Are you Doing Well by Doing Good?
From the Body Shop to Trader Joes, companies across the world are getting the hang of doing well by doing good. There’s never been a better time to do so. On the one hand, the recession, international price-led competition and regulation and taxes all make doing business in 2010 difficult.
But on the other, research shows that 75% of Generation Y’ers say they might change brands based on ethical factors. These 10-24 years olds care greatly about ethical causes, particularly the environment.
You might ask what this has to do with the business you are in. I am in the business skill training business – not much to do with the environment. But we have found a way to prospect for new clients using the environment as a hook. It’s working well for us, so I won’t be broadcasting the nature (pun intended, sorry!) of our approach to our competitors just yet. But I do suggest you consider ethical issues, and the environment in particular, when you draw up your marketing plans.
Kieran Bird
May 28th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Very interesting blog – this is a facinating and developing focus area.
Anne Lise Kjaer, leading futurist, (www.kjaer-global.com) has very well developed concepts around this whole area.
People think of Environmental issues as simply the whole “green” thing and saving the earth. It has seeped into a wider consiousness.
Opportunistic and copycat environmental concerns are oftern easily spotted – green concerns are about more than the physical environment. It is the QUALITY of our shared environments which is the key issue, and the lives we live within our environment globally and individually.
Bill Gates talked recently about ” Giving being the new having” Billantrophy will be growing – just watch.
GNP will be assessed in the future as Gross National Happiness – it is already a serious yardstick.
The best Global companies are striving to become “Glocal” – global products in local markets. See the success of the products of the craft movement through a site like etsy. putting local products on a global stage.
Every brand needs a story to tell – we all need to be good story tellers. We all love good stories.
So “environmental” is only the handle on the door to opportunity. What’s YOUR story.
Denis Meehan Director CREO Marketing Support Consultancy Services.