Positive messaging

Positive vibes are contagious.

Sure, there's doom and gloom hanging about (I'm actively avoiding watching TV news because of it), but in my opening sentence I'm referring to a noticeable shift for businesses to give back, lift up, and protect their people, their communities, and our environment.

It's not just the likely few, the eco-brands and conservation warriors who are spreading the positive vibes, it's a trending practice that all brands need to be aware of and take action on now if they're not already active in this space.

Customers want transparency.

We're spoilt for choice and its never been easier to spend our money consciously or to become a fan boy/girl of brands, international or local. Regardless of where in the world you live, you have instant access at your fingertips to a seemingly infinite number of brands.  And as these brands vie for your attention 24/7 across multiple platforms, their message must be truthful and authentic, kind and respectful and importantly, outside of themselves and not solely about monetary gain. And just as it is easy to become a fan with a click or two, with social media it only takes seconds to shed light on bad practice and thoughtless actions, so cover ups won't remain covered for long.

From roadside vendors to global traders, with brand ambassadorships and influencers, all brands need to look at how their operations affect their local communities and have a clear understanding of the true cost of what they do in business. This is the transparency customers are craving. Think about how you impact people and places around you. Then ask this important question – How can I do better?

Whether you choose to reduce your ecological footprint, design for the future or support the well-being of your workers and their families, it is in answering this question that you'll not only protect your brand image, you'll also protect the viability and longevity of your brand also. It maybe that your business is a start-up founded on positive vibes, or an established organisation that looks to improve operations or run a campaign with wider benefits. Either way, now is the time to do good.

We've already seen many brands spread positive vibes and gain popularity from doing so. Brands that go beyond marketing rhetoric of 'community forming' and green washing. Big thumbs up to TOMS with their one for one policy, Everlane for their 100% Human campaign and radical transparency, Eat My Lunch for providing meals to kids in schools that may otherwise go without. And there's loads more examples and successful initiatives I could cite. My point here is that spreading the love, truly valuing the humans within your organisation or your production chain and connecting with your community in a genuine way is good, and essential.

Jude Walter of Seen & Heard is a strategic communications specialist who's passionate about helping socially aware organisations create meaningful connections with their communities. She acknowledges the trend for 'good' brand practice and says "doing good is important to attract and keep good talent, as well as loyal customers".

Is there a difference between 'best practice' and 'right practice'?

The answer is YES! Best practice is text book, right practice is values driven and relevant to the here and now of your organisation. 'Right' is what matters.

Regardless of size or industry, if you're a personal brand or a multi-national corporation, the 'times they are-a-changin' and brands will only succeed in connecting with their audience with ethical practice, being people-centric, values-driven, transparent, and conscious of the wider impact of  business decisions.

Choose GOOD, please.

Further reading on this subject is available in this article on Idealog, with reflections from Abbie Reynolds, Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council.

PHOTO CREDIT: MARK ADRIANE on Unsplash