List of Awards Company of the month The state government of Hessen in Germany chose BRITA as its company of the month for January 2014. As part of its campaign Committed company stimulating Hessen, every month the state presents this award to one company whose exemplary commitment has attracted attention in its social environment. On behalf of State Premier Volker Bouffier, the state government praised the large number of activities in which BRITA is engaged for more than 25 years, becoming heavily involved in the areas of social commitment, sport and culture. BRITA works with disabled workshops at both regional and national level, helping to fund schools, kindergartens, music societies, charities and charity events. Additionally, for many years now BRITA has been sponsoring arts and sports primarily in cooperation with the soccer club SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Throughout the world, the BRITA Group backs social initiatives connected with all aspects of water and nutrition. 2011 Grünes Band (Green Ribbon) In February 2011 BRITA received the Green Ribbon for the consistent way we have anchored sustainability in its corporate concept. This sustainability prize for the out-of-home market was awarded for the first time in 2011by trade media publishing house Huss- Medien. The jury was particularly impressed by how early our company offered 100% recyclable cartridges (as of 1992), by its consistent switch from hydroelectric power to certified green electricity, and by its manifold social commitments. The Green Ribbon prize is awarded by specialist magazines GV kompakt and gastronomie & hotellerie Das Unternehmermagazin, both published by Huss, and is divided into six categories: Ecology, Fair Trade, Climate, Energy, Water, and Corporate Concept. www.brita.net
National Recycling Gold Star BRITA UK received the gold National Recycling Star at the end of 2013, valid for one year. The prize is awarded at a high-visibility event organized by the E2B Group, a private network committed to lowering carbon emissions. It helps companies to improve their environmental track record and, at the same time, to cut costs. One extremely important aspect is reducing the amount of waste produced. After extensive preparations, BRITA UK has succeeded in fulfilling all criteria for the highest level of the National Recycling Star complete avoidance of non-recyclable waste, the introduction of measures to maximize the recycling of waste material, the creation of greater waste consciousness in the company, and the involvement of staff in the improvement of waste management. red dot design award In 2015, international design experts chose the water filter carafe BRITA Fill&Serve as the recipient of the reputed red dot design award. The red dot design award is bestowed by a distinguished jury as part of the world s largest and best-known design competition. In 2014, it was the water filter bottle BRITA Fill&Go for out and about that already received the red dot seal of approval. In 2012, the BRITA product BRITA yource won the award, in 2010, the enviva drinking furniture series produced by BRITA Ionox Deutschland GmbH. One year earlier the Navelia water filter jug was selected for this high-calibre prize, on the basis of evaluation criteria such as degree of innovativeness, functionality, self-explanatory quality and compatibility with the environment. In 2008, Navelia also won the Japanese Good Design award for its outstanding design. Page 2 / 9
Good Design Award In October 2008, the BRITA water filter jug Navelia was the recipient of the Japanese Good Design award in the category Eating, kitchens, cooking, household products and appliances. This sought-after design prize, for which that year there were 3,023 entries, is awarded by the Japan Industrial Promotion Organization (JIDPO). The accolade stands for the sort of design that stimulates the sector and is life-enriching. Another award followed in 2011, this time for the On Line Active built-in filter in the category Miscellaneous and household products and appliances. if design award In February 2014 Industrieforum Design honoured the BRITA Fill&Go water bottle with the if design award in the product category Product Design. Industrieforum Design, an independent industrial forum, has a very good reputation on the German design scene, its declared objective being to promote good design and to anchor design as a success factor in the consciousness of both business and the public. Accordingly, the association regularly recognizes outstanding design achievements in the disciplines Products, Communication, and Packaging. With more than 20,000 entries from over 50 countries submitted every year, the if awards are amongst the largest and most important international design prizes. The BRITA Fill&Go was entered in the section Leisure and Lifestyle and assessed using various criteria such as design quality, finish, choice of materials, environmental impact, ergonomics, degree of innovation, and brand value. Page 3 / 9
