Loss of trust in sustainability costs companies 7× more than building it

The new 12-year Sustainable Brand Index (SBI) study analyzed 1,400 brands in the Nordic markets and delivers a clear message: sustainability is no longer a PR topic — it is the insurance of your business.

Key findings of the study:

- companies that lose credibility in responsibility during a crisis will see a 7× larger drop in customer preferences than those that maintain trust

- the link between responsibility and customer preferences has doubled over the past 4 years

- consumers punish loss of responsibility more harshly than they reward new initiatives

- “Debt” from the decline in responsibility persists with consumers for up to 24 months

An interesting finding was also that social responsibility (fair working conditions, reasonable prices) now outpaces environmental topics as the main driver of preferences.

Brands that maintained trust even in tough times: IKEA, Volvo, Nordnet. In contrast, Marabou, Zara and H&M experienced a sharp decline — the drop in perceived responsibility directly correlated with the decline in preferences.

SBI founder Erik Elvingsson Hedén sums it up succinctly: “Responsibility is no longer a ladder you climb higher on. It is a floor you don’t want to fall through.”

It’s too late to build trust in sustainability when a crisis hits. Companies that wait have already lost.

Source: https://sb-index.com/newsroom/hallbarhet-sanker-bolag-7x-hardare-i-kris-ny-sbi-analys