“The brand rises by lifting society.”
It is society and the people who convert your dreams into a brand. Giving back a portion of the sales or donating a product for every purchase towards the betterment of the society will earn you greater reward, in the books and outside as well.
However philosophical or philanthropic it may sound. it’s a Universal law that what you give, comes back to you abundantly. This is equally true for brands just as it is for humans. Giving has always been connected to receiving more. Goodness will attract goodness. However, this doesn’t imply that brands shouldn’t make a hefty profit; this doesn’t imply that brands go for donating instead of reinvesting profits. No. The brand must be proud to make huge profits and even proud to use that profit for further diversification of the business. However, creating a sense of trust and long-lasting relationships with people is crucial for sustained business in this competitive market.
For instance: There are two brands selling almost identical ‘ergo chairs’ at just the same price. For every 8 chairs it sells, Brand A claims to donate 1 chair to the underprivileged section of the society and Brand B doesn’t claim to do any such activity. Who would you choose? We know!
If you, as a brand, could figure how to share a percentage of your sale proceeds with that part of the society which either you personally care for or one that the general public really cares for, you are likely to get more brand attention than otherwise.
Giving a percentage of your revenue or sales is a solid way to bring about the kind of marketing which steals hearts. Right now is the best time to devise a smart brand strategy design that makes your brand look more attractive by doing acts of kindness. Remember: 80% of consumers think from the heart and below are a few brand strategy guidelines you could deploy for maximum results!
Offering an opportunity to do a good deed
A large chunk of consumers make decisions based on their subconscious mind and doing a good deed makes them naturally happy! They feel joyous and proud to have shelled out their money for a cause, even better when it’s a cause they personally intensely care for.
The tagline “Buy One, Give One (BOGO)” is being popularly used across the Gulf market to entice large consumer sections who are excited to donate to a cause. No wonder it has worked in the benefit of the brands given that UAE is considered to have the most generous and empathetic shoppers in the world placing others’ needs before theirs. Under the BOGO scheme, when one product is bought, the brand donates one product to society. In this case, of course, it is safe to include the cost of the free product in the purchase price!
Aldo UAE partnered with Red Crescent for a unique charity initiative called #AldoSolemates in 2016 at the world’s biggest Aldo store at the Dubai Festival City Mall. They asked people to donate their usable pair of old shoes and in return they would get a new pair of Aldo shoes. Needless to say, the 2-hour event was a phenomenal success! Everyone who donated a pair were also offered a flat 50% discount on their New Fall Collection. With the help of Red Crescent, Aldo managed to distribute those donated pairs to those in real need of shoes, thereby creating actual benefit in society, ultimately winning trust and even greater loyalty. This campaign not only helped them increase the footfall in the store but also increased the sales of their new collection.
If donating to a cause doesn’t resonate with your values, it’s not the end of the road. There are still more possibilities. Another great alternative is to market yourself as a brand which is nature-loving and produces cruelty-free products or operates in a more eco-friendly way than its peers. Branding plays a crucial role in conveying this message. If you want to portray yourself as a nature-conscious company in the very first interaction with the consumer, using craft paper or recyclable packaging with appropriate design is a great option! A conscious consumer always focuses on the details so why not use that in our favour.
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Yet another thoughtful alternative is to hire the underprivileged, deprived, impaired or handicapped and share it with people via strategic packaging content, or your website and different social media channels, etc. Spreading the word about your good deeds on all touch points would create a brand aura, strengthening trust and reducing chances of people doubting your intentions.
Spread Cheer And Surprise The World
Surprise them with something extra. Send them something apart from the product they have ordered. Sending an unexpected small surprise can make a big difference. For instance: During its initial years, Online Food Delivery brand Swiggy, sent out a complimentary dessert with each of its food orders. It worked! The extra delight and surprise element increased curiosity and incentive to choose Swiggy over other food delivery apps.
Product Remains the King
All said, the customer can be called emotion-driven but not unwise. The cause may make him buy once but if the product fails to satisfy, the future sales aren’t coming, no matter how much the brand is helping a cause. Hence, the cause just compliments a good product. It cannot continuously sell a not-so-good product.
The idea is to think unselfishly and really understand why people need your product at the time of its launch and in the longer run. Once the product’s purpose is found out, attaching a cause to it makes it a magic ingredient for success! The next step is to showcase your intentions in all its glory on the product’s packaging with smart tools such as packaging guidelines, prescribed keylines, etc.
There is always one way or another to differentiate your brand with the payback mechanism and sharing your actions with the world strategically is even more crucial. Just as a new product launch, this also requires the help of branding and creative agencies if you really want to make a connection and reap its benefits. The bottomline is that any alternative you may choose to give back, it is not just for show, but should offer the feel-good factor to the customers and actually benefit society, in one way or another.
If you have been planning to bring a social twist to your already existing brand or start a new brand with a formidable cause that attracts consumers, now is the time to get started. Furthermore, if you are looking for logo redesign, website redesign, refreshed messaging, or a complete brand makeover, it’s time you get in touch with professional branding agencies like Vowels to make your vision come true. We specialize in brand consultancy, strategy, brand guidelines, CI manual, brand presentation, and corporate branding.