Kitchen Innovation of the Year 2013 In February 2013, the BRITA Tap was chosen as the Kitchen Innovation of the Year 2013 at the Ambiente consumer goods fair in Frankfurt/Main. The prize is awarded by LifeCare, an independent initiative whose objective is to enhance people s quality of life with regard to cooking and nutrition, lifestyle and living environment. After a specialist jury has selected outstanding products in various categories using a standardized procedure, a market research institute polls consumers who ultimately decide how the prizes are awarded. The prize was awarded for functionality, innovation, design and ecology. Trusted Brand Award In 2013 consumers in Taiwan chose BRITA as the brand they trusted for the sixth time. In the Trusted Brand consumer survey conducted by Reader s Digest magazine since 1999, every year readers favourite brands are determined in eight Asian countries China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. BRITA impressed the consumers in the product category Water purifiers. The prize was awarded on the basis of a questionnaire using the criteria trustworthiness and credibility, innovation, quality, value, social responsibility and understanding of consumer needs. If, as was the case with BRITA, a company s results are considerably better than those of their competitors, the brand receives the Gold Trusted Brand Award. The poll, which is conducted by market researchers Ipsos, enjoys a very good reputation. It provides Page 4 / 9
companies with information about how much customers trust their brand and offers consumers a reliable basis for purchasing decisions. Superbrands BRITA took its place on the coveted list of the 500 superbrands in Great Britain in 2006 and 2008. The list is published annually in recognition of outstanding consumer brands. After a preliminary selection by a forum of experts, the superbrands committee, BRITA was initially elected to the circle of brands that could qualify for inclusion in the top 500. The list of the TOP 500 finalists is ultimately compiled in cooperation with a British market research agency, YouGov. YouGov asks British consumers which brand they would consider superbrands. The definition of superbrands is brands that enjoy the highest reputation in their particular market segments, that offer consumers both emotional and concrete advantages over other brands, and that are sought out and appreciated by consumers (be this consciously or unconsciously). Best Non-Coffee Supplier Europe 2012 At the Allegra European Coffee Award ceremony in Amsterdam in November 2012 BRITA Professional was awarded first prize in the Best Non-Coffee Supplier Europe, ahead of Solo Cup Europe and Coca-Cola. The Allegra European Coffee Awards recognize those companies and individuals who make an outstanding contribution to the market segments coffee and food to go. The organizer of the prize, Allegra Events Ltd. in London, asked Page 5 / 9
more than 10,000 executives in the industrial sector to supply their suggestions for various categories. Prizes are awarded at both national and European level. Deutscher Project Excellence Award 2011 On 25 October 2011, BRITA received the sought-after Deutscher Project Excellence Award 2011 presented by project management association GPM at a prize-giving ceremony at the 2011 PM Forum in Nuremberg, Germany. The accolade was in recognition of a team of BRITA staff members successful project work in developing a new kind of product for the company. The objective of the Countertop project was, within only 24 months, to develop an electrical household appliance that produces soft drinks similar to water on the basis of a capsule system and BRITA-optimised water. In addition to developing the appliance and the capsules in a total of nine different flavours, the project involved filling the capsules and the strategy for marketing, selling and communicating the product. Award-winning customer management In this specialist field, BRITA has already received high accolades for its integrated customer relationship management and e-commerce system on two occasions: in June 2011 the system was presented with the Best Practice Award Business Intelligence und Data Warehousing, followed in November of the same year by the CRM Best Practice Award, which confirmed that BRITA offered the best customer management in 2011. Every year, the CRM Best Practice Award honours exemplary solutions in customer relationship management. The award focuses not only on the software used but also on the way the company as a whole and its processes are geared to customers. BRITA won in the category Introduction of CRM. The prize was awarded by a 6-man jury presided over by the editor-in-chief of acquisa, Christof Pause. Page 6 / 9
