Hoe gaan merken bijdragen aan de uitdagingen waar de wereld voor staat? Hoe kunnen ze inspelen op de nieuwe realiteit van duurzaamheid als strategie naar ‘stakeholder capitalism’?

De jaarlijkse brief van de CEO van BlackRock. De business roundtable met 181 CEO’s. De vele publicaties in zakenbladen. De snelle groei van BCorps. Wake-up call voor merken? Het is tijd voor merkactivisme.

Looking back on 2019 I am particularly grateful with the support I got from Kim, Michael, Kiki and the rest of the BR-ND team in backing up for me, while I had to sort out some personal stuff. Sometimes things happen out of your own control which has an negative impact on presence and feelings and 2019 was such a year for me.

At BR-ND People, we want to wish each and everyone of you a wonderful 2020!

Yesterday at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, over 500 B Corps publicly committed to reaching “Net Zero by 2030” — 20 years ahead of the 2050 targets set in the Paris Agreement. Together with 48 companies from The Netherlands and Belgium, BR-ND is asking CEO’s for their commitment. Jointly we placed a full-page ad in the Financieele Dagblad of 12 December 2019, to invite CEOs of other businesses to take action with us.

Hello everyone! I’m Maja Anđela, the new intern in BR-ND. Let me introduce myself in a few words. If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be- the explorer. I am walking through my life with eyes wide open, feeding on new experiences. My drive to explore is mainly focused on human nature and society. And I have known for many years what I want to be when I ‘grow up’- a psychologist.

This September, the BR-ND team joined the 2019 B Corp Summit in Amsterdam to connect, share, learn and find inspiration around building a new economy. The event brought together Certified B Corps, business leaders, change-makers, and companies from Europe and beyond, committed to using business as a force for good. Together, we delved into the challenges of our times, discovered business opportunities to do good, and strengthened the global movement for positive change.

I’m very happy to introduce myself to you as part of BR-ND’s vibrant, ever-expanding community. These things usually begin by sharing who I am.

Well, I’m many things. I’m the newest team member at BR-ND and an Amsterdam-based project manager. But I’m also a sister, a friend, a bread baker, a social activist, an expat, a millennial (the list goes on). Luckily for me, BR-ND is not about fitting anyone’s story on one webpage. It’s about being yourself and discovering what moves you. So here’s a little about myself and what moves me.

Recently, I watched a documentary on Netflix called ‘The Great Hack’, which concerns itself with the Cambridge Analytica scandal and data harvesting in general. Since I have also been doing an internship here at BR-ND over the last two months, I felt there are some similarities between what we do, and what big tech companies like Facebook do. In the following blog I have tried to express some of my thoughts on the topic.

De zomervakantie is altijd een mooie tijd om eens rustig na te denken. Na een paar dagen weg van huis en zaak, lijkt alles een beetje anders als het vakantieritme het overneemt van de routines van alledag. Ik zit op dit moment in een uithoek van Bretagne, waar het leven een beetje lijkt stil te staan. Internet is er vaak niet en als het er even is, is het wat langzaam en onbetrouwbaar.

Op 31 oktober 2019 organiseren Dazure en de stichting New Financial Forum, de Positive Finance Day. Het thema van dit jaar is: Gewoon… Doen! Op deze dag laten we zien wat er wél goed gaat in de financiële sector en inspireren we hoe het beter kan. Het belooft een bijzondere middag te worden met onder meer de inspirerende sprekers: Pleun Lauwerier (Ben & Jerry’), Astrid Elburg (organisatieadviseur), Kaj Morel (Zaak van Betekenis), Amba Zeggen (Risk & Governance) en met de finale ronde van de Positive Finance Award 2019.

Take a second to look at the world around you. Without a large investment of your time, it should become apparent that we seriously need to change the way we do things. Tons of waste being produced each year, inequalities between and within nations widening and the destruction of our natural resources to name a few reasons. This is why I am glad to have found a company like BR-ND. They (and from now on, we) understand that change is necessary, and that the actions of companies are a good place to start.

The last week of June 2019 has been fab for the 23plusone section of BR-ND, with a week long visit to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Michael Cortino, Alexander Koene and Kim Cramer headed on a mission to train Ideascape leadership team, one of KL’s finest brand strategy consultancies. Together we hosted an Emotive Branding workshop, just like we do every quarterly season in the Netherlands. This time it marked the start of exciting South East Asian adventures.

Op vrijdag 15 februari zijn we met een aantal klanten naar de première van #niksteverbergen van De Verleiders in Theater Carré gegaan. De voorstelling begon meteen met een grap over het optreden van De Verleiders bij De Wereld Draait Door, wat nogal wat commotie had veroorzaakt. Ter promotie van hun nieuwe voorstelling #niksteverbergen gaven zij bij DWDD een sneak peek over hoe de overheid, bedrijven en inlichtingendiensten de privacy schenden door ons internetgedrag nauwkeurig in de gaten te houden.

One year ago BR-ND got certified as B Corp! We believe that brands can contribute to a better, livable and honest world, in which organisations exist to add positive value to the society. These kinds of brands promote happiness, and well-being of people, in a sustainable way.

I’m Sam! During the elapsed part of my MSc in Economic and Consumer Psychology I’ve cherished an interest in sustainable consumerism. What companies check the entire width and depth of their company to see where they can improve, involve and inspire? What companies know their brand has a value, a weight - and as such a role to play in a community outside of their own office? How should such companies portray themselves? So I decided to look for an internship with a company that could help teach me about this subject.

Success is what happens when you encounter luck while taking action for good.

2018 has again been another happy year for our BR-ND company. Looking back I can only be grateful with the opportunities to impact on the happiness and wellbeing of individuals, teams and companies. With a bit of imagination, maybe even on the happiness of the world around us.

De levensmiddelenindustrie heeft er een rotzooi van gemaakt. Met zoet-zout misleidende merken die er voor gezorgd hebben dat we ongezond zijn gaan eten en drinken, zwaarlijvigheid een chronische volksziekte is geworden, en onze oceanen die vol zitten met plastic verpakkingen. Emmanuel Faber (CEO Danone) vindt dat het anders moet en vertelde er openhartig over tijdens een B Corp event in het Sustainable Development Goals House, Koninklijk Instituut van de Tropen in Amsterdam.  

I’m Piri and I’m happy to say that I am joining the BR-ND team! Last year I finished my Bachelor of Business Administration at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and I just started my premaster program at the Vrije Universiteit in Culture, Organization and Management. This program will teach me how to analyze organizational cultures and how to develop creative solutions.

Summer is the perfect time to be inspired and invest in your skills. That's precisely why BR-ND organises 4 compact half-day masterclasses around super interesting topics. 

Kim Cramer PhD, proud co-founder BR-ND & Emotome: 'We have always shared our knowledge and methods with bright and curious people. We see it as a responsibility to bring the whole branding and organisation development industry to a higher level. This summer we have asked 4 top experts in their fields to share their knowledge and trigger your thinking.'