Turning Transparency Into Leadership*

Here’s a cool story in the NYTimes (4/17/09) about a company embracing total disclosure.

They make Elovena oats. Apparently part of the oat-making process involves water use. And these guys are much easier on the earth with their water consumption than their competitors. So, they decided to be the first ones to put an H2O label on their package. Part of a “total impact” statement. They’re volunteering to be measured by it.

For a low-loyalty product, they’re essentially inventing a new reason for preference. They’re using water they way their whole category should be, and by pointing that out, they win. They’re doing good, breaking parity, and showing thought-leadership in the category.


Any brand can do this. Operate the way the whole category ought to, and make a little noise about it. Bingo, you’re the leader.

See the NYTimes article, HERE.

(* AKA, the worst title of a blog post ever. I'll work on that.) I'm reading: Turning Transparency Into Leadership*Tweet this!