Communicating Our Socially Conscious Mission With Clarity
As we talk to other socially conscious businesses, one of the main difficulties that we face is knowing if we are communicating with clarity, and if our socially conscious mission is beneficial to clients and consumers.
What we often tell other business owners is to not assume that because you have a socially conscious mission clients and consumers will understand it and will buy into your way of business.
We tell others to state the reasons why they have a socially conscious mission in the first place. Using our good friends from Green Duck as an example, Jocelyn Tice, founded the compostable and biodegradable
product company because of the amount of waste that is generated and the harm it does to the environment. Uncovering facts about the harmful effects of waste is important to Green Duck. It will show why their products are not only healthier for the consumers but it changes attitudes towards how we improve the climate for future generations.
More and more of us are finding value in social issues but businesses are also concerned how being socially conscious will help their business grow while increasing profits and saving time and money. You must appeal to the reasons why your socially conscious mission is the best method of doing business.
By stating the facts on how your business is both good for society and a great way of conducting business, many people will be more likely to use your product. You will attract the people who are emotionally attached to your sense of doing good and fighting for a worthy cause. From our own experience this kind of individual is easy to influence because they feel a sense of connection to your ideas for change but often they do not have the necessary buying power. To win over the people that have buying power you must appeal to business owners, smart minded consumers, and other decision makers who are looking for sound reasons to invest in you company and product. These are the individuals that you need to win over. They are harder to convince but by communicating with clarity your company can influence anyone.
Those who are passionate about our way of doing business know that our socially conscious missions are a win-win situation in terms of solving a social issue while being a great way of conducting business. You, like us, have to back it up with sound facts and reason why that is so.
It is our recommendation that you find brand, marketing, and design associates to help you craft your company’s message in an attempt to give you the best chance of winning over consumers. Using professionals in these areas is the best way to assure that you are communicating with clarity. This will enable you to focus on your core strengths and give you more time to work on your mission.
Thinkhaus’ O’Neill Reports For RVA NEWS
John O’Neill, President and Design Director of Thinkhaus, recently wrote an article for rvanews.com featuring Impact Makers. Impact Makers is a local IT and management consulting firm that has a social entrepreneurship business model that enables them to foster the community in ways that larger businesses can not. As more local corporations continue to go out of business it is time for businesses like Impact Makers to become leaders in Richmond.
Fabio Sergio: Design Thinking and The Future
Fabio Sergio, creative director at frog design beautifully communicates how design thinking is at the heart of the design profession. During his presentation at LIFT09 in Geneva. Sergio describes that it is this kind of thinking that shapes cultures and goes beyond usage or consumption.
haustalk at Baja Bean Co.
Tell Remarkable Stories That Will Influence Others
Everyone, and every business, has a story to tell. It is the thing that connects us and the human spirit. It makes no difference who you are or how big your business may be. We all have challenges, difficult times, and uplifting moments that can influence others.
Green Marketing: Signs of Proof
There are many businesses that are finding that consumers are demanding more organic and sustainable products. Many companies are following the path to growth by offering these products to win over consumers that are conscious of their health and their impact on the environment.
One of the largest issues when marketing green product is to have solid proof that it is truly a green product. Showing that your product has been tested, meets certain standards, and is certified by a
third party, is the best way to prove that your product truly improves the environment and leads to better health.
B Corporation: Setting Social and Environmental Performance Standards For Businesses
As part of Thinkhaus‘ mission we aim to educate not only our clients but also the general public about the value of design and socially conscious issues and topics. Our blog has been a part of that as we often share resources and tips with our readers and social media followers and friends.
Today, we have a wonderful resource for everyone. Our friends at Impact Makers have recommend us to the B Corporation. In return we are sharing this resource with you.
The B Corporation excites us because we believe that businesses, no matter the size, have the most impact on our culture and society. We believe this to be true because businesses are the lifeline to local and international economies, influence culture with their marketing, and remain the leaders in developing new technology. All of these issues shape our society. To shape our society for a better tomorrow we must reshape the way business is conducted in our world. The B Corporation believes that too.
B Corporation is an organization which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems by setting comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards for businesses to follow.
“By meeting these standards, we establish a benchmark which distinguishes “good companies” from “good marketing”. And we make it easier for consumers and investors to support these companies,” notes the B Corporation.
To learn about the B Corporation visit their website here. We are asking our fellow local businesses in Richmond, Virginia to meet the B Corporation standards. The local economy will then be more sustainable for the people of Richmond.
Green Marketing Tips: Developing A Design and Marketing Team
Many people have asked us to advise their company or organization regarding things to do and not to do with their Green Marketing efforts. We have decided to offer some direction to our blog viewers on the key elements on how to get started with their Green Marketing.
The first advise that we have is to find professionals that can advise you and lead this effort for your company. Time and time again we see a lot of small businesses and organizations that try to do their own marketing and design without any expertise from graphic designers and marketing/brand professionals. No matter if you are a big or small operation you need to attain a team of professionals in all areas of business to advise you and guide you towards success.
This is no different than the President of the United States. President Obama is not an expert on all of the issues that he needs to make decisions on. This is also the case for all businesses and organizations. It is impossible to know and do everything in the business.
Lacking a strong team that can be trusted we have seen many businesses who have wasted, time, money, and followed bad advise that led them to making bad decisions regarding their marketing and design. Many companies and organizations without a green focus are also guilty of this but for those who have a socially conscious mission it is even harder to communicate and market their green products and services. You are competing with the companies that produce and sell the non-green alternative along with other companies that produce similar green products and services.
We recommend using the local chapters of marketing and design organizations, such as the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the American Marketing Association, to find professionals that have the skills and experience that you need. Networking with your local green organizations is also a good start to finding marketing and design professionals with Green Marketing expertise.
Poverty and War
On this Veterans Day Thinkhaus is asking what is the best way to prevent our men and women in the armed forces from going into harms way? They go into situations that are sometimes unmanageable and always difficult.
NURU founder and CEO Jake Harriman attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served over 7 years in the Marine Corps as an Infantry Plato on Commander and a Special Operations Platoon Commander. He believes he knows the answer - poverty.
People living in poverty around the world do not have the options or resources to make their lives better. NURU is an international organization doing all it can to bring people around the world together to provide them with options and resources to grow their economic status, preventing them from turning to violence in an attempt for a better life.
In this wonderful video Jake explains his desire to develop NURU and artistically illustrates the link between poverty and war.
John O’Neill, President and Design Director of Thinkhaus, recently had an article published in rvanews.com. O’Neill wrote a spotlight feature regarding the Urban Farmhouse, a start-up cafe in Richmond, Virginia with a socially conscious mission.
