DO BRANDS HAVE TO REALLY CARE?
It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown in this year – it feels like only yesterday we were all getting to grips with a new way of life, and all of a sudden we’re at the countdown to Christmas.
The festive period usually brings about a flurry of fundraising, charitable giving and CSR activity and, although I’m sure this year will be no different, it will top off a year which has seen social responsibility and community engagement – on a personal and brand level – take centre stage.
This is one of the central topics I was lucky enough to chat through during the fifth episode of Trust Me, I’m a Leader alongside Suzanne Lamont and our wonderful guest and marketing expert, Susie Logan of Royal London as we explored brands in the context of COVID.
Brands were quick to show they cared at the height of the pandemic, with seemingly open and transparent brand communications coming thick and fast into our inboxes, through full-page ads in newspapers and boosted social media posts. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never experienced such a close bond with the CEO of my local supermarket, thanks to a barrage of regular emails letting me know the team was ‘there for me’ no matter the circumstances.
And yes, whilst many of the big brands were making a big deal of things like hygiene, colleague wellbeing and customer care – things that should always be a priority, and a given – they were trying to show they cared. Because even though, as Susie points out, brand trust is at an all-time low, brands have never been keener to show some care – because caring brands appeal to customers, right?
That may not always be true. For every Timpson (whose pledge to dry-clean interview outfits for those made unemployed during the pandemic in a perfect show of strategically-suitable social responsibility), there are the seemingly big, bad brands like, for example, Boohoo.
During already challenging times, we were bombarded with stories of factory workers toiling for less than minimum wage and the most unsuitable of working conditions with regards to COVID-19. But, despite appearing the bad guy, the business hasn’t been hit where it hurts – its bottom line.
As Suzanne pointed out, Retail Gazette and other media chose to take aim at Boohoo’s young customer base, asking whether or not they would overlook this ‘modern slavery’ scandal and continue to spend on the fast-fashion the brand is famous for. But what the media overlooked was investors and shareholder returns – with ethical companies still retaining shares in Boohoo within their investment portfolios.
But if a brand seemingly doesn’t care, should investors make a stand and divest, or remain invested and try to make a difference; thus creating a more genuinely caring brand that does good and thrives even more than before? That’s an answer you may have to listen to us discuss.
But one thing is for sure: when brands do want to do good, and do genuinely care, their social strategy should be authentic, tied to their overall strategy and consistent with their belief system – even if at times, they risk polarising customer bases.
Brands are leaders in their fields, and they influence consumers, investors, shareholders and the media the way business leaders influence their teams internally. And don’t we all want to be led by those working for the greater good, especially during times like these?
LINKS:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trust-me-im-a-leader/id1535403275
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0CMyMS3lUAFY3kn9nWbbtT?si=xdYJBoKgRA641_YBjz4khA
Acast: https://play.acast.com/s/trust-me-im-a-leader
Website: www.thebiglight.com/trustmeimaleader