JBS056 New Model Leadership Loyalty Citizenship

Anne Bahr Thompson,Onesixtyfourth,PO Box 1635,New York, NY 10028,USA

Tel: �1 917 704 7515;+44 (0) 7811 364 301E-mail: [email protected]

A new model for brand leadershipand loyaltyReceived (in revised form): 17th July, 2013

ANNE BAHR THOMPSONis founder of Onesixtyfourth, a brand consultancy that uses its proprietary research into cultural shifts and socialmovements to develop strategy, inspire innovation and grow revenue. Previously, Anne was head of the consultingbusinesses for Interbrand, first in the USA and then in London. She has taught as an adjunct professor of marketingat NYU in London and continues to be an adviser to former students in start-ups. A natural problem-solver, whoalways sees opportunities for progress, Anne is most energised helping brands transform their relationships withconsumers, stakeholders, the marketplace and the wider world.

AbstractBrand citizenship is a new, emerging model for marketing and brand development. Sitting at the intersectionof brand leadership, loyalty and ethical business practices, it emphasises equally quality product and servicedelivery, fair value for pricing, and connecting people to larger communities and something more meaningfulthan themselves. Conveying the learning from Onesixtyfourth’s multi-methodology CultureQ research, thispaper details the attributes that define brand leadership, loyalty and good corporate citizenship. Itdemonstrates that a deep faithfulness comes to brands that integrate themselves into consumers’ routines,make daily life easer and more productive, help people achieve their goals and enrich everyday living. Itfurther illustrates how brand citizenship acts as a unifying principle for marketing, communications, productdevelopment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Introducing a 360-degree orientation forimplementation that includes organisation, product, experience and service, along with examples, the paperultimately demonstrates how brand citizenship creates a shared sense of responsibility between acorporation, its various stakeholders and consumers. In democratising CSR activities, brand citizenshipstrengthens reputation, enhances brand equity and increases the return on investment on CSR activities.

Keywordsbrand leadership, brand loyalty, brand citizenship, corporate social responsibility, CSR

INTRODUCTIONIn 2007, John Battelle, Chairman ofFederated Media, introduced the conceptof ‘The Conversation Economy’, whichhe intended to use as the title of a book.In October 2012, he noted, that TheConversation Economy had grown:

‘. . . in both scope and ambition to encom-pass a much larger idea: an archaeology ofthe future, as seen through the digital arti-facts of the present. Along the way, it’schanged a lot — 18 months ago, its titlewas ‘What We Hath Wrought’. Now, I’mthinking it’ll be called ‘If/Then’. I may yetcall it ‘If/Then . . . Else’ — or, as I wanderthrough this journey, it might end up assomething entirely different.’1

In part, this was to describe the shift fromone-way communications to two-waydialoguing. Marketers needed to makethis shift and manage the emerging influ-ence of social media and their potentialimpact on their brands. Six years on, it is not surprising that learning about lead-ership and favourite brands indicates mar-keters again need to change tack — and,this time toward integrating benefits for awider range of stakeholders into the prod-uct proposition, and engaging consumersin social responsibility initiatives. Over thepast two years, insights on leadership andfavourite brands from the mixed method-ology ‘CultureQ’2 study demonstrate thatthe age of the mutual economy is beingentered. In the mutual economy, brand

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development strategies will increasinglycentre on enrichment, nurturing intimacyand fostering good citizenship, all withthe aim of cultivating deep loyalty across awider portfolio of products in a brandfamily.

‘Now that businesses and society are inex-tricably linked, society can only progressthrough mutualistic corporate-consumerrelationships.’

CultureQ participant

A NEW PARADIGM FOR MARKETINGAND BRAND DEVELOPMENTAnalysis of 975 respondents’ hopes and fearsfor 2013 compared with 763 respondentshopes and fears for 2012 indicate that manyAmericans and Britons have accepted thatdaily life will remain challenging, at least forthe short and medium terms. In turn, theyhave adjusted not only their outlook for thefuture, but also many of their behaviours.Tired of divisiveness and a polarised societythat has resulted from partisan politics,people believe collaboration will lead toprogress. They are looking for symbols ofunity — tangible things that demonstratethat people really are more connected toone another.

