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Brands for Good Launches in Singapore

Brands for Good Awards, sponsored by Maybank & BBX, recognise SMEs and champion corporate social responsibility
2018-01-22 12:24 2643

SINGAPORE, Jan. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CEO Asia launches the inaugural Brands for Good in Singapore. The recognition programme, sponsored by Maybank Singapore and BBX, aims to champion corporate social responsibility (CSR) and recognise forward-looking businesses, particularly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which are committed to being stewards of positive impact. CEO Asia hopes to build a network of game-changers to motivate other businesses to move towards achieving a sustainable future.

"Brands have the power to create shared value through purpose-driven strategies," said Glenn Lim, founder of Brands for Good and director of CEO Asia. "Through Brands for Good, we will recognise the top brands that have embedded the principles of sustainability throughout their organisations. At the same time, Brands for Good also provides an opportunity to businesses who have yet to embark on this journey, to kick-start and take small steps in making a difference in society."

According to a Nielseni report, 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands -- up from 55% in 2014 and 50% in 2013. Nielsen also reported that the "sales of consumer goods from brands with a demonstrated commitment to sustainability have grown more than 4% globally*1 in 2015, while those without grew less than 1%". Being a Brand for Good will enable companies to be differentiated, ultimately winning the customers' vote.

Being a purpose-driven brand can also help a company to attract talent from a more socially conscious workforce. This becomes even more critical in today's business climate with the tightening labour supply. With more millennials and very soon Generation Z entering the workforce, businesses will be compelled to unite and motivate its employees with a greater sense of purpose. This next generation of employees have voiced out that they prefer to work for companies that care about creating a better world and who factor this in their business decisions. They also lean more towards companies who extend this belief to taking good care of their employees.

Mr Chandran Dharmarajan, Head of Branding and Marketing, Maybank Singapore said, "The Maybank brand is about one simple, powerful and unique idea -- Humanising Financial Services, which defines the way we do business and treat people. Through demonstrating brand values of integrity, fairness and nurturing relationships based on trust, we want to win hearts and minds of our customers and staff. As a leading bank which helps SMEs to grow in the region, sponsoring the Brands for Good awards that commend companies with outstanding socially responsible business practices was a natural fit."

Brands for Good is organised in partnership with non-profit organisation B Lab, which provides companies with a self-assessment toolkit on social responsibility commitment, as part of the nomination submission to be recognised as a Brand for Good. B Lab serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. It aims to drive a systematic change by building a global community of Certified B Corporations who meet the highest standards of verified, overall social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. Other partners include IPOS Society and non-profit organisation The Rice Company Limited. Brands for Good also has the support of organisations including the Asia Pacific CSR Council and the Singapore International Foundation.

"BBX is proud to be a sponsor of this newly inaugurated recognition program launched by CEO Asia. At BBX, we believe in helping our entrepreneurs and SMEs to expand and grow their businesses, and we are committed to build a world of economic opportunities for our SMEs through our BBX platform. We see this as an excellent opportunity to enable our BBX community to embark on this journey together with Brands for Good companies for a greater cause," Dr Lee Oi Kum, Director of BBX Holdings Pte Ltd.

The Brands for Good award categories span three major spheres -- the Workplace, the Community and the Environment -- and will include Fair Employment Practices, Workplace Culture and Communications, Workplace Safety, People Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Social Giving and Engagement, Local Market Empowerment, Responsible Supply Chains, Sustainable Resource and Environmental Impact Management.

Eligible companies will be assessed by a panel of eight independent judges, who are well-respected business leaders across industries. Submission of nominations begins today and closes on 31 May 2018. The winners will be announced and celebrated at the Brands for Good Award Ceremony on 26 July 2018. Register for Brands for Good at www.brandsforgood.asia/apply/

1 Across 1,300+ brands in 13 categories in an average of 13 countries.

i 'The Sustainability Imperative -- New Insights on Consumer Expectations' (October 2015), Nielsen.

About CEO Asia

CEO ASIA is a positive impact organisation that bands and supports like-minded businesses to support the development of sustainable enterprises. Focusing on enterprises that intents to develop meaningful brands, CEO Asia's signature programme Brands for Good celebrates companies that are stewards of sustainable business practices which result in positive impact, while its CeoConnect is a membership secretariat service that supports entrepreneurs through business matching and networking.

About Maybank Singapore

Maybank is among Asia's leading banking groups and South East Asia's fourth largest bank by assets. The Maybank Group has an international network of 2,400 offices in 20 countries, with over 43,000 employees serving more than 22 million customers worldwide. Maybank Singapore is one of the Group's largest overseas operations. As at December 2016, Maybank's total assets in Singapore were S$59 billion. With strategically located branches island-wide and 1,800 employees, Maybank Singapore is well-positioned to provide highly personalised services and locally-oriented solutions that will deliver more value to the customers.

About BBX

Established since 1993, BBX has grown to become the leading e-commerce global trading platform. At the core of BBX, it enables financial inclusion, transforming and evolving commerce for businesses regardless of size. It is a platform that gives 15,000+ businesses confidence to connect and trade globally over a digital trade credit settlement system that complements other traditional forms of payments and lowers your cost of business. BBX is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional and personal conduct through its corporate governance practices. Through a consolidation of technological advancements, BBX creates better ways to trade, optimize inventory supply, maximize business opportunities and improve business sustainability.

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180122/2037458-1LOGO

Source: CEO Asia
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