Project Description
Using reporting to compete
The context
A multinational company has a global presence and strong local competitors in almost all countries where it operates. As the market is becoming more aware of the importance of transparency and the social and environmental impacts of business, the company has to provide guidance on these matters from its global offices, but it has to adapt its implementation for each country.
However, it is struggling in Brazil. The main national competitor is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the transparency field, very aware of its social and environmental impacts, positioning its brand as “sustainable, responsible, ethical”.
The issue
In this project, Arbex & Company and the Brazilian partner CAUSE were engaged to check the quality of sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and reporting, as a quick way to check how the company was performing in these areas and to get a sense of public perception related to these topics.
The project
We started by checking if the company’s KPIs and reporting practices were comparable to their competitor’s and, if not, identifying how to make improvements.
Part of the issue involved understanding how global guidance was having an impact on the KPIs and reporting practices at country level. We investigated the relevant materials – both company reports and external communications – and made an analysis comparing both companies’ practices in the country.
The results were very revealing. We could map the areas where the company’s KPIs and, consequently, external communications were poor in comparison with the competitor. We could also identify areas where the global guidance was used in a way that became a barrier to meeting local expectations.
Contact us to find out how the company decided to use this analysis and changed its positioning in this market.
Text and photo by Nelmara Arbex
Keywords: multinational company / consumer goods / sustainability / strategic focus & competitiveness / KPIs analysis
(reviewed version of “Getting Ready to Compete”, Feb 2016)