Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer-Packaged Foods Industry

31 Pages Posted: 9 Oct 2020 Last revised: 26 Oct 2021

See all articles by Amanda Rischbieth

Amanda Rischbieth

Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; University of Adelaide

George Serafeim

Harvard Business School

Katie Trinh

Brown University, Department of Economics, Students

Date Written: October 18, 2021

Abstract

We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the consumer-packaged goods industry. We design a methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates on customer health, access and affordability of products and recyclability, among other factors. Our results indicate substantial differences in the impact that competitors have through their products. These differences demonstrate how impact measures reflect business strategy choices and informs decision-making on industry-specific areas, including food reformulation and product placement.

Keywords: product innovation; impact; impact investing; impact measurement; ESG; ESG (environmental, social, governance) performance; ESG (environmental/social/governance) performance; ESG ratings; social corporate responsibility; corporate social responsibility; social impact; nutrition database; nutritional

Suggested Citation

Rischbieth, Amanda and Serafeim, George and Trinh, Katie, Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer-Packaged Foods Industry (October 18, 2021). Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 21-051, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3707746 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3707746

Amanda Rischbieth

Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health ( email )

Boston, MA 02115
United States

University of Adelaide ( email )

No 233 North Terrace, School of Commerce
Adelaide, South Australia 5005
Australia

George Serafeim (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=15705

Katie Trinh

Brown University, Department of Economics, Students ( email )

Providence, RI
United States

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
160
Abstract Views
905
Rank
283,282
PlumX Metrics