Among the Medinge Group’s Brands with a Conscience winners, announced today by the international branding think-tank, is TOMS Shoes, known for donating a pair to communities in need whenever one is bought. Annually, TOMS does a ‘shoe drop’ into developing communities.
The Group awards organizations whose brands contribute to the betterment of society by sustainable, socially responsible and humanistic behaviour. It was felt that TOMS exhibited these qualities as well as transparency.
Rag-bag, another winner this year, produces fashionable and colourful bags and wallets made entirely from waste plastics (bags, sheets, etc.) collected by rag pickers from garbage tips in India, Cameroon and Brazil.
Another winner which Lucire readers will know well is Paul Newman, who won the Colin Morley Award, given to NGOs. Awarded posthumously to Mr Newman, the Group recognized that the actor ‘gave over $250 million to … causes in his own lifetime,’ usually helping ill or terminally ill children, from profits and royalties from his Newman’s Own brand.
Remaining winners are: Chhatra Sagar, an eco-friendly tent camp in Rajasthan; Ekomarine, a developer of eco-friendly paint for boat hulls; micro-financing website Kiva; and One Water.
Lucire publisher Jack Yan and travel editor Stanley Moss serve on the international BWAC committee, with Mr Moss in the chair. The awards are to be presented at the Management Institute of Paris on February 5.