This month we have been talking about social responsibility and why you should be implementing it as part of your brand and marketing strategy. But why should you care about social responsibility in the first place? 90% of shoppers are more likely to be loyal to brands that take their prosocial objectives seriously and 94% of Generation Z believe companies should be socially responsible. This means it is likely your audience cares about your social responsibility policy.
A great way to study corporate social responsibility and decide how you can implement it in your own business is to look at other companies. Here are our top picks of socially responsible brands and what they have in common that makes their CSR policies a successful part of their brand.
Levi Strauss & Co
Levis Strauss & Co are the parent company of Levis, the popular clothing brand. They have a ‘Profits through Principles’ approach and show they are making genuine investments in communities and social change. They also have their own charity – a foundation that pioneers social change in the areas of HIV/AIDS, worker rights, worker well-being and social justice.
Patagonia
Patagonia speaks out about the impact of fast fashion, the climate crisis and greenwashing. Their sustainability initiative includes: using recycled materials, organically grown cotton, investing in sustainable alternatives, and a ‘Worn Wear’ programme. They make it a priority to minimise their impact on the environment and are open about the impact they do have.
Toms
Toms have made a commitment to investing 1/3 of their profits for ‘grassroots good’. The money will be used for causes such as: promoting mental health; increasing access to opportunity; and ending gun violence. Previously, they had a ‘one for one’ policy in which for each pair of shoes that were purchased, another pair would be donated to those in need. Both their current and previous policy make a huge commitment to helping others and show the company is willing to take genuine action.
What is it that makes these brands have in common?
The defining factor that connects these brands and makes for a great social responsibility policy is taking action. Each of these businesses is actively doing things to help the causes they care about. Many brands talk about caring about the environment but when you look at what they are actually doing to combat their environmental impact you learn their words are empty.
What other things make a socially responsible brand?
Being open about your impact on the environment
Another thing these brands have in common is they are open about what impact they do have on the environment. This shows the transparency and honesty of the brand.
Putting people over profit
These brands all show they care about people over profit, this is shown by impeccable workers’ rights, paying a fair wage and making charitable donations.
Make your values part of your brand
This may be one your company is doing already – your values as a person will have an impact on the values of your business but if you look at the examples above, their values are at the forefront of their brand.
The number one takeaway here is if you want social responsibility to be part of your brand you need to be social responsible instead of just talking about it. If you want help crafting your brand and sharing it with the world in the digital space – get in touch today.
