Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2011 version)

Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts

by Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice
 

Abstract

Trucost provided corporate environmental performance data and analysis to institutional investors and corporate managers, but after operating for a decade had yet to achieve profitability. Trucost was struggling to effectively differentiate its high quality products from its lower-cost competitors, and needed to develop a strategy to educate the marketplace and pursue new distribution channels. Increased investor interest in environmental issues—and an ever growing number of corporate environmental rankings—led to a proliferation of competitors to Trucost, and an industry shakeout was predicted. How should Trucost compete?

Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Distribution Channels; Investment; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Information; Value; Environmental Sustainability; Financial Services Industry;

Language: English Format: Print 23 pages Purchase

Citation:

Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts." Harvard Business School Case 612-025, February 2013. (Revised from original September 2011 version.)

Related Work

  1. Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2011 version)

    Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts

    Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

    Trucost provided corporate environmental performance data and analysis to institutional investors and corporate managers, but after operating for a decade had yet to achieve profitability. Trucost was struggling to effectively differentiate its high quality products from its lower-cost competitors, and needed to develop a strategy to educate the marketplace and pursue new distribution channels. Increased investor interest in environmental issues—and an ever growing number of corporate environmental rankings—led to a proliferation of competitors to Trucost, and an industry shakeout was predicted. How should Trucost compete?

    Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Distribution Channels; Investment; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Information; Value; Environmental Sustainability; Financial Services Industry;

    Citation:

    Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts." Harvard Business School Case 612-025, February 2013. (Revised from original September 2011 version.)
    CiteView DetailsPurchase Related

About the Author

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Michael W. Toffel
Associate Professor of Business Administration, Marvin Bower Fellow
Technology and Operations Management

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