317: Anne Bahr Thompson, Do Good

Jeannie and Adam discuss the concept of social responsibility with Anne Bahr Thompson, author of Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit. Customers today expect a lot more from brands, but it’s not just about transparency and great service. Brands are now expected to be socially responsible when it comes to social, political and moral issues. But being socially responsible is much more complicated and sensitive than you may think. Although it’s great for a brand to say they support a certain cause or take a stance on a political issue, customers can easily access information that contradicts what the brand has said publicly. “In a social world, declaring your position really places you in control of your own reputation.” -Anne Bahr Thompson It’s easy to alienate customers by taking a stand, but when we don’t, customers will do their homework to find out what’s going behind the scenes then fill in the blanks for themselves. In fact, they will even judge your brand based on things like who your suppliers are and how they stand on a certain issue. “Trust is really hard to gain today because people are really savvy.” -Anne Bahr Thompson But it’s not all about avoiding bad publicity, or even creating any publicity, for that matter. Taking a stand and developing a sense of social responsibility leads to stronger company culture, happier, more productive employees, and better profits overall. “Building a corporate culture that’s about trust will actually make you more profitable in the long term, no matter what you’re doing.” -Anne Bahr Thompson So how does your company view corporate citizenship? Perhaps you’d like to take a stand but aren’t sure how to align it with your strategy for success. Or maybe your customers are asking questions you’re afraid to answer. Whatever the case is, customers want to do business with brands that do good, and they want proof. Whatever you’re doing, don’t miss this interview with Anne Bahr Thompson, author of Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit.  Listen in to learn how your brand can strike the right balance. Interview Highlights Doing good is a simple idea, but why is it more complicated for brands? [2:47] Social responsibility builds trust, so we asked Anne to outline the 5 steps to building trust and identify which are the most important. [6:45] It’s easy for brands to go too far (or not far enough) politically, but some strike just the right balance. How do they do it? [9:40] Brands are now in positions where they’re forced to take a stand, but what about those who just want to stick to business? [16:30] About our guest Named Trust Across America 2018 Top Thought Leader in Trust, Anne Bahr Thompson has been inspiring business leaders to use their brands as a motivating force for change for many years. With more than 25 years of experience as a global brand strategist, Anne is the author of DO GOOD, which explains her pioneering model of Brand Citizenship® – and the cultural dynamics that led to the creation of the model. A former executive director of strategy and planning and the head of consulting at Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, Anne is the founder of Onesixtyfourth, a boutique consultancy that helps companies align purpose and profit by integrating cultural shifts and a social conscience into brand development. Connect with Anne LinkedIn Twitter Website Learn more about Anne’s book and how to order Related Content 360Connext® post, How are Marketing and PR Setting Your Customer’s Expectations? Customers That Stick® post, 3 Examples of How to Easily WOW Customers Episode 083: Cause Marketing Done Well Episode 118: David Williams, Make-A-Wish We’re on C-Suite Radio! Check it out for more great podcasts Sponsor message: Start creating a successful CX strategy Are you ready to build a customer experience strategy on a solid foundation for the long term? We’re shattering the top 5 CX strategy myths in our latest evergreen webinar. You will learn: How to avoid the 5 so-called “Customer Experience Strategies” that aren’t strategies at all What drives a winning customer experience strategy and examples of companies that “get it” How to create a foundation for a customer experience strategy that works for the long term Join Jeannie at a time that works for you for some serious mythbusting and a head start on creating a customer experience strategy that works!  Sign Me Up!     Take care of yourself and take care of your customers.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices