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Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit
Increasingly today, in every age group, consumers are committing to brands that show good citizenship--from fair employment practices, to social responsibility, to charitable giving. In fact, support of these generous and socially aware companies is so high that good works and charitable giving are necessary for companies that aspire for financial success.
Do Good documents the sea of change that has impacted the twenty-first-century marketplace more than even the most optimistic of business forecasters, including examples such
Toms grew into a $600 million company by giving away 35 million pair of shoes.Patagonia’s profits have climbed year after year even as it funnels heavy investments into sustainability.CVS’s strategic decision to start destocking cigarettes in all stores.Customers have shown with their wallets the types of businesses they will support and that they will quickly call out negligence. Buyers today demand more than half-hearted pledges from companies who are clearly just trying to show less profits and decrease their taxes.
By implementing the five-step model for the new rules of business laid out in Do Good--Trust, Enrichment, Responsibility, Community, and Contribution--companies can take the necessary steps to embed social consciousness into their DNA, in turn capturing both markets and hearts.
Do Good documents the sea of change that has impacted the twenty-first-century marketplace more than even the most optimistic of business forecasters, including examples such
Toms grew into a $600 million company by giving away 35 million pair of shoes.Patagonia’s profits have climbed year after year even as it funnels heavy investments into sustainability.CVS’s strategic decision to start destocking cigarettes in all stores.Customers have shown with their wallets the types of businesses they will support and that they will quickly call out negligence. Buyers today demand more than half-hearted pledges from companies who are clearly just trying to show less profits and decrease their taxes.
By implementing the five-step model for the new rules of business laid out in Do Good--Trust, Enrichment, Responsibility, Community, and Contribution--companies can take the necessary steps to embed social consciousness into their DNA, in turn capturing both markets and hearts.
- GenresBusiness
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2017
24 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 26, 2017
The behavior of corporations falls along a spectrum anchored on the ends by those driven only by the numbers for the current or next quarter on one end and by companies that factor in the overall role they play in society on the other. This book concentrates on the organizations that fall on the end of accepting social responsibility.
The most impressive point made in the book is on page 31, a famous quote of economist Milton Friedman. Hard-core believers in capitalist free markets regularly cite the opening of the quote, “In a free enterprise, private-property system, a corporate executive is an employee of the owners of the business. He has direct responsibility to his employers. That responsibility is to conduct the business in accordance with their desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible . . .”
What is almost universally left off is the last segment of the quote, which is extremely important.
“ … while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom.”
The focus of this book is the rise of the new style of companies that take the last part of that quote extremely seriously, in many cases altering the basic rules of society as well as creating new ethical customs. This is done by citing and developing a series of case studies of companies that incorporate putting the welfare of their employees on equal footing with providing a quality product at a good price and being environmentally conscious to the point where lowered profits are accepted.
The emphasis is that in many cases being socially responsible does lead to a higher profit number in the ledger. More and more citizens are altering their buying habits as well as their employment choices to reward companies that are socially and environmentally conscious. There is no greater example of this than when American President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accords. The leaders of many U. S. corporations quickly announced that they would continue to comply with the guidelines and reduce their environmental impact.
The word is now out and in a big way, doing good is good business, and ample justification for that statement is found in this book.
The most impressive point made in the book is on page 31, a famous quote of economist Milton Friedman. Hard-core believers in capitalist free markets regularly cite the opening of the quote, “In a free enterprise, private-property system, a corporate executive is an employee of the owners of the business. He has direct responsibility to his employers. That responsibility is to conduct the business in accordance with their desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible . . .”
What is almost universally left off is the last segment of the quote, which is extremely important.
“ … while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom.”
The focus of this book is the rise of the new style of companies that take the last part of that quote extremely seriously, in many cases altering the basic rules of society as well as creating new ethical customs. This is done by citing and developing a series of case studies of companies that incorporate putting the welfare of their employees on equal footing with providing a quality product at a good price and being environmentally conscious to the point where lowered profits are accepted.
The emphasis is that in many cases being socially responsible does lead to a higher profit number in the ledger. More and more citizens are altering their buying habits as well as their employment choices to reward companies that are socially and environmentally conscious. There is no greater example of this than when American President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accords. The leaders of many U. S. corporations quickly announced that they would continue to comply with the guidelines and reduce their environmental impact.
The word is now out and in a big way, doing good is good business, and ample justification for that statement is found in this book.
January 26, 2023
Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit is a book written by David Hessekiel, the President of the Cause Marketing Forum, and a leading expert in the field of brand citizenship. The book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and implementing brand citizenship, which is the idea that companies should not only focus on profit, but also on making a positive impact on society and the environment.
The book begins by explaining the concept of brand citizenship and its benefits for both companies and society. The author then delves into the key strategies for implementing brand citizenship, including identifying the right causes to support, building partnerships with non-profit organizations, and measuring the impact of brand citizenship initiatives. He also provides insights on how to effectively communicate brand citizenship efforts to consumers and other stakeholders.
One of the strengths of the book is its practical approach, with a wide range of real-world examples and case studies used to illustrate the concepts discussed. The author also provides a variety of tools and templates that can be used to develop and implement brand citizenship strategies.
Overall, Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit is an essential guide for anyone working in brand management, marketing, or advertising who wants to create a positive impact on society and the environment. The book provides a thorough understanding of the key concepts and strategies necessary for creating and managing successful brand citizenship initiatives and is an excellent resource for both experienced professionals and students of marketing.
