During the last decades the importance of sustainability has steadily increased and nowadays, sustainability is not only a governmental responsibility any more. Besides the concept of sus- tainability, the field of brand management has gained more relevance in the last decades as well. Today, companies invest large amounts of money in the development of their brands. Considering the increasing importance of both concepts, the question for a combination of these two concepts arises. As the potential of sustainability in the brand management research field is not exploited to date and the focus of such a combination is mainly on the operative part, this study developed the concept of Sustainable Strategic Brand Management. With a focus on the automobile industry a first step of a practical-based research is done. The main finding of this study is that automobile manufacturing companies integrate sustainability to different extents and manners in the seven steps of the strategic brand management process. Moreover, there are different levels and potentials for the integration of sustainability in the strategic brand management process. However, there is still potential and demand to improve the integration of sustainability in the strategic brand management process.
Every 2018 Accord is equipped with a green ECON button located on the center console near the shift lever. When the button is pushed to activate ECON mode, several operating characteristics of the vehicle are modified for enhanced fuel efficiency. The Drive-by-Wire throttle system provides more gradual response, and to save additional energy, the climate control's fan speeds are lowered incrementally and other climate control system characteristics are altered based on the conditions. Another push of the ECON button reverts all systems to their normal mode. Touring trims of the Honda Accord 1.5 and 2.0-liter models are available with SPORT mode, which is selectable via a button on the center console. SPORT mode alters a range of chassis features, including suspension dampers, steering assist level, Agile Handling Assist, as well as powertrain features, including Drive By Wire, shift mapping (with automatic transmission), and Active Sound Control (ASC). With SPORT mode selected, the Accord takes on a more aggressive, fun-to-drive edge.
Both turbocharged powerplants feature a direct-injection system that enables increased torque across the engine's full operating range along with higher fuel efficiency. The system features a compact, high-pressure, direct-injection pump that allows both high fuel flow and pulsation suppression, while variable pressure control optimizes injector operation. Multi-hole injectors deliver fuel directly into each cylinder (not to the intake port, as in conventional port fuel injection designs), allowing for more efficient combustion. The multi-hole injectors help create the ideal stoichiometric fuel/air mixture in the cylinders for good emissions control. Theoretically, a stoichiometric mixture has just enough air to completely burn the available fuel. Based on the operating conditions, the direct-injection system alters its function for best performance. Upon cold engine startup, fuel is injected into the cylinders on the compression stroke. This creates a weak stratified charge effect that improves engine start-up and reduces exhaust emissions before a normal operating temperature is reached.
