The Body Shop strengthens their eco credentials with new brand belief

The Body Shop brand belief

‘Enrich not exploit’ becomes new brand belief for The Body Shop

After 40 years, The Body Shop is seeking to reaffirm its position as a leader in ethical business with a new commitment to its audiences.

The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick has always wanted the brand to be a force for good. Now the organisation is making this commitment more potent with their new mantra of ‘enrich not exploit’.

The new brand belief is driving all aspects of the business including: ingredients, products, packaging, stores, employees, suppliers and campaigns. Everything the Body Shop does will now have to comply with the brand’s three brand principles: “enrich our people; enrich our products; and enrich our planet”.

The messaging is not only powerful, the brand is also setting out a number of very measurable targets for 2020 that everyone in the business will be accountable for. These include doubling their Community Trade programme from 19 to 40 ingredients, helping 40,000 economically vulnerable people access work, making sure 100% of natural ingredients are traceable and sustainably sourced, and powering 100% of stores with renewable or carbon balanced energy.

The Body Shop brand beliefs

This is particularly refreshing as the brand operates within a sector that is generally seen as fuelling consumption at the expense of the planet, many of its people and its resources.

However, over the years, The Body Shop has also been called out for projecting a natural, caring image but not supporting this with real action. For the brand and world’s sake, I hope this is a genuine commitment to do the right thing and doesn’t end up being green washed.

On face value, it certainly seems like The Body Shop are taking some bold steps to really stand up and stand out. While there are many smaller brands doing the same if not more, as a major international cosmetic brand they have the power to make a considerable difference, and inspire others to do the same. If The Body Shop truly live by and deliver their brand belief, they should be commended for this.

Michael Hughes
Managing Partner, Strategy

Images courtesy of The Body Shop

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