susan mcpherson - advertising & social good
TRANSCRIPT
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ADVERTISING AND SOCIAL GOOD
A perfect marriage or a recipe for disaster?
Susan McPherson
CEO, McPherson Strategies, @susanmcp1
1. How it used to be
2. CSR today
3. A perfect marriage
4. A recipe for disaster
5. The do’s and don’t’s
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Big checksFor many companies, corporate responsibility was synonymous with traditional philanthropy. Write a big check to a community organization, and poof!, you’ve done your due diligence.
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A PR response Many companies saw corporate responsibility as something reactive. Protesters gathering outside your office? Time to make a statement.
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An organizational silo
The CSR or social good department (if there was even a department) operated on its own, separate from the rest of the company.
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An afterthought
CSR wasn’t something on the agenda for the C-suite, unless it had to be for reputation reasons.
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Today, “social good” has gone from being an extracurricular activity to a core aspect of
business strategy. Increasingly, we’re seeing CSR baked within an organization and the
responsibility team integrated with all other departments, including marketing.
So, why did this happen?
My, how things have changed.
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Social media
With social media came an increased demand for transparency and authenticity from companies.
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Consumer demandMore than ever, customers choose to buy from companies with purpose. The business case for CSR is clear.
55 percent of global online consumers will pay more for products from companies that are committed to social and environmental impact (Nielsen).
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Attracting talent
Millennials want jobs with purpose. To attract the best, companies need to be serious about their commitment to social good. (insert stat images)
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Cultural evolution
Between the local food movement and exploding support for the LGBTQ community, our culture has grown increasingly conscious and responsible.
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• CEOs speaking out proactively on human rights issues.
• Inbound content focused on the social issues that touch a company’s business.
• Customer and employee engagement campaigns around social issues and volunteerism.
• Commercials focused on the company’s commitment to responsibility.
• Social media engagement around social advocacy.
• An increase in social good-focused storytelling for brands across industries.
Today, we’re seeing deep integration between marketing and CSR.
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• Oversimplifying complex issues
• Skimping on research
• PR as primary goal
• Not vetting partners
• One-off thinking
• Staying silent
• Failing to measure
The don’ts
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• Authenticity
• Tell stories
• Understanding the why
• Supplement stories with data
• Engage employees and customers
• Thoughtful partnerships
• Connection to business
• Sharing success
The do’s