No matter how big or small your brand is, social responsibility is important to lead actionable change within our communities, society, and world overall. Social responsibility is essential for your brand’s marketing strategy to soar in 2022 and beyond– read on to learn why!

Social Responsibility – Defined

“Make money while making a difference.” Social responsibility is a balancing act between profitability and creating positive social change for the communities and causes that matter most to your business and its consumers. Brands of all sizes, budgets, and industries are capable of incorporating social responsibility into daily business operations and thus creating real change.  

As it applies to marketing, social responsibility “involves addressing social, ethical, and environmental factors in the promotion of products or services and showing the positive impact and direct benefits of the offering to your target audience.” Social responsibility illustrates that brands are investing in the social, cultural, economical, and environmental causes their target audiences believe in and are affected by.

The Importance of Social Responsibility in Marketing

By promoting and acting on social responsibility, your brand is working to create a positive, trusted image of your business that shows your team cares about larger societal and worldly issues. Now more than ever, stakeholders, consumers, vendors, and employees are paying attention to the companies and brands that have implemented robust social responsibility initiatives into their marketing campaigns.

Although acts of service are a large part of being socially responsible, ethical responsibility is also an important factor in any business model. Brands that genuinely care about their customer’s well-being and satisfaction, instead of just revenue, will have a better public perception. These acts of social responsibility will build loyalty in a customer-to-business relationship. 

As digital communication takes over the marketing industry, people want to interact with their favorite brands that integrate into their everyday lives. One approach is for a brand to participate in positive social change. This is an opportunity to get to know a brand’s audiences and collaborate with local community organizations and nonprofit causes. Today’s society is diving into deeper conversations about social change, and it is time for brands to join the conversation.

More employees are choosing to work for companies that invest in making a difference toward causes and communities close to their hearts. Implementing social responsibility within all levels of the company shows current and future employees that your brand treats its staff and external stakeholders with compassion, understanding, and generosity. Instead of feeling like another ‘number’ to a company, social responsibility emphasizes humanizing the person behind a job. 

How to Implement Social Responsibility into Your Marketing Business Strategy

There are many ways for your brand to become socially responsible. Here are three of our favorite and easiest ways to get you started:

1. Volunteering is a simple way to be socially responsible. 

• Volunteering and hosting philanthropic initiatives for relevant causes aligned with your brand’s mission.
• Support charitable causes and organizations that impact your brand and targeted audiences.
• Research where your audiences are volunteering and supporting in their everyday life. 

Whether it be a donation-matching program or a staff-wide volunteering day, making a tangible difference will encourage future consumers to buy into your brand, using the data to give back to communities and causes that are important to your brand’s key publics.

2. Establishing sustainable and environment-friendly business practices is more important than ever as brands look to the future. 

• Encourage your employees to carpool, bike, walk to the office. Maybe even include an incentive, like a discounted bus pass.
• Have recycling and composting in the office and include easy instructions on how to do so.
• If your offices are being renovated, work with sustainability experts to ensure a new and improved eco-friendly space. 

By implementing even one of these suggestions, your brand can show it is determined to take care of the planet and live more sustainably. 

3. Create and share content that promotes your social responsibility strategy. Make your efforts known! 

• Develop a social media series highlighting local businesses that need support in your community.
• Produce a video project demonstrating the process and timeline of ‘Going Green.’

Celebrate the hard work your brand is putting in to create a better society for all. This shows key stakeholders, investors, employees, and your audience that your brand is acting on its commitment to be more socially responsible. 

Social Responsibility at Hoffmann Murtaugh

Helping the environment, among other things, has been a result of the work-from-home culture Hoffmann Murtaugh created 17 years ago. Hoffmann Murtaugh also loves to donate to multiple causes and many employees sit on boards of non-profit organizations that are impacting our community for the better. All employees are encouraged to volunteer and practice sustainability in their own homes, but it doesn’t stop there. Additionally, the company is willing to provide paid time off to help encourage and accommodate employees’ desire to help the community.

Jenna Granatire, a Programmatic Buyer, volunteers for the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life. Jenna started volunteering for these organizations after her family was directly affected by the disease. She volunteers at both organizations so she can continue to help others the way they have helped her family. Hoffmann Murtaugh hopes these volunteer experiences can inspire the next person to get out and volunteer!

Now that you know the importance of social responsibility on your marketing strategy, it’s time to put that knowledge to the test. Go out into the world and find where your brand can make positive contributions!