The world has borne witness to a great unravelling over the last two years. Massive racial and social unrest, violent political implosion across the world, and a global pandemic have forced businesses to reevaluate themselves and their values. Many companies have taken strong stances, but others have been afraid to speak out in fear of losing revenue or their businesses completely.
But it is possible to be successful and be a socially involved business; the paradigm has shifted. Most notably, Ben and Jerry’s has laid a blueprint of how to balance business with being conscientious and community-oriented. In an interview with Harvard Business Review, Ben and Jerry’s discussed the steps they undertook to become more socially involved.
Establish Core Values
If a brand aspires to incorporate social activism in its business model, it must first establish its core values, and those values must inform any subsequent activism or advocacy. A strong, secure foundation is the best way to ensure a brand maintains its direction and focus in decision making.
“The strongest bond you can create with customers is around a shared set of values.”
Co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s, Ben Cohen
Have a network
Core values are most beneficial when they are developed through a network of informed, passionate, and experienced people. People who make activism/advocacy their life’s work. Pairing a dedicated “on the ground” team with a highly skilled marketing team creates a mechanism for quick and effective action.
Christopher Miller, head of Ben and Jerry’s global activism strategy:
“So, when things happen, we have this privilege, power, and ability to communicate.”
Be involved
Matthew McCarthy, Ben & Jerry’s CEO:
“It’s being there, being there, being there…And, when we call, they want to help us because they know we’re trying to use the power of our business to get stuff done.”
Activism doesn’t exist in the conference room; it’s a constant dialogue, requiring consistent engagement. Remember, business-activism only functions as a mutual, two-way street, so brands must equally pour into their activist networks. Advocacy must hold the same priority as innovation.
Be yourself
Miller:
“But what you don’t want to do is try to appropriate a value that you suspect your customers have. It’s important that your position be rooted in something you deeply believe.”
One of the worst things that can happen is a misstep; taking a stance in the wrong way. This means taking a stance on issues that the brand doesn’t understand and isn’t passionate about, therefore, isn’t equipped to tackle. Don’t follow social justice “trends”; all community advocacy is positive, so the focus should always remain on what the brands’ values are – regardless of what’s happening at the time
“It can be anything. What it can’t be is nothing.”
Ben & Jerry’s CEO, Matthew McCarthy
Be sincere
Don’t be disingenuous. Consumers and the advocated communities alike will be able to smell the fraudulence from a mile away. One of the social activism team’s functions is to keep the brands’ integrity and provide a system of checks-and-balances to ensure missteps don’t occur and be an alarm to any issues and concerns that may arise.
McCarthy:
“Intent matters, too. We do these things not to sell more ice cream but because we care about people and have values.”
There’s a fear that being socially conscious, or taking a public stance on social issues, is an automatic death sentence, but, luckily, we’re in an era where speaking out is not only welcomed but necessary. McCarthy believes that “increasingly, in a world of hyper-transparency, if you’re not making your values known publicly, you’re putting your business and brand at risk.”
What contributes to the trepidation in taking social stances is that the image of social justice is extreme and aggressive or biased. A central tenet in Ben and Jerry’s activism focuses on root causes of social injustice, which generally leads them to systemic issues. Hence, the only “side” they take is the side of justice and equality. Some of their most recent stances have appeared extreme to some. Still, these stances represent their values and the values shared with the larger community, so they remain proud facing any criticism.
Consumers are invested in the social consciousness of the brands they support; they want to help people and companies who care. So, this is the opportune time to recreate the current business model that is solely focused on quarterly projections and bottom lines into one rooted in integrity and cares about the lives of those in the communities around them.
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