Innovative sales concept At the 35 th German Sales and Sales Manager Congress (DVVK), from 29 to 30 March 2012 in Munich, a prize for innovative sales concepts was awarded for the first time: the acquisa Award. Here again, with its exemplary combination of e-shop and consumer loyalty system BRITA was one of the front runners, and came in second. This new accolade was established by the trade journal, acquisa, which is published by the Haufe Group, and is intended to honour companies that have developed modern sales concepts and thus successfully restructured their sales. HEALTHY Company 2013 In October 2013 the Wiesbaden Chamber of Commerce and Industry awarded BRITA GmbH a Healthy Company certificate. The certificate is aimed at companies of all sizes from Wiesbaden and the surrounding region for which their employees health is or is scheduled to be of prime importance. The certificate is awarded in three stages: basic, premium and premium plus. The committee of experts honoured BRITA with the premium certificate, which is valid for two years. Until recertification BRITA intends to continue to devote a great deal of attention to implementing and improving its health management system. Investors in People In 2012, for the first time, BRITA UK received the Gold Standard IiP (IiP = Investors in People). For over ten years now our subsidiary BRITA Water Filter Systems Ltd. (BWFS), BRITA UK s sales company, has been continuously trying for this renowned certification. Having been awarded it for the first time in 2001, the company was able to successfully defend its status in 2006 and 2009 in an evaluation procedure lasting several days. BRITA Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. (BMC), BRITA UK s manufacturing company, was granted the coveted IiP status in 2006, receiving it again in October 2008. IiP is a recognized standard, assessing how a company s business success can be enhanced by means of the people factor, i.e., by motivating its staff. Our British subsidiary needed to prove its worth in ten assessment criteria, or indicators, including in the following categories: Development of Managers, Development of Teams and Communications Efficiency within the Company. As Page 7 / 9
few as 3% of the companies that use the Investors in People system (a total of 35,000 organizations in 50 countries) achieve Gold Standard status. Best Companies In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008, BRITA Water Filter Systems Ltd., BRITA s sales company in the UK was included in the prestigious list of the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For. This accolade is based on an assessment in eight categories: Leadership, My Manager, My Company, My Team, Personal Growth, Giving Something Back, Wellbeing and Fair Deal. In 2006, Best Companies Ltd. (the assessment and consultancy company that compiles the list) established an award that evaluates employees commitment to their company. BRITA has been given a two-star rating here, thus being deemed outstanding. TOP JOB In 2009 BRITA GmbH was awarded the TOP JOB seal of approval for the second time, (the first time was in 2005) for its impressive performance in the field of personnel management. The company was thus chosen as one of the top 100 employers amongst German small to medium-sized enterprises. Participating companies competed with comparable operations in terms of size and abilities in five disciplines: Management & Vision, Motivation & Dynamism, Culture & Communication, Staff Growth & Perspectives, Family & Social Orientation and Internal Entrepreneurship. Here, the main focus of interest is on soft factors such as independent responsibility, motivation, ability of staff members to work in teams, living out the company s corporate culture, and family-friendly policies. The comparisons between companies were largely based on an anonymous staff survey conducted by the University of St. Gallen. Page 8 / 9
Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist 2006 In 2006, Ernst & Young, one of the world s leading auditing and consultancy companies, honoured particular entrepreneurial achievements for the 10 th time. Around 350 candidates entered the competition for the coveted title of Entrepreneur of the Year. Alongside BRITA, just under 100 companies reached the final. What most impressed the jury about BRITA was its sustainable growth and its innovations. intermedia-globe Silver Award At the 2007 WorldMediaFestival in Hamburg, BRITA s corporate film Waterology received an intermedia-globe Silver Award in the category Public Relations: Company Philosophy and Portrait. Independent specialist juries from Europe, Asia and North America had a total of 487 entries from 22 countries to evaluate. The festival presented awards to outstanding solutions using modern communication media. As well as assessing artistic and technical implementation, it primarily honoured those entries that were capable of using their message to successfully appeal to their target groups. Waterology succeeded in presenting all facets of the global company BRITA. And in doing this the film did not content itself with mere factual presentation, but derived its excitement and its entertainment value from the fascination with the element water. Page 9 / 9