In recent months Breaking The Brand volunteers have created a database of over 700 companies, worldwide, who use a rhino as part of their logo. From Australia to the USA, the UK and continental Europe to India and the African continent, many companies have benefited from their association with the rhinoceros. It has helped build a distinct company identity and brand conveying uniqueness, determination and strength. These companies may not have thought, when choosing the rhino as a logo that one day this iconic species would be threatened with extinction in the wild. Breaking The Brand is now asking at least 30 of these 700+ companies to be part of a business2business (B2B) initiative, asking their business peers in Viet Nam to help change consumer behaviour in the key demand side country.

As many of you who follow Breaking The Brand know, the rhinos’ demise is not a result of traditional Asian medicine, but because it is being used as a status symbol and a way to negotiate business deals and gain favours. This is a modern business fad and fashion.

A relatively small number of businessmen in Viet Nam are the primary drivers of rhino poaching. These rhino horn consumers:

Are NOT influenced by politicians
Are NOT influenced by the conservation sector
Are NOT influenced by the plight of the rhino
Are NOT influenced by media celebrities
Are NOT influenced by the law
Are NOT influenced by their family and children
They ARE influenced by their business peers.

Right now many are influenced by their local peer group to use rhino horn, Breaking The Brand would like to work with their international peer group to influence them to stop.

After researching the motivations of the primary users Breaking The Brand has been running, small but highly targeted campaigns since September 2014. Though there is evidence that the demand for rhino horn is not growing at the same rate, we need complimentary initiatives to our campaigns. Our vision for this B2B campaign is that a global network of companies, with a rhino association, collaborate to help end the senseless slaughter of this magnificent animal.

Late last year, at the 3rd International Wildlife Trafficking Conference, in Hanoi Vietnam, Prince William stated:

But we can change these odds with the help of international business. By becoming a signatory to the B2B letter linked and shown below, which will be posted to a database of key businessmen in Viet Nam, companies whose logo, identity and brand are intertwined with the rhino can actively participate in reducing the demand.

We are looking for a donation of US$1,000 from each of the signatories to help us raise US$30,000 to go towards our first major campaign of 2017.

Breaking The Brand is 100% volunteer run and we personally cover all our administration cost so we can guarantee that 100% of the donations go towards publishing the Viet Nam campaigns.

 Funds, over and above the US$30,000 will go towards publishing an abridged version of the letter in key newspapers. This abridged version will be translated in to Vietnamese.

In addition, we offer only 1 place to co-sign with Breaking The Brand on page 2 of the letter to a company willing to donate US$20,000 to the campaign. Breaking The Brand will create a dedicated Save Our Logo Supporters Page to promote the initiative and the companies who are involved.

Did you know it took Esso 36 years from launching the “Put a tiger in your tank” slogan in 1959 to supporting tiger conservation in 1995 – the rhino hasn’t got this long!

We ask businesses with a rhino logo, “How will it impact your business if your logo becomes extinct in the wild?” We are sure your competitors may like to make use of such an analogy!

To the family businesses, what will you say to the next generation when they ask “Daddy, what did YOU do to save our family business logo from extinction in the wild?”

So BTB’s message to the Managing Directors and CEOs of these businesses is, we hope they grasp the long-term effect on their brand if rhinos are no longer roaming the wild. Reducing the demand for rhino horn is very achievable and they could play a big part.

A big thank you to all our volunteers, around the world, who have done the research to create the database.

To all our supporters, if you know a business owner, manager or employee of a company that has a rhino in its logo, would you be willing to bridge Breaking The Brand in to this company so we can introduce our B2B initiative? A warm introduction has such a better chance of success than a cold call. Your support in this way could make a big difference and would be very much appreciated.

Of the over 700 companies we have found around the world, we are looking for at least 30 to be a part of this initiative, just 4%; it will be interesting to see who will be the most visionary.

Introductions to USA based companies, please contact james@breakingthebrand.org Meeting James: http://breakingthebrand.org/team/

Introductions to non-USA based companies, please contact lynn@breakingthebrand.org Meeting Lynn: http://breakingthebrand.org/about-us/