Good Business: Your World Needs You: Steve Hilton, Giles Gibbons
While working on an antiracism campaign for Saatchi & Saatchi in 1994, Steve Hilton and Giles Gibbons had an epiphany: corporations could use their clout to change the world, as well as to sell their products or services. Good Business, named after the London-based consultancy they founded to help companies do just that, presents a forceful argument for incorporating such thinking into a contemporary corporate battle plan. But this is no ranting manifesto. Rather, the authors truly celebrate capitalism and the way it could turn this concept into a positive factor for both individual companies and the world at large. (For example, they suggest that the youth-oriented Adidas athletic shoe company could convey antismoking messages to its young audience that ultimately might help curb the habit in addition to making parents feel more favorable toward the brand.) After explaining their heretical view of the positive place that even giant multinationals can occupy, Hilton and Gibbons address the social responsibility movement now attracting many businesses and the leadership role accepted by a select few. The book’s longest section then analyzes how any firm can utilize its key strengths–including brand, operations, presence, and fiscal resources–to succeed commercially and socially. Some North American readers may have difficulty identifying with the litany of European business examples drawn largely from the authors’ own work, but their points still cross the Atlantic relatively unscathed and should serve as an excellent foundation for further discussion and eventual action. –Howard Rothman
–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The message these two former advertising men-turned-social activists present here is simple and clear: if you want to save the world, do it through your business. This idea, the authors contend, transcends altruism. If done well i.e., linking social activism to a company’s particular goals and objectives profits will naturally follow. Hilton and Gibbons offer numerous illustrations of how this might work. For example, an oil company might sponsor bike lanes to show its commitment to reducing energy consumption. The company’s message to the public might be: “when you need to buy petrol, we want you to buy ours but think about ways to use less of it.” What the authors advocate goes beyond social responsibility; they encourage producing products in such a way that no harm is done. They argue for social leadership, suggesting companies use their economic power to actually make the world a better place. Indeed, Hilton and Gibbons founders of a London-based consulting firm whose clients include Coca-Cola and Nike propose ways for companies and governments to do just that. Alas, it takes the authors almost 100 pages to begin to make their points; they spend many of those 100 pages rehashing why corporations should do good and why capitalism is not inherently evil. American readers may find the repeated references to British brands and advertising campaigns off-putting. Still, if readers persevere, they will find an entertainingly written call to action.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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