03 Aug 2020

What Is Social Good?

In general terms, social good is an activity that aims to help the greatest number of people in the greatest possible way. It implies a positive societal impact; this could be helping to make healthcare and education readily available to everyone, or taking action in the fight against climate change. Consumers can often feel helpless in the fight to address so many world challenges, but one way in which society exercises their power and voice is through the products they buy and the services they use. With 88% of consumers wanting brands to help them make a difference, brands, therefore, have the power to make a conscious commitment towards making the world a better place.

How businesses can incorporate “social good” into their activities

What is social good within for-profits?

To appeal to the conscious consumer, companies should consider how they adapt their services or product and operations to a business model that supports economic needs and does good. Social good through your product One way in which for-profits can work towards social good is through the products or services they provide; for example, according to one study, 60% of Millennials will pay more for environmentally sustainable products. Ocean Bottle takes ocean-bound plastic and upcycles it into reusable drinking bottles. Not only does the bottle itself avoid adding to ocean plastics, but, with every bottle purchase, Ocean Bottle funds the collection of 11.4kg of ocean-bound plastic, equivalent to 1000 plastic bottles as well as investing in people-powered waste management. Locals in coastal communities are able to collect plastic waste and exchange it for money, healthcare, tech products, school tuition and micro-finance at their local Plastic Bank. By 2025 Ocean Bottle aims to collect 80million kgs of plastic which is equivalent to 7 billion plastic bottles. Ocean Bottle’s impact shows how brands can play their role in serving society through a business model that is not only profitable but also supports social good initiatives.

Social good through your operations It is also just as valuable to apply social good to your operations, whether this is through the fair treatment of your staff or more sustainable supply chains. Chocolate manufacturer Tony’s Chocoloney is a great example of social good being applied to the community that supports it. With a mission to work towards a 100% slave free chocolate and counter existing exploitation in cocoa farming, Tony’s Chocoloney pays a premium on top of that already paid by Fairtrade to provide farmers with a liveable income.

Using campaigns for social good

Many consumers are very receptive to messaging around social good; 96% of people feel their own actions can make a difference and want to do more to help. At the same time, brands are given a platform to speak to millions of consumers every day. This opens the door for brands to play their role in helping consumers make everyday differences through the communications platforms they own.Ariel’s ‘Do a Good Turn Campaign’ is an example of a major brand using it’s social power to create behavioural change. The campaign encouraged its customers to turn their washing machines to 30 degrees, in an effort to reduce energy consumption and combat climate change. According to its parent company P&G, the campaign increased the number of consumers washing on low-energy programs by up to five times. Similarly, denim manufacturer Levi’s responded to the water crisis in the Philipines through a social media campaign which told people: “Don’t Wash Your Jeans”.

However, it’s worth noting that social good shouldn’t be solely in the hands of the consumer. For example, it would be perhaps hypocritical for a clothing brand to ask it’s consumers to change their behaviour to combat climate change, without sourcing its materials responsibly. Be prepared to look inwards at your own product and operations before supporting consumers in the changes they make.

The power of social

The popularity of social media has given a new meaning to the term ‘social good’. Using the rules of shareability and engagement on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, it’s easier than ever before for people to add their voice to a cause and create positive societal impact online and in real life. Using their owned and paid channels, brands have an opportunity to tap into this behaviour, connecting their consumers with their value set.For example, alternative milk drinks brand Oatly took to its social channels to encourage its consumers to engage in climate advocacy, through a petition which asked the Bundestag to make CO2e footprint food labels mandatory. A later post proved the success of the campaign, with 50,000 petition signatures, plus the backing of additional organisations. This illustrates how engaging your followers on social media can really get results, particularly if what you’re campaigning for is linked to your social purpose too.

Setting out clear social actions can be really useful in gaining momentum for a cause or initiative. Brands and consumers must also remember that the conversation should be taken offline too, and whilst sharing on social is important, we must always consider how that action applies offline. In the world of social, slacktivism and clicktivism can become too easy for both brands and consumers, so it’s essential that social good connects to a brand’s core purpose.

If you’d like to learn more about social good and how to incorporate it into advertising