THE COMING REVOLT OF THE GUARDS
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WE THE PEOPLE OF EARTH INCREASINGLY EXPECT BRANDS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE LIVES THEY TOUCH.
88%
of consumers want brands to help them make a difference in the world. (Futerra)
2/3
say they are more likely to purchase or recommend products or services from brands that address societal issues that matter to them. (WE)
72%
prefer that brands make multi-year investments in one issue rather than invest in a new cause every year. (WE)
“In an extremely condensed and media-saturated world, one ought to say what one thinks and do what one says. Any private enterprise that fails to follow this global trend will sooner or later end up snubbed by its consumers. The private sector will want to participate and will be best positioned to provide financing for large societal projects.”
— Schwab Foundation of Social Entrepreneurship
‘Society’s expectations of business have changed more in the past two years than in the previous 20. A pandemic, expanding and ever-more-expensive natural disasters, George Floyd’s murder, attacks on democracy, and more: All moved us past a tipping point. Both practically and morally, corporate leaders can no longer sit on the sidelines of major societal shifts or treat human and planetary issues as “someone else’s problem.”’
— Polman and Winston, HBR
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FOR BUSINESSES, THIS MEANS…
A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY TODAY
AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS TOMORROW
TRILLION$
Estimated value of meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals*
100s of MILLIONS
Estimated number of jobs that could be created by meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals*
>80%
of ESG funds outperformed their benchmarks in 2020, by an average of 81-243 points.*
~70%
of employees say they wouldn’t work for a company without a strong purpose. (Porter Novelli)
* per a two-year study by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission
“We simply won’t be here if we don’t take care of the very things that allow us to exist.”
Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart
70% of Americans believe it’s either “somewhat” or “very important” for companies to make the world a better place. (HBR)
90% of Gen Z think companies “have an obligation to solve social problems.” (Time)
“Corporations today have a critical role in building a sustainable future for our children and our planet. Doing so offers a path to restoring public trust and ensuring long-term survival.” (HBR)
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IMPACT-FORWARD SPENDING AMONG CORPORATIONS IS SKYROCKETING EVERY YEAR.
“NIKE, Inc. recently announced a $40 million commitment over the next four years to support the Black community in the U.S. on behalf of the Nike, Jordan and Converse brands collectively.“
“Netflix Gives $100M to black communities after George Floyd.”
“Jeff Bezos gave $100 million each in "courage and civility awards" to CNN's Van Jones and chef José Andrés.”
“Mastercard Pledges $500 million to Help Close Racial Wealth and Opportunity Gap for Black Communities Across America.”
“Kimberly-Clark committing $50M to reach 1 billion people in key areas by 2030.”
“Walmart pledges $100 million over five years as part of broader pledge to advance racial equity following George Floyd.”
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Source: Google Trends
‘ESG’ HAS ECLIPSED THE IDEA OF ‘CSR’, AS THE RACE TO BECOME MORE IMPACTFUL IS BEING DECIDED BY INVESTORS, NOT JUST COMPANIES THEMSELVES.
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THE PROBLEM: AMBITIOUS, IMPACT-FORWARD THINKING DOESN’T COME NATURALLY TO MOST BUSINESSES.
“The business world is mostly unable to contemplate long-term developments — it depends on short-term gains and high returns on investment to satisfy shareholders.”
— Schwab Foundation of Social Entrepreneurship
“Companies frequently implement corporate social responsibility programs… but it is unclear if CSR programs actually make the world a better place. Most of the information about a company’s environmental footprint is only available through the company itself.”
“The majority of CSR efforts have become, at best, misguided attempts to advance the common good without much in the way of substantive value and, at worst, self-serving and profit-seeking performances.”
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THE MARKET HAS BECOME FLOODED WITH WORK MASQUERADING AS “IMPACTFUL”
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MEANING A DYNAMIC, DIVERSE FIELD OF CHANGE-MAKERS MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE GROUND AREN’T GETTING CAPITAL TO SCALE.
“At their core, foundations and nonprofits are in the business of developing and advancing big, bold ideas.”
— Sean Gibbons
“A nonprofit organization can ensure its independence and sustainability by creating innovative economic structures. The social entrepreneurship movement is the best example of this new type of structure.”
— Schwab Foundation of Social Entrepreneurship�
“There is currently a lack of people in power who are motivated by the idea of helping people, but thanks to the Internet, there are people who would never have made it through the corporate system who are able to jump into positions of power in their twenties. They can collective work on ideas for the new world. And those are the people who can make the change. And will. It’s not can; it’s will. You have to will things into fruition.”
— Kanye West, founder of Donda’s House and Sunday Service
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DOZENS OF AMBITIOUS CONSULTANCIES ARE EMERGING TO HELP CORPORATIONS CLOSE THIS RESOURCE GAP.
Each of these organizations is linked here.
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THERE ARE ALREADY OVER 100K PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF BRANDING-BUILDING AND SOCIAL IMPACT—WITH MORE EVERY DAY.
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“Maximize charities’ impact” — ”Build and support movements to advance and fight for an open, just, habitable world.” — ”Drive income and growth more sustainably” — ”Support gaps facing nonprofits and social enterprises” — ”Design for preferred futures” — ”Make the world work for 100% of humanity” — ”Build regenerative brands” — ”Create a shared vision of a better world, one that’s greener, progressive, more inclusive, diverse” — ”Move people to remake the world” — ”Reconsider the way business is done” — ”Spark positive change and accelerate the transition to a more just and sustainable world” — “Cause the effect” — ”Build the capability to transform into more vibrant versions of ourselves, so we can have a positive impact on the world” — ”Design the future, rather than succumb to it” — ”Realize new futures” — ”Protect the planet, open minds, and enrich lives” — ”Find the balance between love and trust” — “Infuse creative expression with meaning to help confront obstacles that face the world” — ”Be aware, additive, alive” — ”Bring teams closer to their customers” —
COLLECTIVELY, THEY’RE INTRODUCING A TORRENT OF IMPACT-FORWARD MISSIONS TO THE MARKET.
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THE QUESTION IS NO LONGER HOW YOU CAN JUSTIFY DOING SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPACTFUL WORK;
THE QUESTION HAS BECOME,
HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY NOT DOING SOCIALLY & ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPACTFUL WORK?
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INDIVIDUAL�Participating within �existing systems
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE
CIVIL SECTOR�Inventing new systems
PRIVATE SECTOR�Scale up new systems
PUBLIC SECTOR�Institutionalize new systems
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QUESTIONS TO START ASKING:
Who do we partner with?
What are we trying to achieve?
Why are we doing this?
What makes us uniquely qualified to do this?
What’s our theory of change?
What do we actually do and make?
What kind of people do we hire?
How do we work with clients?
Q:
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LET’S TALK.