Virtue Signalling vs True Generosity: Does It Matter?

It’s an interesting conversation to have. Consumers are expecting more from businesses than ever — 78% of consumers think it’s crucial brands have a positive impact on society.

Yet, at the same time, consumers are increasingly aware of virtue signalling — 56% think that too many brands are using social issues as a marketing ploy (Stats from the 2019 Porter Novelli/Cone Purpose Biometrics Study).

Virtue signalling is when businesses engage in social good mainly for the optics, prioritising perception over genuine impact.

As a platform empowering eCommerce companies to give back, we find this dynamic fascinating.?

When a business supports causes through donations or similar efforts, the outcome is often still helpful for the charities receiving them, whether the intent is authentic or not.?

However, social good done from a genuine desire to help is much more likely to be sustained long-term, creating real support for those in need.

It’s understandable that consumers are suspicious of businesses sharing their good deeds — we’ve all been exposed to marketing greenwashing, diversity washing, rainbow washing, and more for years now.

In some cases, this has led our business partners, who already do good, to hesitate in talking about their impact. Despite making a big difference in the lives of those they help they’re cautious about sharing for fear of appearing as if they’re only doing it for the kudos.

This is a shame (and something we try to dissuade) as sharing the impact of generosity and the work of charities is a surefire way to inspire more good.

For others, the concern is that their good deeds may seem too small. In today’s economic climate, many businesses want to do good, but their budget for giving has tightened as they navigate reduced consumer spending and rising costs of living.

One way we’ve found these businesses can amplify the good they’re doing is by involving their customers. The key is showing that the business isn’t shifting the responsibility onto the consumer, but rather, inviting them to magnify the impact beyond what the business could do alone.

It’s no secret that doing good has a positive side effect — it makes the doer feel good and look good. But this doesn’t mean the good being done doesn’t matter.

While we believe that businesses with a genuine heart for helping their communities create the most lasting change, our goal is to positively impact 100 million people annually through our platform.

At the end of the day, it’s the people who benefit from generosity that matter most — whether the business is driven by self-interest or a desire to make a difference, it’s the end result we care about.

What about you? What do you think?