One of the trends we’ve been tracking over the last decade is the way Americans have moved towards putting their wallets where their values are — intentionally buying from, or avoiding, certain companies’ brands and products because of the organizations’ environmental and social record. We were interested to see how the “Good List” has changed over time, so we compared our word clouds of the brands that Americans have named — unaided — as examples of purchases made on purpose because of the brands’ environmental or social record. Here are a couple of things we learned:

• Although Americans don’t have it nailed — there are still brands that make the “Good List” that don’t deserve to be there — they have gotten a bit savvier. The 2021 list, when compared to the 2015 and 2016 lists, shows a little more knowledge and thoughtfulness. Back in 2015 and 2016, it seemed Americans just named every brand they happened to buy as an example of a good brand. (If I buy from them, they must be good, right?) Whereas now, more of the examples given actually do have a credible environmental or social commitment they’re getting credit for.
• In 2013 and 2014, we asked the question in terms of “environmental and social record” and overwhelmingly got brands that were known as green leaders. In 2021, when we asked the question separately — that is, asking for examples of brands purchased because of the environmental record of the manufacturer and again for the environmental or social record — we got really different results. That tells us, again, Americans have gotten savvier and can differentiate between brands that stand for a social commitment versus brands that stand for an environmental commitment. And, as I say in the video above, social trumps environmental commitments in the minds and hearts of Americans right now.

Want to learn more about what it takes to get your company or brand on the Good List? Click here to download my latest presentation. Happy viewing!

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