Aside from producing and selling new ranges, most big global companies pay a lot attention to charity and social projects, proving that today business means not only making money but sharing it as well. Sometimes, to pursue these goals, companies create unpredicted alliances—one of them—Ford Motor Company plus General Mills—has been formed recently to support the school funding the Box Tops for Education (BTFE) initiative in the USA, running for the 15th straight year. Starting today, October 3, the automobile giant joins the food manufacturer in rolling out a two-month program to generate $1 million in support for schools across the country.

Global alcohol manufacturers pay attention not only to the amount of drinks they sell, but to responsible drinking as well. One of them, AB InBev UK, has initiated a study, conducted by Populus and Mumsnet, to reveal what influences young people’s attitudes to drinking and what they consider the most reliable source of information when it comes to talks about alcohol. The study revealed, that young people in the UK believe parents educate them better on the alcohol consumption issue than teachers or even health advisers (31% compared to 9% and 9% respectively)—but it’s better for them to source advice from other parents (37%), shared through a website (82%). To encourage the talk, AB InBev UK launched a new project dubbed Family Talk UK on the Facebook platform, where parents of teens are able to get advice related to the theme.

Manufacturers are seeing a rapid expansion in the number and scope of regulations around product and packaging recycling, such as the European Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. SAP AG is helping Panasonic comply with these worldwide product end-of-life regulations and retailer mandates with the SAP® Recycling Administration application. In addition to compliance, the application helps Panasonic to be more efficient and reduce both recycling and operational costs. The use of the software drives excellence in recycling and reuse, which is an important aspect of any customer’s sustainable supply chain and products business case—with the ultimate goal of protecting the brand while designing, manufacturing and distributing innovative, safe and compliant products.

Jameson, one of the biggest fans of cinema in the world of alcohol brands, is offering its consumers once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with a Hollywood celebrity on a short movie. The brand, which has presented a bunch of initiatives related to the world of cinema (Jameson Short Film Award and John Jameson Production are just a few of them), is now inviting emerging filmmakers to visit its Jameson First Shot website and enter the competition for a chance to get Kevin Spacey cast in a short film, based on their script and directed by them.

Toyota USA has begun to collect stories from Camry owners within the new ‘Camry Effect’ initiative. About seven million Camry drivers in the United States are encouraged to register on an online platform and share the moments connected with their Camry such as first dates, road trips, soccer games, job interviews and college days etc. In this way, Toyota wants to evaluate its 30-years impact on the American culture.