working practices. Some of these will naturally be visible, shining through your brand character, case studies and testimonials etc. But, how do you show the world the intangible; your innate, behind the scenes processes? The things that might be experienced first hand by those you work directly with; suppliers, employees and clients, but invisible to potential clients, collaborators, stakeholders and partners.
A great way you can signpost people is through business training and accreditations that demonstrate your commitments to responsible, ethical business practices; how you care for and put people and our planet first.
One of these is the Good Business Charter (GBC). A responsible business accreditation for UK organisations of any size and structure, including self-employed, SME’s, non-profits through to large organisations.
The GBC is about shared values and working towards a vision for a sustainable, fair, safe world for all by raising the standards of business behaviour.
Accredited businesses are committed to 10 components:
- Real Living Wage
- Employee Wellbeing
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Pay Fair Tax
- Ethical Sourcing
- Fairer Hours and Contracts
- Employee Representation
- Environmental Responsibility
- Commitment to Customers
- Prompt Payment to Suppliers
Upon accreditation you receive a digital accredited badge to display on your:
- proposals,
- website,
- social media profiles
- and email footers etc.
Also, if you have physical premises, display near checkouts and main entrance etc. It’s a strong mark that provides reassurance of your commitment to ethical standards and responsible business practices. And consequently, can prompt conversations, helping to encourage a ripple effect of wider good business practices.
(And importantly) Beyond your Accreditation
It doesn’t end there though. Use your accreditation to help benchmark and identify areas for improvement. You could use these to inform, measure and report your impacts to your stakeholders internally and externally.
Review each component in regular meetings;
- how are you living and developing these components; (memberships, employer accreditations, supply chain, initiatives, training, advocates…)
- document the positive impacts you’re making; (wellbeing, brand culture, brand sentiment, profit…)
- discuss the challenges and opportunities; (collaborations and innovations, sharing of resources…)
Research shows that four in five people won’t buy from unethical brands, and nine in ten employees would leave their jobs if their values didn’t align with the company.*
Brands who prioritise environmental (planet), social (people) and governance (processes) gain a significant advantage; sought out by talent, investors, collaborators and clients – people who genuinely want to make a positive difference in the world. A perfect example of your values resonating.
88% of consumers demonstrate increased loyalty to businesses that advocate for social or environmental issues. (Forbes)
‘Companies that align their business practices with corporate purposes significantly outperform their peers—reporting 25 percent higher revenue and 22 percent higher pre-tax profit than those that do not’ (Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose CECP)
With accreditations you’re providing an effective visual cue for people to find when they are browsing, searching, and comparing whether to buy from or work with you. A visual cue building brand trust and effecting systemic change – raising the bar together.
Your purpose – what you stand for, is one of the most important aspects of establishing your brand, because it impacts every decision you make from there forward. Therefore, it can’t stay as written word, it needs to be communicated and lived through your values; making it part of your brand experience, ecosystem and processes.
Always show up for what you stand for.
