Why Social Impact Is Important For Brands Now More Than Ever
So far, 2020 has been the year of change. With the pandemic, the majority of companies were forced to change the way they conduct business, as well as figure out ways to create a sense of community amongst their employees and customers during quarantine. Now, many brands are being challenged by the public to confront the injustices of systemic racism that has been woven into our society for centuries. Brands like Ben & Jerry’s have taken a powerful stance and are showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement not only by releasing a statement on their website, but by also taking productive and ongoing action as an ally by outlining the steps that they as a company as well as their customers can take in order to continue to support the movement and make the necessary changes for a better future. Not to mention, numerous corporations such as consumer packaged goods company Unilever are also halting paid social ads on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram until the end of the year, in hopes that Facebook will double down on prohibiting hate speech and the spread of misinformation on its social network.
According to the 2018 Survey of Young People and Social Change, nearly half of respondents said it’s important for brands to have social change initiatives that their customers can be a part of.
Although social justice issues can be uncomfortable topics to speak on, brands and corporations have a responsibility to educate themselves, speak up, and use their resources to help combat these issues for the greater good of society at large. Now more than ever, consumers are paying closer attention to the brands that they support and are looking to vote with their dollars based upon the brand’s social impact. In fact, here are some stats on why social impact plays a crucial role for brands and corporations:
Americans are motivated to buy from brands with a strong purpose. According to the 2018 Cone/Porter Novelli Purpose Study, 88% of Americans would buy a product from a Purpose-driven company and 66% would switch from a product they typically buy to a new product from a Purpose-driven company.
Americans want to be involved in social change. According to the 2018 Survey of Young People and Social Change, nearly half of respondents say it’s important for a company or brand to have social change initiatives that consumers can be a part of.
A brand’s purpose can help them grow. According to Kantar Consulting’s new Purpose 2020 report, brands with a high sense of purpose have experienced a brand valuation increase of 175% over the past 12 years, compared to the median growth rate of 86% and the 70% growth rate for brands with a low sense of purpose.
If you’re a brand that has launched a campaign in the last 24 months or implemented a social strategy that has either empowered others, brought awareness to an important cause and/or driven a social impact cause forward, you should then consider applying to the Be More Awards. The Be More Awards recognizes companies and individuals who think outside of the box for their social media strategy and aim to bring positivity in the world with each post, comment, share, and campaign. Here are the award categories for brands who wish to submit their previous work for consideration:
Best Social Pivot
The Beacon Award
The Problem Solver
Best Impact Video
Best Social Impact Campaign
Most Bold & Boundary Pushing
Best Charity Partnership
Most Creative Use of Hashtags
Best in Storytelling
10. The Challenger Award
11. Most Transparent & Authentic
12. Brand Activist of The Year
If you’re interested in learning more about the categories listed above, please click here. To apply to be considered for an award, you can fill out the form here.
To win a Be More Award is to be recognized among the best of the best in social good, empowerment, advocacy, brand activism, and community engagement.
“Social media has been a huge factor in amplifying consumer voices and giving this generation more power than ever to demand more from the companies they engage with,” said Jessi Greenlee, CEO and founder of The Good Impact Network. “Thanks to social media, the pressure consumers put on companies to engage with social causes and stand for something more than revenue has led to a new age of corporate social responsibility characterized by creativity, innovation, and brand activism. At Be More, we are aware of social media’s capacity for spreading the good, the bad, and the ugly so we wanted to find a way that not only recognizes, but celebrates the modern shift towards empowerment, advocacy, and inclusivity. The Be More Social Media Awards do just that: celebrate companies, individuals and charitable organizations that are using their platforms to amplify positive change in our world,” Greenlee added.
To win a Be More Award is to be recognized among the best of the best in social good, empowerment, advocacy, brand activism, and community engagement.
If you have any questions regarding award submission or if you’d like to sponsor the awards, please feel free to reach out to us at outreach@bemorecampaign.com.