When organizations think about their philanthropic efforts, it’s often in isolation from the rest of their organization. It’s something they want to do (maybe even something they passionately want to do), and they might think of it as an opportunity to prove to the world that they’re a caring company. But few organizations view their charitable contributions of time and money as proof points of their brand purpose (if they’ve even defined their brand purpose).
And I must admit that for most of my career, I’ve done the same. I was always passionate about my work and helping our clients achieve their goals, and I was passionate about my commitments to the charities and causes that I support with my time and money. However, I seldom allowed the two worlds to intermingle.
The walls between these two worlds started breaking down a few years ago when I worked with my good friend, Jessica Krauser, to start the 5KforJK – a local nonprofit that helps provide education, resources, and services to people living with Parkinson’s disease. In addition to dedicating my own time and resources to this event and cause, I also committed the time and skills of our team at PRISM Marketing. If it didn’t become part of who we are, 5KforJK at least became a part of what we do.
Only recently have I (with the help of other PRISM team members and a handful of advisors, mentors, clients, and friends) started putting some structure to this integration of our business and this desire for greater good. And we’ve come to the decision that this integration shouldn’t simply be something we do, but also something we help our clients do.
All the research shows that brands who have a clearly defined purpose and who overtly communicate the causes they support, experience higher employee engagement and increased customer loyalty, oh and greater profits! Plus, they do more good for the world around them.
As we have been looking at the best ways to integrate these two worlds (“good marketing” and “the greater good”) for the betterment of our brand, our clients’ brands, our clients’ customers, and the world around us, we’ve looked very specifically at the role philanthropy plays. And we know it’s an important role, but probably not the be-all-end-all of purpose-driven marketing. We believe it’s a proof point – and for many brands, probably a crucial proof point.
Your charitable giving is evidence of your brand purpose. The time you allocate for community engagement is proof that you’re living your brand. But so is the way you treat your employees and customers. So are your sourcing policies. So is your product mix. So are the other brands you associate with. So are the posts you put on social media. So are the stories of team members going the extra mile to help your clients. So is the way you answer the phone and respond to customer complaints. So is pretty much everything.
It’s all connected. And when it’s done correctly, it’s all integrated in a way that helps your brand, helps your customers, and helps the world. What else could you ask for?
Michelle Adams
President + Founder PRISM Marketing | Co-Founder 5KforJK
