According to a Certus & Markstein survey reported by BusinessWire in 2019, consumers are becoming more conscientious. That new focus is reflected in the brands they choose to do business with. That’s where savvy business partnerships come in.
The Rise of Conscious Consumerism
Buying from socio-and-eco-conscious brands is becoming increasingly popular, especially among the younger crowd of millennials and Gen Z-ers. From a sample pool of 600 adult consumers, 70% said they were concerned with what their chosen brands were doing about the issues they care about. Additionally, 46% of those surveyed said that a brand’s social responsibility was a deciding factor when selecting products and services.
With good values-oriented partnerships, your business can differentiate itself from competitors and even be able to sway brand-loyal consumers from their household choice in the name of supporting conscious brands.
However, not all corporate consciousness is created equal, and consumers are cottoning on to ham-fisted corporate ‘slacktivism.’
Respondents to the Certus survey were also skeptical of corporations’ motivations: an overwhelming majority of 75% felt that corporate consciousness didn’t come from a place of altruism. Meanwhile, less than 10% of respondents felt that corporations were socially responsible at all times—that is, they selectively chose to be ‘responsible’ when it suited them.
Be The Change You Want To See
If you and your brand really care about social and environmental impact and not just the optics of consciousness, it’s important to choose your partnerships wisely. You want to choose a business or organization that gels with your mission, value, and message. If social or environmental change is something you genuinely care about, you want this to be a long-standing, collaborative, and egalitarian partnership.
Not only can this help you make a meaningful impact with your outreach, but it can also help you differentiate yourself from other similar brands in your sector. In a competitive market, differentiating your brand from the competition is of utmost importance. Ultimately, the more successful your business is, the more effective and far-ranging your outreach can be, too.
Good examples of businesses and NGOs that have cornered the conscious partnering market include KVINNA, BetterWorld, Pago Yoga, and the Skoruz Foundation.
When done well, partnering with a mission can be a potent tool in your marketing arsenal. How will you use it?
