--- bcp_version: "1.0" file_type: boundaries parent: https://registry.brandcontextprotocol.dev/hero-group-494ab444/.well-known/brand.md last_updated: 2026-09-25 --- # Boundaries This file is the primary reference for brand-safety agents, vendor platforms, and any partner generating content on behalf of Hero Group. All hard nos are absolute with no contextual exceptions. Soft nos require human judgment before proceeding. ## Hard nos These are absolute. No exceptions, no contextual allowances. ```yaml hard_no: - item: > Never frame infant formula as equal to or superior to breastfeeding. Never use promotional language that positions formula as a preferred alternative to breast milk. This applies to all Hero baby brands (Hero Baby, Semper, Sunval, Organix infant range, Beech-Nut). Mandated public stance: "Breastfeeding is best for your baby." tier: core regulatory_basis: WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes - item: > Never offer pediatric or infant medical advice. Do not diagnose conditions (colic, reflux, milk allergies, weight gain concerns) or prescribe feeding regimens. Redirect all infant health inquiries to a qualified pediatrician or midwife without exception. tier: core regulatory_basis: WHO Code; general medical liability - item: > Never market complementary infant foods or juices as suitable for infants under six months, or under any other legally or clinically mandated age limit for a given SKU and market, unless the product label explicitly permits earlier use under local health regulations. tier: core regulatory_basis: EU and local statutory food-for-infants regulations - item: > Never target marketing communications or advertising at children under six years old. Hero Group's Code of Conduct explicitly forbids this across all brands and channels. tier: core regulatory_basis: Hero Group Code of Conduct - item: > Never describe Hero Group as a whole as "B Corp Certified." B Corp status belongs to specific operating entities only: Organix (UK and Ireland), erdbär / Freche Freunde (Germany), and Baby Gourmet (Canada). Use entity-level attribution only, e.g., "Produced by Organix, a Certified B Corporation™." B Corp is a company certification, not a product certification; never label an individual product SKU as "B Corp certified." tier: core regulatory_basis: B Lab brand standards and B Corp certification scope rules - item: > Never use vague green descriptors without specific metrics: "eco-friendly," "planet-positive," "planet-friendly," "green," "the greenest snack company," or equivalent undefined environmental claims are strictly banned. tier: core regulatory_basis: EU Green Claims Directive; B Lab trademark standards - item: > Never state or imply that Hero Group has achieved net-zero or climate-positive status as a current reality. Frame all climate goals strictly as future targets, e.g., "Committed to reaching net-zero value chain emissions by 2050 under SBTi-validated pathways" and "46.2% Scope 1 and 2 reduction target by 2030." tier: core regulatory_basis: EU Green Claims Directive; CSRD greenwashing prohibitions - item: > Never make direct named competitor attacks or generic nutritional or health superiority claims against competitors, e.g., "healthier than Brand X" or "better for you than competitors." tier: core regulatory_basis: EU comparative advertising regulations; Hero fair competition policy - item: > Never make unauthorized therapeutic or disease-prevention claims, e.g., "boosts immunity to prevent illness," "cures toddler digestive issues." All health claims must use pre-approved, scientifically backed phrasing under EFSA (EU) or FDA (US) rules. tier: core regulatory_basis: EFSA health claims regulation (EU); FDA rules (US) - item: > Never claim absolute purity or zero risk without explicit quality-assurance sign-off for the specific SKU and market, e.g., "(as of 2024) 100% allergen-free" or "zero chemical exposure." tier: core - item: > Never make superlative sustainability claims without a verified standard, e.g., "most sustainable snack brand in Europe" or "first/best in class" for sustainability, where no recognized framework confirms the claim across all FMCG competitors. tier: core regulatory_basis: EU Green Claims Directive; B Lab brand standards - item: > Never comment on unannounced M&A activity, non-public financial performance, or forward-looking earnings guidance. Escalate immediately to Hero Corporate Communications (communications@hero.ch). tier: core regulatory_basis: Securities law; material non-public information rules - item: > Never respond to product recall inquiries, food safety incidents, or quality contamination reports without using a legal-approved crisis statement. Do not improvise crisis communications. Escalate immediately to Hero Corporate Communications. tier: core - item: > Never make statements about supply chain disputes, agricultural supplier litigation, or labor practice lawsuits. Escalate to Hero Corporate Communications and Legal. tier: core - item: > Never encourage overconsumption. Represent all Hero products strictly in portion-appropriate contexts. tier: core regulatory_basis: Hero Group internal policy; EU food marketing standards ``` ## Soft nos These are judgment calls. Context determines appropriateness. ```yaml soft_no: - item: > Discussing unconfirmed M&A rumors or speculating on potential acquisition targets, even when sourced from public media. tier: default condition: > Acceptable only when referencing confirmed, publicly announced transactions using Hero Group press release language. - item: > Using playful or informal accent-font-style language ("Let's go nuts!", "Little bits of wonder") in corporate or institutional contexts such as investor communications, regulatory filings, or press releases. tier: default condition: > Informal, warm consumer language is appropriate for consumer-facing product copy and internal employee communications. It is not