Module 5
Transparency
Building trust through honesty and humility.
Transparency means a couple different things here.
Is your supply chain transparent?
Are you being transparent with your audience/stakeholders?
Case Study: Veja
Veja is a sneaker brand. The company was started in the early 2000s after Sebastien Kopp and Francois Morillion visited a factory in China while working for famous international fashion brands. Having spent three days on the factory floor, even though the working conditions seemed good (as the supplier had promised), they discovered that the living conditions of the workers were abysmal (which the supplier had hidden).
It was then that they decided they would create something differently mixing social projects, economic justice projects and using ecological materials. They intimately know and participate in every step of the process needed to create their sneakers, and they are transparent about everything on their website. They built the relationships with the farmers and communities where they source their supplies and where their sneakers are made, and they’ve considered everything, from which banks they use to the electrical companies they use to provide electricity to their offices.
They are a great example of transparency in not only their supply chain, but in their business network in general.
Showing Transparency:
Now let’s talk about transparency to your audience. Your efforts should be on your website and easy to find. Don’t hide everything in your About page. Be clear where you stand, what efforts you are taking, and what your goals are.
You can see Veja here again, this is their footer, but they also have a lot of information and videos on their website talking about what makes their brand unique.
You can also see Coyuchi here which is a bed linen company with some amazing work being done in sustainability. They have a circular use program, they have transparent supply chains, and they are involved in communities like Fibershed and other regenerative farming corporations who make some of their fabrics.
These two companies alone are a whole other presentation.
HOMEWORK:
Part 1:
The reason Veja was even started was because they were willing to look deeper into the practices that were currently being used. This is your chance to look deeper, and find out what is really happening around the world.
Watch this video & then Calculate your Slavery Footprint. Post your insights in Circle.
Part 2:
Do a little research. What other companies can you find who are transparent about their sustainability and/or impact initiatives? As a consumer and as a business researcher, do you feel they are REALLY invested in those initiatives are do you feel like they are just showcasing them on their website because they feel like they have to in order to appeal today’s consumers?
Post your insights and findings in our community.