Today's consumer is becoming more socially and globally aware.

That awareness is no longer simply impacting opinion on the margins, it’s driving increased interest in ESG, and is playing a growing role in how consumers behave, what motivates them, and how brands and businesses are perceived.

Increasingly savvy consumers, employees, and investors now expect business leaders to move ESG beyond talk, to action. And the pressure comes from both inside and outside the house; they want to know that the decisions they are making and the initiatives they are implementing are doing good and are also called to show how they add value to their businesses and brands. The companies that proactively lead will win consumers and create competitive advantage.

Until now, ESG-measurement efforts were focused only on risk mitigation, helping businesses leaders and investment professionals avoid pitfalls. These decision makers lacked predictive intelligence on how (or whether) ESG activities actually move consumer perception and motivate purchase behaviors.

That's Why We Built Helm

Helm positions as uniquely additive to the ESG landscape. We are the only company bringing the same level of analysis to value creation that others bring to risk exposure, identifying the ESG factors that will motivate consumers and grow brands and businesses.

Helm, a new industry standard for reliable, essential intelligence on how ESG activities affect value-creation and market performance.

Our Beliefs

Views on consumers, brands and the future

ESG impacts brand value and equity performance. While ESG sentiment is among many factors that affect consumer perception and, by association, brand performance and asset value, its role is growing as Environmental, Social and Governance concerns become increasingly central to public discourse. Companies with access to actionable ESG intelligence on how ESG activities move consumer opinion and behavior, including willingness to pay more, can use them to grow ESG-inspired brand value and produce higher returns.

Current ESG solutions
are limited

Current ESG solutions measure through a lens of risk mitigation; looking only at whether ESG issues have the potential to harm a brand or company and what that might mean in terms of value destruction. They stop far short of drawing a direct link from ESG activities to consumer-driven value and alpha creation in ways that are accretive to better business performance and a better planet.

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Our approach is different

Helm takes a fundamentally different approach.

We uncover the links between ESG actions, consumer perception and purchase behavior business leaders and financial services professionals need to power differentiated and sustainable ESG-driven value creation and produce higher returns. Our consumer validated and predictive ESG frameworks and strategies deliver essential intelligence on what people really think about the ESG activities of brands and businesses, and what these ESG-specific activities inspire consumers to do, collapsing the gap between “doing well by doing good”.

why

Because Consumers Move Markets

We know that consumer opinion and behavior makes a measurable impact on business and equity performance. Research shows that consumers across all generations say they are willing to spend more for sustainable products. And large majorities of investors today say ESG considerations are central to their investment approach. Together, these data points speak to both near term demand as well as duration. ESG is clearly not a passing fad that will eventually go out of fashion.

That’s why Helm is “Consumer Driven ESG”. Because starting anywhere else would dilute the value we are able to create for our clients and detract from the broader goal of abetter world. We know that measuring positive impact on the P&L will help unlock resources that will have a measurable positive impact on people and the planet, creating a virtuous cycle of change.

HELMSCORE™ OVERVIEW

Benchmarking & Performance

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Support for abortion access:

64% support companies taking action to help employees access abortion services.

Support for Ukraine:

70% want to only buy from companies that refuse to do business with Russia.

Economic equity:

66% agree that companies should ensure governments work for ordinary people, not just the wealthy.

Support for Gender Equality:

68% of men and 71% of women expect companies to promote equal pay for women.

Anti-corruption matters:

68% agree companies need strict policies to prevent bribery and influence peddling.

Stronger data privacy:

66% expect companies to go beyond compliance, to implement “privacy first” policies.

Sustainable ingredients:

70% want companies to only use ingredients that won’t harm people, animals or the environment.

Recycled materials:

66% consumers want companies to package their products with only recyclable and non-toxic materials.

Not just for the young:

Counter to conventional wisdom, older generations are just as motivated by ESG as the “emerging majority” Gen Z and Millennial generations.

Bridging the political divide:

60% of Moderates and Conservatives support ESG actions – in addition higher proportions of Liberals.

Support for abortion access:

64% support companies taking action to help employees access abortion services.

Support for Ukraine:

70% want to only buy from companies that refuse to do business with Russia.

Economic equity:

66% agree that companies should ensure governments work for ordinary people, not just the wealthy.

Support for Gender Equality:

68% of men and 71% of women expect companies to promote equal pay for women.

Anti-corruption matters:

68% agree companies need strict policies to prevent bribery and influence peddling.

Stronger data privacy:

66% expect companies to go beyond compliance, to implement “privacy first” policies.

Sustainable ingredients:

70% want companies to only use ingredients that won’t harm people, animals or the environment.

Recycled materials:

66% consumers want companies to package their products with only recyclable and non-toxic materials.

Not just for the young:

Counter to conventional wisdom, older generations are just as motivated by ESG as the “emerging majority” Gen Z and Millennial generations.

Bridging the political divide:

60% of Moderates and Conservatives support ESG actions – in addition higher proportions of Liberals.