If polls amount to anything, Canadian companies might have to change the way they do business, at least in the area of marketing strategy. A poll conducted by Environics International, in 1999, of 25,…
If polls amount to anything, Canadian companies might have to change the way they do business, at least in the area of marketing strategy. A poll conducted by Environics International, in 1999, of 25,000 people in 23 countries on six continents revealed the following:
Global perceptions are more strongly linked with corporate citizenship than either brand quality or the perception of the business management.
Two out of three people want companies to go beyond their historical role of making profits, paying taxes, creating jobs and obeying all laws. They want companies to contribute to broader societal goals, as well.
More than one in five consumers have either rewarded or punished companies based on their perceived social performance.
Listening to consumers will become more important in a shrinking, highly competitive market, something that the Scandinavians and Brazilians appear to understand better than North Americans, says Alan R. Procter, a consultant based in Vancouver. “They market themselves by keeping an eye on consumer values, while listening hard to what consumers tell them on environmental and forestry issues.”
Marketing success is possible, but it will take some agility on the part of Canadian companies, Procter says. “Try to anticipate what consumer values will be in the next five years. And be prepared for changing consumer attitudes.”
— Perry J. Greenbaum
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