‘I’m afraid our elective leaders will screwthings up because they can’t work together.’


‘I hope Liberals and Conservatives . . . tryworking together to improve things ratherthan shove doctrine down our throats.’


‘I feel if we don’t help each other, societywill continue to decline and people willcontinue to be as nasty to each other asthey are now.’


Although many respondents believegovernment should support its citizens,they have little trust in current politi-cians’ ability to do so. They say that theyare seeking products and services thatsimplify their daily routines and, indoing so, help them to be more self-reliant. In many ways, they appear to belooking to become CEOs of their ownlife, purposefully taking charge of theirown destiny and crafting realistic visionsfor their future that ensure they do notlose the basics — maintaining theirhomes, paying the bills, valuing family,prolonging good health etc. Not surpris-ingly, a focus on ‘what’s in it for me?’comes through very strongly.Participants are interested in engagingwith products and services from compa-nies that ‘help me, my family, then mylocal community, my environment, other“communities” I care about’ and, finally,‘society at large’.

While the lingering economic down-turn and seemingly ineffective gover-nance appear to be primary drivers ofpeople’s stress levels, technology is also toblame. As technology advances and offersgreater access to entertainment, know -ledge, global communities, etc, it is alsoincreasing people’s need to be continu-ously productive and connected. (Note,respondents’ need to be connected oftenstems from the fear of missing out onsomething important when disconnected— be it an event, acquiring knowledge orsomething else.) Participants are lookingto engage with brands that help them to‘efficiently accomplish daily tasks, achievetheir goals’ and ‘make everyday life morepleasurable’. Although the extent towhich respondents believe brands have aresponsibility to make life more pleasura-ble by shaping social policy is debatable,they qualitatively indicate that they expectleadership brands to advocate the things

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A NEW MODEL FOR BRAND LEADERSHIP AND LOYALTY

that are important to them withoutovertly aligning themselves with politicalgroups or parties. They further perceivethat brands are more in tune with theirday-to-day lives and values than govern-ment because:

l Brands unite and inspire.l When a clear sense of purpose is

embedded in a brand vision and mis-sion, it inspires people to follow some-thing they collectively feel passionateabout.

l Brands are accustomed to innovating tosurvive and, therefore, have the toolsand the techniques needed to take soci-ety forward.

l Political reform comes at the expense ofan opposing ideal — for example, uni-versal healthcare is opposed by anequally strong privatising healthcareforce. Brands, however, can freely advo-cate for human improvement and socialprogress.

l Brands reflect our human potential.l Brands have the ability to turn princi-

ples and ethics into results (products,services and social initiatives) andthereby exemplify good citizenship.

The data clearly indicate that a newmodel — one that has been identified asbrand citizenship — is emerging for mar-keting and brand development. Brand cit-izenship sits at the intersection of brandleadership, brand loyalty and ethical busi-ness practices, unifying these three ele-ments under an organising principle formarketing, communications, productdevelopment and corporate social respon-sibility (CSR) initiatives (see Figure 1). Itis an integrated strategy that helps definethe totality of the brand experience ratherthan a practice delivered only throughsocial media, mass communicationsand/or big-ticket events.

ESTABLISHING BRAND LEADERSHIPMore and more, people are streamliningthe brands they interact with. Overloadedby the bombardment of ever-increasingexposure to brands both on and offline,consumers are growing increasingly selec-tive about the number of brands, andindeed the brands themselves, with whichthey engage. While this makes it morechallenging for any one brand to pene-trate through all the clutter, it also helps todrive deeper brand loyalty among existingusers. But, loyalty is dependent on brandshaving the right attributes, and theincreasing economic pressures of daily lifecontinue to influence people’s brandchoices.

Real brand loyalty and faithfulnesscome to brands that integrate themselvesinto consumers’ routines, making daily lifeeasier and more productive.

Qualitative and quantitative learningindicate that brands must first assure con-sumers that their products and services arereliable and provide value for money.Furthermore, they must be sincere —ethical and transparent in their businessand employment practices. Leadershipbrands offer all the above attributes, and inaddition, are often identified as industryfront-runners with distinctive points ofview that also mirror the values of theirusers.


Figure 1

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To understand how people define lead-ership brands today, respondents wereasked to rank a series of brand attributes(see Table 1).

First, respondents believe that a leader-ship brand must meet a basic promise —to provide reliable products and services atfair value and deliver them with excellentcustomer service.

Once this basic promise has been met,a leadership brand is then expected to bea good citizen and treat employees fairly.It should also conduct business ethically,albeit to a significantly lesser degree. (It isanticipated that interest in this attributewill continue to grow over the next fewyears.) Not surprisingly, respondents notethat leadership brands are also known fortechnological advances. Granted, withtechnology defining much of day-to-dayexistence, this is no longer a distinguish-ing trait for leaders, if not indeed allbrands.

Brands that consumers associate withthese attributes and that are further able tointegrate themselves into people’s lives,making their daily tasks easier, achievestronger leadership status. Additionally, to

lesser degrees, consumers associate brandleaders with defining their industry andubiquity of usage.

CULTIVATING BRAND LOYALTYFavourite brands are masters at integratingthemselves into people’s lives by makingroutine tasks easier and everyday life moreinspiring. In many ways, the data indicatethat favourite brands make consumers feelmore esteemed. In fact, according torespondents, some favourite brands makepeople feel so good that the majoritycannot imagine their life without them(see Table 2).

Whereas leadership brands meet morefunctionally-oriented needs, favouritebrands tend to also fulfil emotional andhigher-order needs. People implicitlytrust their favourites because of how theyaid them in accomplishing their goals —whether big or small. Many favouritebrands accompany users throughout theday, some physically and others virtually,and participants say they rely on them asmuch as, if not more than, friends.

Favourite brands often make individu-als feel they are better people because theyhave the power to encourage and moti-vate, make users feel proud, and give a


Table 1 Attributes of leadership brands

Base: 957Total mentions ranked 1–5 per cent

Produces durable/reliable products/ 47services

Excellent customer service 42Value for quality 39Treats employees well/fairly 31Products/services integrated into 31

my daily lifeKnown for technological 31

advancementsProducts/services make daily 31

life easierDefines its industry 26Associated with ethical business 25

practicesEveryone uses its products/services 22

Source: CultureQ research 2012

Table 2 Attributes of good corporate citizenship

Base: 957 Total mentions ranked 1–5 per cent

It helps me in my everyday life 62I can’t imagine my life without it 56It helps me to accomplish my goals 48It mirrors my personal values 46It makes me feel proud when I use it 43It is inspirational to me 35It makes me a more responsible citizen 33It makes me feel connected to 32

the rest of the worldIt crosses many generations 32It helps me give back to society 31


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sense that in choosing to use them, we arebeing responsible to society. Interestingly,as many favourite brands, such as Apple,Coca-Cola, Google and Virgin, are usedby people of all ages, across geographicboundaries, they also help people to feelconnected to others. Qualitatively, partici -pants speak of favourite brands creating acommon language that crosses genera-tions and links them to people with dif-ferent lifestyles and in different life stages.

Importantly, becoming a user’sfavourite brand is more than just a senti-mental thing — it is a marker of loyalty.Sixty-nine per cent of respondents notethat they use their most favourite brandexclusively. Interestingly, women are lessloyal than men and more likely to ‘cheat’on their favourite brands (buy a differentbrand on occasion), while millennialsmaintain more exclusive relationshipswith their favourite brands than do babyboomers.

DELIVERING GOOD CORPORATECITIZENSHIPIn 2011, it was uncovered that people’sdefinitions of good corporate citizenshipwere not necessarily in perfect alignmentwith those of business or government.While these institutions generally associategood corporate citizenship with corporatesocial responsibility initiatives, environ-mental regulations and the like, consumersin the study base good corporate citizen-ship first on maintaining fair employmentand environmental practices, then provid-ing products and services that are reliable,offering value for money and supportingthe local community (See Table 3). Manyof these attributes are also characteristics ofleadership brands. Further participantshave said that good corporate citizens areexpected to deliver these ‘hygiene’ factorswith the utmost transparency and sincerity.

In large part, good corporate citizensdistinguish themselves by how they pre-vent and manage their mistakes. In thepast, consumers often accepted publicapologies for wrongdoings and com-mended brands for adopting better busi-ness practices after the fact. Today, this isno longer enough. Brands are nowexpected to be ethical and proactive intheir business practices, offer full trans-parency and sincerity in their actions, andconfess their mistakes before they arecaught. Consumers respect brands thatexhibit human traits and, as such, expectthem to be flawed. At the same time, theydemand that brands be honest about theirshortcomings.

The results of the research havedemonstrated some interesting differencesamong gender and generational cohorts.For example, Gen-Xers in the UK aremore likely than millennials or babyboomers to expect good corporate citi-zens to use local suppliers, while employ-ing people in the community is reallyonly of concern for boomers.Interestingly, us respondents place slightly


Table 3 Attributes of good corporate citizens

Base: 957 Total mentions ranked 1–5 per cent

Treats employees fairly 47Good environmental practices 42Honest about what its products/ 2

services can and cannot do 4Makes affordable products 36Makes reliable/durable products 35

and servicesEmployees people from the 28

communities in which it operatesDonates money to the communities 25

it operates inImplements changes in its 24

operations that are in the best interest of society

Uses local suppliers 23Treats suppliers ethically 22


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more emphasis on brands treatingemployees fairly than the British. Thismay be due to differences in employmentlegislation and the number of behavioursthat are — and are not — mandated.

Many of the brands respondents nameas good corporate citizens do not alwayscorrespond with the defining attributesthey chose. When qualitatively explainingtheir choices, participants note that manygood corporate citizens provide greatvalue, enrich their lives and create newlifestyles. Clearly, for them, good citizen-ship begins by serving me as an individ-ual before expanding outward toproviding assistance to others or improv-ing the environment. Despite backlashand negative press, Apple, for example,consistently ranks among the top goodcorporate citizens (albeit with scores thatare not high in absolute terms —between 12 and 15 per cent). Althoughthe company’s bad citizenship scores haveincreased from less than 1 per cent to 5per cent in three studies betweenDecember 2012 and December 2013,3

participants’ qualitative comments overthe same period emphasise that Apple hastransformed how people connect andcommunicate with one another, some-thing that credibly certifies the companyas a good citizen.

Importantly, a brand perceived to be agood corporate citizen by one set ofrespondents is often cited as an irrespon-sible or bad citizen by another. Good cor-porate citizenship is a fragmentedconcept and partly rooted in an individ-ual’s ideology. Retailers Walmart andTesco are good examples of this. Whilesome respondents tout each of thesebrands for their ecological initiatives andvalue consciousness, others condemnthem for how they manage suppliers,eliminate local small businesses and treatemployees poorly.

FOSTERING LOYALTY AND PROMOTINGSHARED RESPONSIBILITY

‘Many companies believe they have aresponsibility to “give back” to society andto me this is wonderful — in the future[businesses will] have to give to get.’


‘I hope to become the change you want tosee in the world, make choices that willimpact my community for the better.’


Qualitatively, respondents say they want tosupport brands that connect them tosomething bigger and more meaningfulthan themselves with more than just ‘likes’and ‘shares’. Importantly, though, they areequally clear that a good brand citizen mustfirst deliver a product or service that ‘helpsme and enriches my life’ at ‘fair value forquality’ before it links them to widercommunities, improves the environmentand improves society (see Figure 2).

