Build Your Brand's Social Impact Strategy

Photo by Mark König on Unsplash.

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed as if the worst of the pandemic was behind us. Our clients had returned to in-person events or were planning return-to-work events. Since then, the world has changed—again. What should corporate social responsibility leaders do?
 
Re-assess the Causes You Champion. Prior to the pandemic, companies may have restricted funds to certain programming; but as the pandemic continues, it may be time to release funds more freely. For example, as more educators report children falling behind in reading, grants that previously covered STEM subjects may want to be updated to cover all subject areas.
 
Re-evaluate Nonprofit Partners. Many nonprofits have pivoted their offerings to assist current needs. Determine whether the nonprofits that you’ve previously supported are offering programs that you want to invest in. If not, perhaps there’s a sister organization to support. It’s also a good time to assess whether you want to make donations to national or local organizations.

Determine How To Get Leadership Teams Involved. If you’re just beginning your social impact work, which has helped brands earn increased loyalty among consumers and employees alike, you’ll need to get your leadership team involved. They’ll need to answer important questions about why social impact work is necessary now, the ROI they expect to see, and how it will be integrated into the organization overall. 

Get Consumers and Employees Involved. Both consumers and employees are paying more attention to the brands they engage with. Getting these individuals involved in your social impact efforts can show them that you're dedicated to "walking the talk" when it comes to social impact and not just paying lip service to it. 

How does this work? In the past, companies have hosted large activations where consumers earn tickets to concerts by volunteering for four hours. Consumers are also often invited to participate in brands' matching giving campaigns. From an employee perspective, we've hosted volunteer events in virtual, in-person, or hybrid environments. Employees may also be able to participate in matching grants or “Dollars for Doers” programs.

Measure Your Success. In addition to helping your team build its social impact strategy, our team will also help you determine your existing benchmarks and measures of success. If you’re new to social impact work, this could include metrics around the launch of your social impact program or your first CSR Report. It could also include information on a percentage increase in employee participation in volunteering or giving.

Finally, thanks to SocialMarks, our new technology platform, we can also evaluate how your social impact work improves your ESG rankings among your industry peers.

Are you ready to begin your social impact journey? Let’s chat.