Too often as advertising and marketing experts, we focus on telling people how great our products are. We sing their praises from the highest mountaintop and drive home their selling points in all our advertising. But this tactic cannot and should not be used when sharing your company or brand's philanthropic and community efforts. After all, it’s not all about you -- it’s about what you do for the greater good.
But is there a way that those two initiatives can run parallel paths? Can you reap the benefits of supporting worthwhile charitable initiates without seeming promotional or self-serving?
Consider Your Options
Consider what philanthropic or community efforts your company wants to get behind. We all want to support every worthwhile charity, but are there any that closely align with your business and your company’s core values? Are there initiatives that your company and its staff can support that would be a natural extension of your staff’s current job descriptions?
For example, at my company DX, we support STEAM education in local schools to help further learning, technology and access to those types of classroom courses. It’s a natural fit to help the schools in the towns where our offices are. We create workshops on coding, design or business marketing strategies so that students can have an advantage. We also offer internship programs to local high school and college students and have raised over $100,000 to benefit the local nonprofit Education Foundation and its technical support technology. Lastly, we put on guest lectures for the middle or high school students who are trying to figure out what future career path they want to pursue. This type of community outreach will oftentimes generate some buzz in local, trade and business publications, yet it does not seem promotional in nature.
Add Employee Incentives
There are tremendous benefits to offering employee matching of dollars or hours. Many large companies offer their employees the ability to support charities they feel passionate about -- this type of giving also empowers employees to seek out charities that speak to them individually and get more involved. People will often start out by giving a few dollars and may then begin volunteering for the organizations, which further drives home the idea that charitable involvement is important and everyone can make a difference.
Companies are also adding incentives to further charitable participation amongst employees. Employers can create opportunities to encourage staff to participate either financially or in volunteering hours. Incentives could include rewarding employees for notable achievements in volunteerism, or with charitable organizations outside the office. These types of incentives speak volumes to a company’s deep commitment to philanthropy.
Ultimately, it’s about being true to your company, its mission and its values. Find a way to give back that does not feel disingenuous or forced just for press coverage. It’s about doing it because it’s the right thing to do -- and if gets talked about, well, that's even better.
