By Matias Bendersky, Unit Chief, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Unit, Inter-American Development Bank Brands today face increasing expectations from ever more Empowered Consumers who hold businesses to higher standards than ever before. This Empowered Consumer is driven by values—she looks beyond affordability and quality to brands’ impact on individuals, communities, and societies. She is informed—she has access to more information than has ever been available, and has the ability to cultivate a deeper knowledge of companies’ operations and the footprint they leave behind. She is connected—she lives in an age in which more than a billion tweets, Facebook posts, and blog updates are published daily, and can instantly voice her satisfaction—or lack thereof—with brands who operate in unsustainable ways. And […]