February 3, 2012 - Since their inception in 2009, the Social Innovation Awardshave become a barometer for innovation in both of the business and nonprofit sectors. And if 2012 is any indication, the landscape of innovation has shifted from previous years. Where as in the past the large-scale business sector dominated the social innovation arena, this year saw more interest and applications from the widest range of organizations to date. From small startup nonprofits to Fortune 100 companies and from the domestic companies to the international community, this year, applications came in from over 17 countries on all five continents. 

“The robustness of the applications to this year’s award showcases the continued march of sustainability and social innovation into core business strategy,” said Martin Smith, Chairman of 3BL Media / Justmeans. Echoing that same sentiment, one Social Innovation Awards judge commented that this diversity of innovation led to an exciting period of evaluation. “It was humbling and I learned a lot. I didn’t expect that.”
 
Gregory Schneider, CEO of 3BL Media, stated, “We have enjoyed seeing how the business and nonprofit communities continue to make leaps and bounds in the world of social innovation in some of the most interesting and unexpected ways. With such a diverse applicant landscape, this year’s Awards has been incredible to be a part of.”
 
Having undergone a full evaluation from the leading judges of social innovation, the finalists for the 2012 Social Innovation Awards are as follows:
 
Finance: Best Social Investment Strategy

• Barclays PLC
• eBay
• Vestergaard Frandsen

 
Human Resources: Best Employee Engagement Strategy

• Atmosphere Event Communications
• Molson Coors
• Santander Brasil

 
Marketing: Best Integrated Report

• Novo Nordisk A/S
• SAP
• Vancity

 
Marketing: Best Online Report

• Cone Communications
• Nestlé Waters North America
• SAP

 
Marketing: Best Stakeholder Engagement

• AIMIA
• SAP
• WestJet

 
Marketing: Best Use of New Media

• Orange
• SAP
• Stonyfield

 
Operations: Best Sustainability Performance

• Be Green Packaging, LLC
• Interface, Inc.
• Novo Nordisk A/S

 
Philanthropy: Most Strategic Use of Philanthropic Funds

• Hewlett-Packard
• Huawei Technologies, Ltd.
• Nokia
• The Travelers Companies, Inc.

 
Product: Best Product Design

• Altair
• Be Green Packaging, LLC
• EarthColor, Inc.

 
Product: Best Incorporation of Ethical Sourcing/Certification

• H. J. Heinze Company

 
In conjunction with the Ceres conference, the winners will be announced this April 25 at 8:30pm at the Social Innovation Awards ceremony. For more information, visit the Ceres conference website, read the official press release, or contact the Social Innovation Awards.
 
Contact 
Henry Frechette
Social Innovation Awards Coordinator
Henry@justmeans.com
866.508.0993 x.189

David Connor 04pm February 03 A great line-up indeed - the cream of a very rich crop, from the entries I was lucky enough to judge. The winners are going to have to hav... View Full Comment Close Full Comment Posted by: David Connor

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