It is fairly well recognised that despiteheavy investment in CSR, many good-purpose initiatives are not affecting consumers’ overall perceptions of corpo-rations. The research strongly indicatesthat this is because CSR is disconnectedfrom marketing initiatives and most typi-cally, not part of a unifying brand propo-sition. How many consumers are awarethat BP has invested US$7.6bn in alterna-tive energy since 2005, or that TheWalmart Foundation became the firstpartner of Feeding America to donate 1 bil-lion meals, for example?

By assimilating the attributes of brandleadership, loyalty and good citizenship,the model of brand citizenship theresearch uncovered will help corporationsgain ‘credit’ for significant investmentsinto environmental and social programmes


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that often go unnoticed. The modelreflects consumers’ desire to exhibit morecontrol over their future. By aligning ini-tiatives that have traditionally been man-aged solely at a corporate level withindividual product and service brands, itwill strengthen reputation and brandequity and increase the return on invest-ment on CSR activities. Further, a focuson becoming a good brand citizen willhelp shift social consciousness anddemocratise the more centralised conceptof CSR in the same manner that socialmedia democratised communications.

Brand citizenship creates a shared senseof responsibility and places consumers incontrol. In part, it enables people to co-create the future through choosing to pur-chase products and services that deliver thesustainability and social responsibility initia-tives that matter most to them individually.

Unilever provides a perfect example. Arecognised leader in sustainability andcorporate social responsibility, the com-pany is integrating citizenship into manyof its product brand propositions.Consider Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign.In 2012, Dove redesigned its self-esteemprogramme to strengthen further itsproposition of helping young girls lookand feel their best. But, imagine if Dovewent one step further in its ‘Make GirlsUnstoppable’ efforts.

Suppose the brand used digital mediato connect girls — or even women — inthe USA with those in India to help themlearn more about one another and theanxieties they each face because of localperceptions of beauty. It would be pro-moting self-esteem and connecting and

educating women globally. And, what ifDove pushed the boundaries even furtherand donated 2 cents from every bar ofsoap sold in the USA and Europe to edu-cate girls in Afghanistan? The brandwould be meeting the needs of its users,enriching their lives with a quality prod-uct sold at fair value, connecting themwith and educating them about womenliving in different cultures and, ultimately,bettering society.

A NEW 360-DEGREE MODEL FORBRAND LEADERSHIPClearly, to embed good citizenshipwholeheartedly into a brand’s proposi-tion, and make it an integral principle forbusiness operations, a 360-degree orienta-tion that includes the organisation, theproduct, the experience and service isrequired (see Figure 3).


Figure 2

Figure 3

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OrganisationCreate cross-functional teams that includemarketing communications, product andCSR teams, and develop measurable per-formance goals that tangibly motivatethem to work together to deliver an inte-grated brand experience. Promote policiesand practices that advocate employees andsuppliers, acknowledge the challengesthey face and treat them ethically.

Since 1907, the UK’s John LewisPartnership has been adopting principlesof good brand citizenship. Beginning witha focus on ‘the happiness of employees’,John Spedan Lewis set up an employee-owned partnership with a vision toestablish a ‘better form of business’. Today,with 84,700 people as permanent staff,the organisation is unified through inte-grated branch teams. A sense of collectiveresponsibility is embedded across theorganisation and managed by a networkof elected councils, committees andforums. Partners have the opportunity tochallenge management performance andparticipate in the decision-makingprocesses.

