How accountable should branded-goods companies be for activities in their value chains, even those that they do not directly control? As more NGOs target big branded companies with "brand mail" to raise awareness of key social issues, and as activism rises amongst key consumer groups, boards and senior managers spend more of their time on issues of "value chain accountability" or "sustainable supply chains." The sophistication of NGOs and consumer groups appears to be growing: Increasingly, they target big brands as a way to define and resolve global social issues.