Do Consumers Care If Brands Are On A Social Mission?

Image Credit BrandQuarterly.com

Today’s Consumers Demand Much More Than Just a Good Deal

For brands to stay competitive in today’s marketplace, they must have a purpose behind their brand and show a desire to fulfill more than just their own bottom line.

When brands and consumers work in unison on a social mission, the impact can be significant. Sure, a committed consumer following makes it easier to boost sales. However, when the next step is taken, and consumers are tied to a brand with a social mission, the loyalty advances well beyond the point of sale.

Driven by a clearly defined social mission, customers will be much more likely to stick up for your brand in social settings and on social media. Businesses that are on a social mission have a competitive advantage while also doing good in the world.

With a loyal customer base that’s supporting a cause, you will have more opportunities to gain brand visibility, improve reputation, and form valuable partnerships. In a nutshell, businesses that are on a social mission have a competitive advantage while also doing good in the world. You don’t have to take my word for it. There’s an abundance of industry research that supports these claims and shows that the marriage between brands and social missions is more than just a fad; it’s a shift that’s here to stay. 

Let’s take a look at some data that supports these claims, and the steps brand should take:

How Retailers Can Use Reusable Bags to Increase Repeat Business

Here's How to Put Reusable Shopping Bags to Work for Your Brand to Attract Repeat Retail Business!

Many retail businesses concentrate their marketing efforts on gaining new customers. You certainly want to grow and expand your customer base. But for long-term success, it is also important to maintain and build upon the relationships you already have with existing customers. You want to create retail brand advocates and make sure those customers know they are appreciated.

So in order to attract repeat business, you need to have a great product. Done. Next you need to develop a relationship with each of your your customers that makes them feel like part of your brand. This is where reusable shopping bags can help build the relationship and help you attract that important repeat business.

Relationships Matter Today in Business More Than Ever

There are too many competitors that also have a great product that are working to build relationships with your market share. That's where "The Gift with Purchase, That Keeps On Giving" comes into play. It's easy and will put your brand and your customers together working to save the planet and save them money. How does that sound?

Here's how to do it. Create custom reusable shopping bags in many sizes to offer as a "thank you" gift with purchase. You can also offer your custom reusable shopping bags as a gift with minimum purchase. Your customers will be thrilled to receive a free gift, but you can expand of this offer.

Offer Special Discounts When Customers Bring Your Reusable Shopping Bags

Let your customers know, as they check out, as well as by placing the info on the bag, that each time they bring their bag back in to shop, they will receive a discount; either a percentage or a flat fee taken off of their purchase for going reusable with your brand.

To make it fun, you can offer a standard discount for everything that can fit in the bag. That is where the different sizes can make things interesting. You can also create seasonal bags to mix it up and generate interest. Or you can offer special edition bags that offer more of a discount to celebrate a milestone or event.

For more great tips on retail marketing, be sure to follow John Andrews, Ted Rubin and Prevailing Path on Twitter.

3 Trade Show Marketing Ideas You May Be Missing

Get Leads and Build Relationships at Your Next Event

Some of the best trade show marketing ideas are ones that you may not have thought of...yet. Today I would like to offer up three trade show marketing ideas that have been working for us to increase leads and business. Simply incorporating one of these tips into your next trade show or event can yield major results.

How Boyan Slat and His Ocean CleanUp Will Save Our Oceans

Boyan Slat is Cleaning Up Our Oceans...No Kidding

I just saw the below video on LinkedIn from one of my contacts Robert Green (how apropos) and got chills and frankly, I actually got a little choked up. Now my girls will tell you that I get choked up a lot lately and what can I say, I am a 48 year old woman with hot flashes and hormones raging like a teenager (but going in the reverse direction) but this is huge and worth the happy tears.

It seems that a 21 year old man named Boyan Slat has come up with part of the solution to clean up our oceans that is truly incredible. Actually he came up with the idea when he was just 19 and founded the non-profit, The Ocean CleanUp, when he was which has already raised over $2 million.

Orlando Terrorist Attack at Pulse...Get Informed

Pray for Orlando...Pray for The World

I love to dance but I haven't been out dancing in over a year. In Orlando, the best place to dance is Pulse. Pulse is not just a LGBT club, it has a reputation of being a fun and welcoming place to all who want to experience a great night of dancing. For three weeks my boyfriend and I have been talking about going to Pulse. I even told my two besties that we needed to go because it was supposed to be THE place to dance in O-Town.

Last night, after dancing between the tables in between courses at a late dinner, only by chance, my boyfriend and I ended up calling it a night instead of continuing our evening at Pulse. 

What if we had been there? What if you or your loved one had been there? What if they were? What about the beautiful lives lost last night? What about the credible threat to Florida from ISIS? Was there a threat? Why did we not hear about that? Is that even real? Am I supposed to let my daughter go to work today since a State of Emergency has been issued for Orange County Florida where we live? Who do I believe?