As summer turns into fall and you focus on business planning for 2013, are programs that help the communities in which you do business included? If not, they should be.
According to a recent Nielsen study when a company becomes socially conscious it helps the bottom line. Almost half of global online consumers who responded to the survey said they’d be willing to pay more for goods and services from companies that are giving back. You can read about it here.
This is not a new concept. The Body Shop, Starbucks Coffee and Kenneth Cole are just a few examples of companies which have successfully incorporated social responsibility into their culture.
We’ve worked on many cause marketing types of projects over the years. The thing is that now more than ever, socially responsible products resonate with consumers both young and older. People are opting for brands and services that are making a difference and are also choosing to work at firms that give back. As explained in this AP story, more baby boomers aspire to careers that provide meaningful work or they are including a social purpose into their own entrepreneurial companies.
I’ve recently read about two new interesting initiatives scheduled for this month and next which are designed to engage consumers and do good on the local level. They are highlighted below:
One new initiative to help feed hungry Americans this fall is Run 10 Feed 10. The partners are Unilever, Women’s Health magazine, The FEED Foundation and Crowdrise as reported in The New York Times this summer. Each person who registers to run in races to be held in New York and 10 other cities from September 23 through October 13, will help feed those in need in the runner’s local community.
Another is from the American clothing retailer Eileen Fisher which is committed to social purpose and invests in women’s issues by supporting various nonprofits. This weekend, on Saturday, September 15, Eileen Fisher will hold a LIVE LIFE LOCAL event at 175 local specialty stores with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Girl Talk, a national peer-to-peer mentoring program.
So by working up a sweat during a 10K or with the purchase of a new fall sweater we can help others thanks to these worthwhile partnerships – it’s all good!
{image by Ben Hung; iStockphoto}