Still governed by the constitutionLewis wrote, the partnership recruits andretains loyal customers through nurturinga reputation centred on value, choice,service, honesty and behaving as a goodcitizen. The company supports local sup-pliers and producers as well as Fairtradeand other schemes contributing to thesustainable development of the communi-ties where farmers and workers live.Issued in 2011 to private-label (own-brand) brand suppliers in English andChinese, the company’s responsible sourc-ing guide identifies practical initiatives forsuppliers and includes a checklist forhealth, safety, labour standards and equal-ity. The John Lewis Partnership also ownsLeckford Estate, a working farm that sup-plies the Waitrose supermarket brand with

flour for bread, barley, oats for cereal, free-range chickens and eggs, organic milk,apples, pears and mushrooms. LeckfordEstate is also one of five locations in theUK at which partners with one year’sservice and their families and friends cantake holidays for a subsidised rate.

ProductOffer fair-for-quality priced products thatsimplify people’s daily routines and definenew lifestyles that inspire day-to-dayliving and enable users to feel involved increating a better future for themselves,society and the planet. See every deliverychannel as a unique opportunity to rein-force the good citizenship element of aproduct and service proposition.

Target is a perfect example of a main-stream retail brand embracing good brandcitizenship in its product offering. Aimingto make innovative design accessible toall, from fashion to tea-kettles to prescrip-tion bottles, the company believes thatsmart design simplifies its guests’ lives andmakes them feel good. Well-publicisedcollaborations with fashion designers suchas Missoni, Diane von Furstenburg, MarkJacobs and Philip Lim bring chic optionsto customers affordably. The Target andNeiman Marcus 2012 Holiday Collectionfeatured 24 limited edition products from24 preeminent, us designers. In recogni-tion of the designers, Target and NeimanMarcus jointly donated US$1m to theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America.

A natural extension of this is the com-pany’s newer partnership with FEEDUSA. This collaboration even more fullyembraces the tenets of brand citizenshipby enabling consumers to fight hungeractively yet effortlessly across the USAthrough their purchases. The line includes50 pieces from tote bags to bakeware,from shirts to bicycles, each with an


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Americana motif co-designed by FEEDco-founder Lauren Bush. Printed on eachFEED product is a number that signifiesthe number of meals that will be donatedto families as a result of the purchase,meaning purchasers can literally advertisetheir altruism while advocating the cause.As Target further develops the concept,the number of meals each product repre-sents would be expected to be as visible asthe purchase price on the web store(Figure 4). Perhaps there could even be aspecial ‘cart’ displaying the number ofmeals the purchases have bought. In store,it would be rewarding to have the numberof meals provided through one’s purchasesprinted on the bottom of the receiptbelow the savings for the day.

ExperienceUse the brand experience to invite con-sumers consistently to a personal conver-sation with a brand, one that makes themfeel part of something bigger and encour-ages them to co-create the future. Adopt ahuman tone of voice that sincerely reflectsthe brand’s personality and encourages

involvement in communications and co-creation of programmes.

Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole PlanetWhole Foods strongly promotes inter -dependence among the people who areinterested in and benefit from the successof its company. Participants in the researchsay ‘they are creating a better way of feed-ing ourselves’. This is not surprising giventhat Whole Foods believes that ‘only bysatisfying our customers first do we havethe opportunity to satisfy the needs of ourother stakeholders’, and as such, hascrafted an experience around nurturingthe health of people. Whole foods satifiesand nourishes its customers through bal-ancing meaningful value (good valueproposition without sacrificing quality)with education and a strong sense ofcommunity.

Beginning with the store, Whole Foodscontinuously looks to raise industry stan-dards — the types of food it offers, howfood is presented, and what it tells its cus-tomers about the food and how it arrivedon shelf. Beyond the store, local store


Figure 4 How the Target FEED web store might integrate the purchaser’s contribution to providing meals

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managers are encouraged to develop theirown social-media communities. Thecompany’s ‘Health Starts Here’ initiative isa virtual resource of tips, recipes and cook-ing techniques designed to aid people toget healthy in ways that readily fit withtheir lives. As do staff in-store, the ‘WholeStory’ blog invites customers to share theirexperiences of healthy eating. WeeklyTwitter chats, recipes, catering, blogs aboutfood trends and Facebook: all are aimed atbuilding a community of people who areengaged in the brand’s position asAmerica’s Healthiest Grocery Store.

