Social Impact through Authenticity
Social impact is the new buzz word. All of the social injustices in the world companies want to either address a high optics pain port of civilization or triage a seemingly callous and unfair move they’ve made. As a strategist agency we can not ensure success for our client unless we engage in a critical dialogue on how they will exact change!
Here is what we can not afford to do:
- We can’t give lip service. We can’t publish a pointless press release with offers of thoughts and prayers toward a deeply troubling reality faced by a marginalized community.
- You can not say anything and not do something.
If the last statement feels obvious to you, that is a good thing! It means you desire to learn more about engaging real social impact. We can all make an impact, whether you’re a local business or an international corporation, social impact requires intentional planning, commitment and continuous evaluation of your progress. It can mean doubling down and pushing past comfort level. Progress comes from critical inner examination.
Let’s Make Moves
What we envision is a very large scale, big picture. So, why don’t we talk about what you can do?
- Bring your core team together to have a no holds bar critical evaluation of your companies core values, and the ambitious contribution to society you wish to achieve. Change can only come with vision, equitable change can only come from massive vision.
- Listen to those you wish to help. Your preconception on “how you can help” is an assumption. Even if you are the group you wish to help, you need to listen to more voices. Every pain point has more than one cause and multiple effects. You have to listen and begin to draft an architectural way of making an impact.
- Make moves. There may be clap back and criticism, and there will be time for internal reflection. However, you have to shift your company culture to accept that this is part of the process. On the other side of feedback is a better company and refreshed perspective on how to push forward, grow and be more impactful.
- Set the bar, raise the bar, make sure you are moving towards the bar. So many companies make promises, do interviews on how they’ll create a more equitable future for this community or that– anyone can do this. Companies that can demonstrate benchmark movement, display success stories. They launch studies during their journey and are the ones that prove out. These are the companies that will go down in history as the change makers and that is how you prove that you are your brand mission.
These points should have you doubling down and of course, there will be doubt along the way. Knowing this, ask yourselves : if we all don’t do our part in creating social impact in our own ways, how will we build the world we know is fairer, more just – and yes – more equal for all?
