THE WORLD IS SHRINKING AND WITH IT OUR PATIENCE

With today's access to information and hyper-connectivity, our world has shrunk and is spinning faster.

With that, our trust and patience for society's fundamental systems—our economy, our political and legal system—is declining, fast. In fact, young people are less satisfied with democracy and more disillusioned than at any other time in the past century.

What once felt secure and reliable, now feels dated. At worst; outrageous, at best; dull.

SO WE WEAPONIZED OUR WALLETS

As a result, our frustration is directed elsewhere in search for progress and to regain some sense of control—a demand for corporations to do good and take responsibility beyond financial gains is rising, fast.

There's a portmanteau for this, an act called Buycotting. It’s the new ballot, that can be cast every time we buy from someone based on our values, moral compass and beliefs, or actively chose not to.

According to a 2018 global study by Edelman, 8,000 consumers across eight markets indicated that nearly two-thirds of us make buying decisions based on a brand’s position on social or political issues. 53 percent of us believe that brands can do more to solve social problems than governments.

Personally, it feels(!) better because we can cast our vote multiple times a day rather than once every four years.

Collectively, amplified by a rallying cry on social media—also know as Cancel Culture—it can swing the momentum in favour of issues we care about over a day, even hours.

Not only are political parties and companies under new pressure, individuals too get canceled for buying or supporting the "wrong" brands, standing behind the wrong political figures—something known as Deplatforming, that can have unrecoverable effects on one's career and livelihood.

IT’S TIME TO HUMANIZE

Just because we decided to measure and compete on price, performance, speed doesn’t change the fact that companies are made up of humans, making things for other humans.

Like humans, companies too can use kindness to increase trust, influence and connections. Being strategically guided by empathy is arguably the best way to develop products that people not only want but need.

UNLOCK THE OPPORTUNITY

More research shows that when a brand is guided by a strong cause/purpose, we are:

4.0 times more likely to purchase from the brand;
6.0 times more likely to protect that brand in a challenging moment;
4.5 times more likely to recommend (champion) the brand to friends and family;
4.1 times more likely to trust the brand

Here lies an opportunity for those who dare to become more than just another brand, employer and competitor.

To be a part of people's lives through efforts other than pushing, persuading, intruding, obstructing, begging, bribing, pretending.

To act out of empathy, not playacting it through a bombastic, woke, marketing campaign.

To adopt a Cause that will push us to innovate ourselves and(!) our surroundings.

To become the best in our community by being the best for our community.

It’s not even about being political. Just be human.

A CASE FOR CAUSE

Some call it Social Entrepreneurship. I call it committing to a Cause. We can call it a not-only-for-profit.

Some of us have built or work for companies born out of a cause. It forces us to keep our eyes above the bottom line,
to be creative with our business and use it as a force for better—a toolbox to solve problems beyond the scope of our offer. In return, it’ll find us new strategic partners, new categories, markets, products and services, new customers and fans.

This is a case I came across in my recent research for a brand-community project centred on health and well-being. It made me smile from the inside-out. An excellent example of turning tension into opportunity for all, and being commercially driven by a cause.

It’s not only the small actors with distinctive, local communities that have been able to leverage this approach to business and capitalism. Some big names on the right track to follow are Ideo, Patagonia, IKEA, Zappos, Permobil, Paypal, Unilever, Blackrock, Kind, Nextdoor, and I want to add Khan Academy even though they are a pure, non-profit.

Kindness isn't a financial obstacle; it’s a commercial opportunity. Make it your motive for doing business, as well as doing business with you.

Thank You

R.I.P. Tony Hsieh