At the end of 2012, Whole Foodslaunched ‘Whole Journeys’ as a way tobring customers closer to the sources ofthe products sold in their stores. WholeJourneys travel itineraries are designed tosupport local communities, respect theenvironment and connect people with arange of cultural and culinary traditions.Aiming to effect positive change, WholeJourneys encourages travellers to shareunique food cultures with one another,the food producers themselves, andfriends when they return home.

ServiceDeliver honest, reliable and easily accessi-ble customer service. Find new ways tointegrate a proposition into consumers’day-to-day routines, acknowledge theirvalue both as a consumer and a producer,and communicate the mutual benefitservices deliver to individual users, otherstakeholders and the corporation.

Founded in 1994, with a mission ‘to beEarth’s most customer-centric companywhere people can find and discover virtu-ally anything they want to buy online,’Amazon.com has evolved from an onlinebookstore to a digital hub that peoplecount on to manage shopping and otheraspects of their lives easily. Jeff Bezos is

known for obsessing over customers.Although Amazon’s database of customerbehaviour affords it the luxury of person-alising its marketing and service for seg-ments of one, Amazon has also expandedits offering organically and throughacquisition around more traditionaldemographic segments that share dailyroutines and challenges — eg students,mothers and those aged 50-plus — as wellas retail categories — eg shoes, green andeco-friendly, pets and grocery.

The company’s proposition clearlydemonstrates it understands the humanpsyche as much as it does data.Participants in the studies strongly believethat rather than looking to charge morefor excellent service, Amazon.com strivesto charge less. This perception forms thebasis for a deep trust that allows the com-pany to go beyond establishing relation-ships with customers to nurturingpartnerships with them. ConsiderAmazon’s excellent e-commerce platformthat offers world-class brands, retailers andindividual sellers alike the opportunity toreach potential customers and sell theirwares.

The company clearly understands thatin a disposable society, every buyer is alsoa potential seller — or reseller — andempowers anyone who chooses to be aretailer.

While most companies emphasise thegreen aspect of reducing packaging andmoving to recycled materials, Amazon primarily touts the customer benefit: alle-viating ‘wrap rage’. The fact that one of themajor goals of ‘Frustration-Free Packaging’is also environmental is almost positionedas an afterthought.

CONCLUSIONAs an integrating principle, the model ofbrand citizenship challenges traditional,


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functional organisational boundaries andthereby requires courage to break frombusiness as usual. It ultimately relies ondistinctive departments and agency teamsworking closely together to deliver itspromise credibly. As influential brands arediscovering, in the midst of economic,social and environmental instability, brandcitizenship is a win-win proposition,through which consumers, stakeholders,the planet and society can all mutuallybenefit. In other words, it is the newmodel for brands to embrace when build-ing leadership and loyalty.

References and Notes(1) Battelle, J. (2012) ‘Time to begin again’, John

Battelle’s searchblog, 19th October, available at:

http://battellemedia.com/archives/2012/10/time-to-begin-again.php (accessed 29th August,2013).

(2) CultureQ is a multi-methodology research study. It synthesises exploratory qualitativelearning with quantitative data and street-level observations. Beginning in 2007 asexperimental research with early-adoptermillennials, it expanded in 2011 to include aquantitative assessment among 763 millennialsand baby boomers in the USA and UK. In 2012, the quantitative research wasexpanded to include Gen-Xers for a total of975 respondents. This paper is based on thecomposite picture developed from analysing andsynthesising the implications of the learningover time.

(3) Onesixtyfourth ‘Brands, the new socialreformers’, available at: http://www.onesixtyfourth.com/culture. Onesixtyfourth‘The new brand loyalty and leadership’,available at: http://www.onesixtyfourth.com/culturenotably


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JBS056 New Model Leadership Loyalty Citizenship

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