Goodwill® Tops The Brand World Value Survey At #1 For Best Brand Overall

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill^®, a leading nonprofit provider of job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs, was ranked #1 in the 2016 Brand World Value Index, commissioned by enso, an agency creating world value through mission-driven creativity. In the rankings, Goodwill leads Amazon, Google, Kellogg's, Johnson and Johnson, and other Fortune 100 brands. The survey asked 3,000 consumers how they perceived the "world value" of 149 well-known organizations, from Disney to United Airlines and some nonprofits like Girl Scouts of the USA, YMCA and Save the Children.

"Brand World Value is a new measurement of how valuable people think brands are to their lives and the world," said Brian Hardwick, who led the research. "People today wield more power than ever and they are looking for brands that have a purpose that aligns with what they care about and they can publicly support."

Goodwill is ranked at the top of the list by 80 percent of the audiences surveyed and is near the top of both awareness of purpose and active support categories. Generation X and Baby Boomers put Goodwill, Amazon and Google at the top of the list.

"Goodwill organizations across the country are relentless in their pursuit of extraordinary impact," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Goodwill is honored to be featured on this list of world-class brands and be recognized as the #1 brand doing the most good for the value and impact we have in communities both nationally and internationally."

A company's shareholder value doesn't necessarily reflect its value to the wider world: how useful its products are, the good it does for people, or how it works to minimize social and environmental harm. Hence, the survey asked people to rank companies for their perceived purpose or the extent to which they stand for something other than making money.

Quadrant Strategies, a research-driven consultancy that works with Fortune 100 and Fortune 50 companies, political leaders around the world and major nonprofits, fielded surveys with various demographic representative samples of the U.S. populations ages 18 and up. It tested brands spanning a mix of industries and company sizes, ranging from start-ups to established companies.

Quadrant surveyed 15 total audiences, including the general population, elites (people who are college educated and earn $100,000 or more a year), Millennials/GenZ, GenX and Baby Boomers, social and purpose, tech positive, tech skeptic, environmentally engaged, young and social, moms, nonprofit engaged, democrats, republicans and independents. Each brand was scored based on answers to four questions related to awareness of purpose, alignment with purpose, active support and impact on purchase. The index score for each brand was calculated based on awareness of purpose plus alignment with purpose plus impact on purchase multiplied by active support.

For 114 years, Goodwill has been helping people find jobs, build their financial stability, and strengthen their families and communities. This work has helped millions of people build their careers and experience the pride and sense of community that work brings. Goodwill's services include job training and community services, such as help in writing résumés, and providing job interview advice, financial education and mentoring. Last year, Goodwill organizations generated $5.63 billion in revenues, and more than 85 percent of that revenue was spent directly on programs to help local communities. Goodwill placed 312,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada, enabling $5.59 billion in potential earnings for those placed. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills. A social enterprise with a donated goods retail infrastructure, Goodwill has 96.9 million donors and more than 3,100 stores and an auction site, shopgoodwill.com®, which help fund direct services for millions of people each year, resulting in positive social and environmental outcomes for the global community.

To view the complete list of companies and organizations featured in the 2016 Brand World Value Index, visit enso.co/worldvalue.

About Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 164 community-based organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's top 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,100 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com^®. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, Goodwill placed 312,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills. To learn more, visit goodwill.org.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

About enso

At enso, our mission is to create value for the world by connecting brands and people with mission-driven creativity. We develop strategy, creative, and community activation for brands like Google, Khan Academy, Medium and Omidyar Network. What unites our work is a philosophy on where the world is heading, and what that means for brands. We've always been interested in helping brands add value their bottom line and to the world. The Brand World Value Index, released in May of 2016, explores a new way to measure brand value—specifically which brands people see as most valuable and are most motivated to support. For more information, visit enso.co.

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International