by Leah Bury
DON’T Expect Your Cause to Sell Your Product
The idea of “doing good” is a lot more pervasive now in the mind of consumers, and 60% of shoppers now prioritize “conscious shopping.” A good cause is great, but it is still important to provide a viable, competitive product.
Think: Warby Parker. They have reached high levels of success as a quality, fashionable eyewear brand- what some people do not realize is that they have social impact woven into their business model.
DO Make It Easy for Interested Consumers to Understand Your Mission & Impact
Purpose can be puzzling. Many businesses claim to be doing good, but don’t always explain how or why, leaving consumers in the dark. The more this continues to happen, the more jaded customers will become to claims of do-gooding by businesses and social enterprises alike. Thus, mission and impact don’t have to be shoved in a customer’s face right off the bat, but they should be easily accessible and clearly defined in a way that customers can understand.
DON’T Sensationalize or Capitalize on “Pity Marketing”
We’ve all seen it- the ads featuring impoverished children in third-world countries looking helpless, followed by a request for money. While these causes may be all good and well, the basis of marketing a social enterprise should not be guilting consumers to get involved. Social enterprises are focused on empowering people, not on giving them hand-outs. Thus, any people you aim to impact with social enterprise should not be portrayed as weak or incapable solely to incentivize others to open their purses out of guilt.
DO Incorporate Passion and Spread the Knowledge
With the rise of successful social enterprises, there is a great opportunity for the wider public to begin to understand the potential power that business has to impact society. Thus, social enterprises should consider it a part of their mission to educate the public through marketing efforts. Allowing passion for the cause to show and promoting a deeper understanding of social enterprises will generate trust amongst consumers and allow for deeper impact.
