How to Prove A Brand is Socially Responsible

Now, more than ever, people care deeply about the ethics and values of the businesses they support. But how do you prove a brand is socially responsible?

Many customers buy specifically from companies they know are socially responsible. That means people approve of the way a brand is handling social and ethical issues throughout our nation and world. One of our many responsibilities at Point Taken is making sure customers are incorporating social responsibility into their marketing and communications strategies.

Built In says first, you have to make sure that you take social responsibility seriously. You don’t want it to look like you are deliberately trying to be socially responsible, as that could come off as insincere. Understanding the social topics relatable and important to your customer base is a good way to become aware of the issues that affect your customer base. Of course, your company stakeholders also need to have the same views on these hot-button issues to be truly socially responsible. 

Engage with local organizations, Built In says. Many times smaller, local companies stand out more because of their involvement with local nonprofit organizations that have connections to people in the community and are doing work to better your city. This can also connect you with more people from different backgrounds, broadening your understanding of the importance of social responsibility.

This may sound like a no-brainer, but The Visual Communication Guy says to recycle! If you are the business owner or manager, don’t be the only one at the office recycling – encourage your entire team to recycle. We know it isn’t always inexpensive to recycle in commercial buildings, but the social capital could outweigh the recycling cost. Even if you’re not frequently talking about the importance of recycling and why your company does it, just seeing the recycle bins could be a sign to employees and customers that your brand is committed to doing your part for the environment.

You can also prove a brand is socially responsible by implementing cause-related marketing, Cause-related marketing involves making your customers aware of a cause that is important to your business. Whether your customers relate or not, they at least will see that you have something you are passionate about outside of your business. The University of Connecticut reminds us of reasons why some companies practice cause-related marketing:

–       To gain new customers

–       To increase sales

–       To improve brand image and loyalty

–       To increase employee morale

–       To raise awareness for the cause.

At Point Taken, we are constantly engaging in conversations to make sure we are staying socially aware and responsible. If you need ideas to improve the way your clients and the community view you when it comes to being socially responsible, we have a team of experts ready to work with you.