Social Value Portal is delighted to announce our new partnership with Mars Incorporated in the UK. The business will leverage our platform to measure its Social Value and has urged other businesses to join them on their journey.
Social Value Portal will help Mars Incorporated to evaluate, measure and report the net societal contribution that it is making in the UK. Its methodology will calculate a net financial figure that represents the contribution of Mars’ economic and employment footprint, its investments in sustainability, and its charitable and CSR activities.
Mars Incorporated is the first brand in the FMCG sector to adopt the Local Government Association-endorsed Social Value TOM System™. The framework promotes transparency and accountability, enabling organisations to measure and track impacts across multiple areas.
Adam Grant, General Manager at Mars Wrigley UK, said:
Understanding our Social Value delivery will be a powerful vehicle for demonstrating our commitment to putting our purpose into practice with our different audiences. We are committed to supporting our suppliers, employees, customers and consumers, and now we want to take this further. We want to measure the value and impact of this work, boost our Social Value in the UK and set the standard for our industry. This is a major milestone in our journey, and our first step is to build a picture of where we are by recording and reporting so we can benchmark and set targets for the future.
Adam Grant, General Manager, Mars Wrigley UK
Mars Incorporated is now calling on the FMCG industry in the UK to join them in measuring and reporting their Social Value. Together with Social Value Portal, Mars is developing a toolkit to help other consumer-facing companies get started. Adam added:
As the societal expectation for businesses to demonstrate greater accountability and transparency grows, being open and honest about our broader impact is an imperative. By encouraging other businesses to join us on our journey, we can create a community in our industry that supports one another whilst enabling us to benchmark against other like-minded businesses.
Adam Grant, General Manager, Mars Wrigley UK
Guy Battle, CEO, Social Value Portal commented:
We are honoured to be working with Mars Incorporated to guide them on the Social Value journey - especially as this is one of the first organisations in the FMCG sector to make a formal commitment to delivering Social Value. Behind every number, there is a life, a person, a family and a community that stands to benefit from Social Value, so we are looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this highly respected organisation.
Guy Battle, CEO of Social Value Portal
Mars Wrigley has also been asked to join the National Social Value Taskforce, which has representatives from across the public, private and third sectors. Lorraine Cox, Chair of the National Social Value Taskforce, said:
We need more private sector organisations to integrate Social Value into their core business strategies and through radical collaboration to support the delivery of the Social Value Economy.
Lorraine Cox, Chair of the National Social Value Taskforce
Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With over $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, Dove, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Whiskas, Extra, Orbit, 5™, Skittles, Uncle Ben’s, and CocoaVia. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include Banfield Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl, VCA and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 115,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.