The book begins by explaining the concept of brand citizenship and its benefits for both companies and society. The author then delves into the key strategies for implementing brand citizenship, including identifying the right causes to support, building partnerships with non-profit organizations, and measuring the impact of brand citizenship initiatives. He also provides insights on how to effectively communicate brand citizenship efforts to consumers and other stakeholders.
One of the strengths of the book is its practical approach, with a wide range of real-world examples and case studies used to illustrate the concepts discussed. The author also provides a variety of tools and templates that can be used to develop and implement brand citizenship strategies.
Overall, Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit is an essential guide for anyone working in brand management, marketing, or advertising who wants to create a positive impact on society and the environment. The book provides a thorough understanding of the key concepts and strategies necessary for creating and managing successful brand citizenship initiatives and is an excellent resource for both experienced professionals and students of marketing.
January 16, 2019
If you are a person clawing your way through the business world, you might want to consider reading Do Good. Today's consumer demands more than just a satisfactory product, they require knowledge that a company is looking out for more than Number One. That is Brand Citizenship and any business person should be acutely aware of and embracing it because it's the only future.
"Based on extensive research with thousands of consumers, Do Good documents this sea change and explains how to embed social consciousness into a company’s DNA. Packed with examples and original data, the five-step model highlights the new rules of business:
TRUST: Deliver on promises
ENRICHMENT: Make daily life easier or more inspiring
RESPONSIBILITY: Treat people and the environment with respect
COMMUNITY: Mirror values shared by customers, employees, and partners
CONTRIBUTION: Make a difference in the world."
Anne Bahr Thompson sets forth a clear and candid handbook citing real world examples and detailing the nitty gritty of the way to the hearts of consumers. No longer is the stereotypical shrewd, heartless business giant poised to snag the loyal buyer. A smaller, social conscious company known to nurture employees and embrace environmental friendliness can and likely will win the hearts and therefore the devotion of those with their fingers on the button of their success or failure. So simple and a long time coming!
"Based on extensive research with thousands of consumers, Do Good documents this sea change and explains how to embed social consciousness into a company’s DNA. Packed with examples and original data, the five-step model highlights the new rules of business:
TRUST: Deliver on promises
ENRICHMENT: Make daily life easier or more inspiring
RESPONSIBILITY: Treat people and the environment with respect
COMMUNITY: Mirror values shared by customers, employees, and partners
CONTRIBUTION: Make a difference in the world."
Anne Bahr Thompson sets forth a clear and candid handbook citing real world examples and detailing the nitty gritty of the way to the hearts of consumers. No longer is the stereotypical shrewd, heartless business giant poised to snag the loyal buyer. A smaller, social conscious company known to nurture employees and embrace environmental friendliness can and likely will win the hearts and therefore the devotion of those with their fingers on the button of their success or failure. So simple and a long time coming!
December 12, 2017
Excellent and informative!
Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel both Purpose and Profit is a fantastic book for anyone who is trying to get ahead in the business and marketing world. Anne Bahr Thompson has done extensive research over the years to discover the ways that companies have used to maximize their growth in their communities. The book covers the five different steps of social consciousness of business which are trust, enrichment, responsibility, community and contribution. Thompson does an amazing job of writing out excellent points and strategies, some of which I had never thought of using in business before. I love that Thompson really focuses on doing good in the community when you want to build your business to its highest potential. A community that trusts you and sees you using your position for the betterment of the community is more likely to give you their business freely and happily. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Thompson’s wisdom in the future!
Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel both Purpose and Profit is a fantastic book for anyone who is trying to get ahead in the business and marketing world. Anne Bahr Thompson has done extensive research over the years to discover the ways that companies have used to maximize their growth in their communities. The book covers the five different steps of social consciousness of business which are trust, enrichment, responsibility, community and contribution. Thompson does an amazing job of writing out excellent points and strategies, some of which I had never thought of using in business before. I love that Thompson really focuses on doing good in the community when you want to build your business to its highest potential. A community that trusts you and sees you using your position for the betterment of the community is more likely to give you their business freely and happily. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Thompson’s wisdom in the future!
September 2, 2019
Great concept and the book gave me some hope for humanity with the several examples of corporations choosing to enact policies that helped their work force, the environment, their community, or some other social cause over their bottom line. However, I did find it quite repetitive. There were so many examples of very similar actions that I started skimming because it felt more like detailed case studies of different companies rather than a guideline for how you could embrace brand citizenship to fuel purpose and profit for your own company.
March 6, 2019
As our society continues to align with brands/businesses who support a social good, this book is a must read for those in business. An excellent read and I have quoted it frequently since reading it.
January 9, 2018
Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship is a very educational book on company image and the public view of large companies today that is increasingly more important today then it has ever been in the past. It brings to notice such things as the immediate effect social media on business practices and the effects on the planet and the environment.
It also enlightened me on ways business’s conduct their business. Weather it is green or some other color, and the immediate effect of a few bad thoughts made public, though social media and how they can spread at a rapid pace, costing thousands of sales to customers and millions of dollars lost in those potential sales. This is a very interesting book that brought to my attention the power in social media.
It also enlightened me on ways business’s conduct their business. Weather it is green or some other color, and the immediate effect of a few bad thoughts made public, though social media and how they can spread at a rapid pace, costing thousands of sales to customers and millions of dollars lost in those potential sales. This is a very interesting book that brought to my attention the power in social media.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews