As Millennials and Gen Z come up in the world and begin to take charge, we also carry with us socially conscious values to make the world a more empathetic place. We are slowly injecting it into everything we do, from creating comprehensive inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community to spreading awareness and protesting civil rights atrocities. So it follows that more brands are tuning in to this increasingly candid world. Every brand out there, from individual artists to worldwide companies are finding ways to create positive social change.
The end game of social change is to use real-world actions to create long-lasting positive improvement of human and social conditions. Few brands have been left untouched by the overwhelming need for change. Research has consistently shown that consumers will be more loyal to a brand that they feel aligns with their values. Not only is it fiscally responsible for a business to openly promote a strong stand on public issues, but people value a company that understands in a world where you can choose to be anything… choose to be kind. Whether your brand is just starting out or has been around for years, here are a few ways that your brand can create positive social change.
Find A Genuine Personal Connection
Get as specific as possible when defining your brand. Regardless of what point in your career you’re in, every artist needs to have their brand defined. In order to be successful, your audience needs to know that they’ll consistently get whatever it is that makes you great. Craft your story and create a distinct personality for your brand. Once your brand has a life of its own, you’ll be able to start connecting with other established brands in similar fields.
Be Inclusive
Showing inclusivity and diversity is important for every brand these days. The goal of inclusivity is to make your target audience feel seen and human. Find a personal way to express your brand’s values to your audience. For example, if you’re a female musician, you may want to partner with brands that promote teaching music to young girls or kids in predominantly poor areas. Take something meaningful from your own experience and use it to connect with your listeners in a positive way.
Partner With Like Minded Brands
Once you have defined your own point of view towards the change you’d like to see in the world, you can create a pitch document and start looking for other like-minded brands to partner with. Ideally, those brands would share a similar audience, similar goals, and a similar brand identity to your own. Through this process, your brand is put in front of new audience members who are already inclined to be interested in your brand and values.
Get Involved
Verbalizing the desire for change will only take your brand so far. Find community activities to get involved with. This will give you the opportunity to meet new people to introduce your brand to as well as show your current audience that supporting your brand means supporting important causes as well.
Socialize
Promote other socially conscious brands on social media. Make friends with like-minded influencers, companies, and fans online and promote any events or giveaways that they do. They’ll be more likely to return the favor and get involved with your brand if they know you support theirs. In other words, free promotion and more credibility in your genre. When you’re seen with other credible brands that they trust, people will be more likely to explore your brand.
Becoming a socially conscious brand is not about responding quickly to the latest pop culture emergency. It’s about aligning with the needs and values of your audience in a meaningful way and continuing to work towards positive change throughout the existence of the brand. In other words, it’s a marathon, not a race. People catch on quickly to “performative support” and they’ll call a brand out just as quickly for being fake as they will for actively participating in an event that affects the world around them negatively. Any brand can make a difference as long as they genuinely care.
Now get out there and be the change.