SB Insight, a Stockholm-based sustainability communications and insight agency, has released its fifth annual study and ranking Sustainable Brand Index 2015 that analyzes performance in environmental and social responsibility of 709 Scandinavian brands—as seen by 27,000 consumers from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.
The study consists of three parts: the evaluation of the researched data and compiling the four country rankings along with dozens of industry/segment lists of top performers; analysis of the consumer behaviour and categorization of the types of consumers based on their attitude to sustainability; overview of the current trends in corporate sustainability in the Scandinavian region and worldwide.
For the study, two quantitative online surveys and a series of in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted. The questionnaire was based on UN Global Compact’s 10 principals about environmental and social responsibility.
The respondents were asked to measure their perception of sustainability effort of the selected brands on a 5-point scale, where 4 and 5 were «good» and «very good» respectively. A brand could gain 200% at maximum (100% in eco- and 100% in social responsibility). The 709 brands participating in the study were selected based on their market share in the respective country, turnover and brand awareness.
Danish consumers are the most skeptical
Interestingly, figures, leaders, overall findings and trends on each four Nordic markets differ. For example, consumers in Denmark have the lowest level of optimism towards brands’ sustainable behaviour (21% of 200%) compared to respondents from Sweden (32%), Norway (33%) or Finland (47%).
The performing industries in all four market are also different. While in Sweden consumers rated pharmaceutical brands as the most sustainable, in Norway they named the hotel industry as the top sustainability performer; meanwhile Finland’s and Denmark’s respondents voted for grocery store brands.
Swedish market is the most mature in regard to sustainability
The analysts behind the study name the Swedish market the most mature in regard to sustainability issues, while the Finnish one, on the opposite—the least mature in this terms, thus, the most optimistic. Just 26% of Swedish respondents are either not aware or not interested in sustainability; 50% are moderately interested, 17% are «smartly» interested, while 7% are avid sustainability adopters.
Overall, in all four countries, women are more sustainability concious than men, and the higher the level of education (on average), the more consumers are dedicated to sustainable products and services.
Top 10 in Sustainable Brand Index 2015 in Sweden
| Rank | Brand | Percentage | Industry |
| 1 | Saltå Kvarn | 88% | Food and drinks |
| 2 | Coop | 86% | Grocery store |
| 3 | Lantmännen | 86% | Food and drinks |
| 4 | Apoteket | 84% | Pharmacy |
| 5 | IKEA | 80% | Retail |
| 6 | ICA | 79% | Grocery store |
| 7 | Systembolaget | 76% | Grocery store |
| 8 | Arla | 76% | Food and drinks |
| 9 | Fjällräven | 74% | Fashion and beauty |
| 10 | Godel | 72% | Electricity |
Top 10 in Sustainable Brand Index 2015 in Norway
| Rank | Brand | Percentage | Industry |
| 1 | Stormberg | 78% | Retail |
| 2 | Tine | 71% | Food and drinks |
| 3 | IKEA | 66% | Retail |
| 4 | Nordic Choice Hotel | 66% | Hotels |
| 5 | COOP | 63% | Grocery store |
| 6 | Clarion Hotels | 63% | Hotels |
| 7 | Quality Hotels | 62% | Hotels |
| 8 | Clarion Collection Hotels | 62% | Hotels |
| 9 | Vinmonopolet | 58% | Grocery store |
| 10 | KIWI | 58% | Grocery store |
Top 10 in Sustainable Brand Index 2015 in Denmark
| Rank | Brand | Percentage | Industry |
| 1 | IRMA | 79% | Grocery store |
| 2 | Superbrugsen | 66% | Grocery store |
| 3 | Kvickly | 63% | Grocery store |
| 4 | IKEA | 59% | Retail |
| 5 | Dagli’Brugsen | 57% | Grocery store |
| 6 | Arla | 53% | Food and drinks |
| 7 | REMA1000 | 52% | Grocery store |
| 8 | Rynkeby | 48% | Food and drinks |
| 9 | Sygeforsikringen Danmark | 47% | Insurance |
| 10 | Matas | 45% | Retail |
Top 10 in Sustainable Brand Index 2015 in Finland
| Rank | Brand | Percentage | Industry |
| 1 | Valio | 99% | Food and drinks |
| 2 | Fazer | 84% | Food and drinks |
| 3 | Myllyn Paras | 81% | Food and drinks |
| 4 | S-market | 81% | Grocery store |
| 5 | Snellman | 81% | Food and drinks |
| 6 | Prisma | 81% | Retail |
| 7 | Saarionen | 80% | Food and drinks |
| 8 | Vaasan | 80% | Food and drinks |
| 9 | Osuusmeijeri | 80% | Food and drinks |
| 10 | K-Kauppa | 79% | Grocery store |
Fore more insights and to download reports by country, please visit SB Index website.