The Un Global Artifact-Accenture Geo Study

The Consumer Study:
From Marketing to Mattering
The UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study on Sustainability
In collaboration with Havas Media RE:PURPOSE

Contents
Introduction

3

Optimism and quality of life: a three-speed world

5

Business: failing to live up to greater expectations

6

Accountability: governments, business and rising expectations

7

From belief to behaviour: sustainability and purchasing decisions

9

Meeting expectations, fulfilling needs: a closer connection

11

Integration, innovation and transparency: implications for business 13

1

From Marketing to Mattering
Generating Business Value by Meeting the Expectations of 21st Century People
The UN Global Compact-Accenture Study on Sustainability
In collaboration
While a majority of CEOs see sustainability as critical to the future success of their business, many express a sense of
‘frustrated ambition’ at the pace of change in embedding sustainability into core business and global markets. At the centre of their dilemma is a struggle to quantify the business value of sustainability, and to track the rewards of adopting a leadership position in their industries.
Contributing to CEOs’ frustrated ambition is the challenge of interpreting signals from consumers, the group consistently identified by business leaders as the most important in guiding their action on sustainability. We see clear signs that consumers expect more from companies, from greater honesty and transparency, to greater impact on global and local challenges and a more responsible stewardship of natural resources and the environment. Yet among business leaders there is a sense
Highlighting the stubborn problem of building public trust,
‘ending corruption’ ranks as a leading challenge for respondents across all twenty countries surveyed. When aggregated across our global sample of 30,000 people worldwide, the challenge of corruption ranks ahead of job creation and economic growth.
A deeper look at the data sees ending corruption ranked as the most important of twenty-three issues ‘for my country to address’ in numerous emerging and developed economies. The challenge of corruption is not simply one for governments to address: in many of the markets surveyed, corruption also ranks as a top-five challenge for business to address. In the UK, for example, corruption is regarded as the sixth most important issue for the country, but the third most pressing issue for business to address after job creation and economic growth.

The prominence of corruption suggests that the concept may have evolved in the mind of the public to embrace a holistic ethical picture affecting business and