Establish your brand and reputation

- A famous quote is attributed to Warren Buffet, in which he said, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation "and five minutes to ruin one." There are many examples of ill-conceived corporate initiatives that have proven Mr. Buffet was right, including attempts to promote a company's sustainability efforts without conclusive data and proof or worse. A classic example is when Volkswagen admitted cheating emissions tests by fitting cars with software that could detect a test and alter the engine's performance to reduce emissions. But Volkswagen got caught and the rest is history. Brand reputation and sustainability are very closely linked. Mismanaging or being indifferent to your environmental and social performance can have real and costly impacts to the bottom line and to the brand itself. Though a company's brand is considered an intangible and a profit and loss statement, it's the embodiment of who you are as a business. Without it, you're lost. Not sure where to start. Look at the brand attributes that you're best known for right now. Quality, reliability, durability, innovation. Not that long ago, ARM & HAMMER baking soda, established in 1847, identified an emerging consumer interest in sustainable cleaning products. It called out the legitimate green attributes of its baking soda formula. This was a logical and authentic expression of the brand with 175 years to back it up. Take a moment right now and ask yourself, is there a social or environmental issue that the brand or company's associated with that you could highlight and get behind? Write down what role, if any, the brand is playing in helping to solve and tackle the problem. What tangible actions could the brand take to try and solve the problem going forward? What difference will these actions make? Is the brand engaging with others to help make a broader contribution or just acting alone? Tie sustainability to your brand's core business to ensure it resonates with customers. For example, if your brand sells wooden furniture, your sustainability efforts should likely include a focus on trees and forest related issues. Don't do something unrelated to what people know you for, or customers won't reward your efforts. If you do something irrelevant to your core business, you risk alienating or confusing your customers. Sustainability strengthens brands, but greenwashing putting more effort into talking about how green a product is than to actually being green damages a company. Brand honesty and transparency go a long way with consumers, disclosing what you're doing well, and what you could be doing better will instill trust. Trust breeds loyalty, and customer loyalty is a hallmark of strong brands.