The Five Principles


At Mars, we share special values about our company and the way it should be run. These values - The Five Principles - are the cornerstone of our culture and they set us apart from others, requiring us to think and act differently towards our Associates, our brands, our consumers, our environment, our suppliers, and our business.

At a time when change is constant, and in a business that is continually evolving, The Five Principles provide a link with our traditions and a bridge into the future.

Quality

The consumer is our boss, quality is our work and value for money is our goal.

Our company is dedicated to the highest quality in all the work we do. Quality is the uncompromising standard for our actions, and it flows from our passion and our pride in being part of the Mars community. Quality work, which results from our personal efforts, is the first ingredient of quality brands and the source of our reputation for high standards.

Responsibility

As individuals, we demand total responsibility from ourselves; as Associates, we support the responsibility of others.

We choose to be different from those businesses where many levels of management dilute personal responsibility. All Associates are asked to take direct responsibility for results, to exercise initiative and judgment and to make decisions as required. By recruiting ethical people well suited to their jobs and trusting them, we ask Associates to be accountable for their own high standards.

Mutuality

A mutual benefit is a shared benefit; a shared benefit will endure.

We believe the standard by which our business relationships should be measured is the degree to which mutual benefits are created. These benefits can take many different forms, and need not be strictly financial in nature. Likewise, whilst we must try to achieve the most competitive terms, the actions of Mars should never be at the expense, economic or otherwise, of others with whom we work.

Efficiency

We use resources to the full, waste nothing, and only do what we can do best.

How is it possible to maintain our principles, offering superior value for money and sharing our success? Our strength lies in our efficiency, the ability to organise all our assets - physical, financial and human - for maximum productivity. In this way, our products and services are made and delivered with the highest quality, at the least possible cost, with the lowest consumption of resources; similarly, we seek to manage all our business operations with the most efficient process for decision making.

Freedom

We need freedom to shape our future; we need profit to remain free.

Mars is one of the world's largest family owned corporations. This family ownership is a deliberate choice. Many other companies began as Mars did, but as they grew larger and required more sources of funds, they sold stocks or incurred restrictive debt to fuel their business. To extend their growth, they exchanged a portion of their freedom. We believe growth and prosperity can be achieved another way.