appropriate for corporate, financial, or regulatory contexts. - item: > Referencing specific Organix revenue figures (e.g., over £40m recorded in FY2023) or Deliciously Ella product volume milestones (100m+ products sold at time of acquisition, September 2024) without their temporal framing. tier: default condition: > These figures are cleared for public use only when framed with their as-of date and sourced context. Do not present them as current real-time performance data. Source: Hero Group acquisition announcement (September 2024) and Organix Brands Ltd UK Statutory Accounts (2023). - item: > Making claims about renewable electricity or other operational sustainability metrics without citing their verified as-of date and source. tier: default condition: > (as of 2024) 100% certified green electricity across all global manufacturing operations is a cleared claim as of 2024 (gaps in US, MEA, and Türkiye closed in 2024). Must cite Hero Group Annual and Sustainability Report for the relevant year. Do not forward-project without updated verification. - item: > Discussing Delicious Handrawn or informal brand accent elements in contexts requiring formal, regulatory, or investor-grade communications. tier: contextual context: channel=formal_corporate condition: Accent fonts and informal callout language are reserved for less formal materials only per Hero Group brand manual 2026. ``` ## Brand safety For vendor platforms, brand-safety tools, and DSPs. ```yaml brand_safety: adjacency_unsuitable: - "Infant formula promotion that contradicts WHO breastfeeding guidance (IAB 3.0: Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition)" - "Comparative advertising against named food competitors without substantiated, SKU-level clinical evidence" - "Greenwashing or unsubstantiated environmental claims (GARM Floor)" - "Content targeting children under six years old with commercial advertising (GARM Floor)" - "Adult content (GARM Floor)" - "Hate speech or discriminatory content (GARM Floor)" - "Violence or graphic conflict content (GARM Floor)" - "Illegal products or services (GARM Floor)" - "Misinformation or health misinformation, particularly infant or child nutrition misinformation" - "Crisis content: food recalls, contamination incidents, food safety scares" - "Financial speculation, insider trading, or non-public M&A discussion" - "Supply chain labor exploitation content" adjacency_acceptable: - "Family and parenting content aligned with honest, natural food values" - "Nature, outdoor, and sustainability content consistent with Hero's environmental commitments" - "Health and wellness content that does not conflict with EFSA or FDA health claim rules" - "B Corp and sustainable business editorial, provided entity-level B Corp attribution is preserved" - "FMCG and food industry trade content" - "Employee culture, DEI, and purpose-driven business content" adjacency_contextual: baby_and_toddler_editorial: rule: > Acceptable adjacent to editorial that supports informed parenting and pediatric nutrition guidance. Must not appear adjacent to content that promotes infant formula over breastfeeding or that offers unvetted pediatric medical advice. sustainability_and_climate_content: rule: > Acceptable adjacent to credible, science-based sustainability content. Must not appear adjacent to greenwashing campaigns, climate denial, or unsubstantiated environmental claims from any party. food_and_snacking_content: rule: > Acceptable adjacent to better-for-you snacking, natural food, and organic food editorial. Avoid adjacency to ultra-processed food promotion, junk food advertising targeting children, or content encouraging unhealthy eating habits. ``` ## Regulatory constraints ```yaml regulatory: framework: > WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes; EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation (FIC); EFSA health and nutrition claims regulation (EC 1924/2006); EU Comparative Advertising Directive (2006/114/EC); EU Green Claims Directive (in force); EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and ESRS; B Lab B Corp Certification Standards and brand usage rules; FDA food labeling and health claim rules (US); UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) BCAP and CAP Codes; Hero Group internal Code of Conduct. notes: > Infant and early childhood nutrition claims carry the highest regulatory exposure. The WHO Code prohibits promotion of breast-milk substitutes as superior to or a preferred alternative to breastfeeding. This prohibition applies globally regardless of local market variations. B Corp certification is entity-scoped: Organix (UK and Ireland), erdbär / Freche Freunde (Germany), and Baby Gourmet (Canada) only. All sustainability claims must cite explicit, verified metrics. Health claims must use pre-approved EFSA or FDA phrasing per SKU and market. Climate targets must be framed as future commitments, not achieved status. restricted_claims: > All health and nutrition claims require pre-approved, scientifically backed phrasing under EFSA (EU) or FDA (US) rules and must not exceed the scope of the approval for that specific SKU and market. All comparative advertising requires substantiated, head-to-head clinical or ingredient evidence per SKU before publication. All climate and sustainability claims must cite a specific verified metric, its as-of date, and its primary source (Hero Group Annual and Sustainability Report, SBTi Target Dashboard, or Hero Group Media Center press releases). Net-zero and climate-positive claims are restricted to future-target framing only. B Corp references require entity-level attribution and may not be applied to the Hero Group parent entity or to individual product SKUs. Any statement about non-public financial performance, unannounced M&A, or product safety incidents requires legal and Hero Corporate Communications review before publication. Contact for escalation: communications@hero.ch ```