Regardless of your industry, giving back is important. We can all agree that helping those in need is the right thing to do. Making a difference matters, which is why most successful brands are doing their best to speak directly to this widely held consumer value.
Competition in nearly every industry is fierce. By helping your consumers support a cause they feel passionate about while purchasing your products, you create a connection. Truly advocating for a cause and building involvement can also attract new customers.
When you show giving back matters to your brand, you not only increase your exposure, but you also build trust with consumers. The inclusion of these values in your brand identity is essential to success. There is no better time than the present to evolve your company into the value-focused brand your consumers are craving.
Take a look at some of the brands the Talient Action team has identified as having great social good campaigns. Use them to inspire your own transformation.
Everyone loves a new pair of Bombas socks and with the tagline, Bee Better, their philanthropy is impossible to ignore. For every pair of socks purchased, Bombas donates a pair to a homeless shelter. Socks are one of the highest items in demand at homeless shelters. Since their start, Bombas has donated nearly 19,000,000 pairs. Their social good is two-fold, not only do they actively donate their products to shelters, they also help bring awareness to the needs of homeless shelters.
Love Your Melon’s trendy hats can be seen on the heads of people all over the world and style isn’t the only reason why. When people purchase a beanie from Love Your Melon, they feel like they’re making a difference. 50% of all net profits from Love Your Melon go directly to their nonprofit partners who help to fight pediatric cancer. Additionally, Love Your Melon also actively distributes their hats to children facing the disease. Since their start, they have donated $6,184,565 and 160,524 beanies to children in thousands of hospitals across the country. Love Your Melon doesn’t stop their social good there though, they have funded countless programs built to support the families of these pediatric cancer patients.
Following the tragic aftermath of natural disasters, Budweiser refocuses their beer making efforts into canning and distributing thousands of cans of clean water. Most recently, in 2017, they halted the manufacturing of beer, to bottle well over 155,000 cans of fresh water for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Historically, Budweiser has donated over 76 million cans of drinking water. These cans are sent to places such as Flint, Michigan following their water crisis and throughout the state of California in the aftermath of their wildfires. In the Super Bowl following Hurricane Harvey, Budweiser shared a commercial highlighting the impact of their donated water and more importantly, how their employees were able to make a difference throughout the country. This type of selflessness is a side of large companies that is rarely seen but not easily forgotten by consumers.
Walmart’s recent “Associate, Thank You” commercial took a slightly different approach by highlighting all the good their employees have done individually while on the job. From helping mothers give birth in their stores to painting the nails of a customer with a disability, some of their associates have gone above and beyond their job descriptions, and Walmart wanted to thank them and encourage others to do the same by “Sparking Kindness.” This sort of messaging is highly effective because it perpetuates a culture of giving back. Their commercial is the epitome of a “feel-good” commercial, and will hopefully help create a sense of generosity that carries on far beyond their stores.
As our culture places more value on transparency and social justice, social good campaigns will only become more valuable and effective. For your next marketing campaign, consider some of the ways in which you could help others and how, this generosity could benefit your brand in the long run.
This article was originally published by wedü, a sister-company of TAG.