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Ford Tops 2014 50 Best Global Green Brands List

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2014 50 Best Global Green Brands ListFord has pulled the No.1 overall ranking on Interbrand’s 2014 50 Best Global Green Brands list. Not only did Ford trump last year’s winner, Toyota, but it also beat such giants of industry as Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft.

“Over the past few years, Ford has proven to be a sustainability leader,” Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer, told Ford. “Sustainability is fully integrated into Ford’s overall business strategy. As such, the company is able to swiftly identify and address its impact on the environment and society across every facet of its operations. Continuing to invest in alternative energy sources and fuel-saving technologies – and educating consumers on its benefits, will be key to enhancing its business and brand value over time.” The announcement comes mere days after Ford announced the findings of its 15th annual Sustainability Report, which found that the automaker is two years ahead of schedule in its quest to reduce global water usage by 30 percent.

In order to compile the 2014 50 Best Global Green Brands list, Interbrand takes the 100 brands listed on its Best Global Brands report and follows up with consumer research that measures public perception of companies’ green practices. This data is then compared to sustainability performance data compuled by Deloitte Consulting LLP. According to Interbrand’s methodology, performance is measured on 83 sub-metrics across the six pillars of: Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, Operations, Supply Chain, Transportation and Logistics, and Products and Services. Perception for each brands is weighed on interviews with a sample of 1,250 consumers regarding a company’s Authenticity, Relevance, Differentiation, Consistency, Presence, and Understanding. This creates a gap score, which measures the difference between performance and perception. Ford’s +3.2 gap score indicates that consumers widely consider Ford to have green practices, and that their actions substantiate this belief. By comparison, Coca-Cola (No. 20) and McDonald’s (No. 43) had the lowest gap scores with -12.2 and -14.5, respectively; this indicates that neither brand’s practices are as green as what consumers believe them to be.