The future is now
Late last year I was fortunate enough to attend a session (run by the Sustainable Business Council) where Jacqueline Ireland from Colmar Brunton shared their latest ‘Better Business. Better Future’ research. WOW! I have long been passionate about the role of business and community collaboration and this latest research just confirmed for me my decision to take a plunge - setting up my new venture Seen&Heard so I can help play a more active role in enabling businesses and communities to do good together’. This values driven, purpose lead approach to business is a hot topic right now and if you believe the trends in similar surveys both internationally and here in NZ, it is only going to become more so in the coming years as Generation Z (also known as iGen or post millennials born in the late 90’s, early 2000’s) become more of a driving force in business and our communities. For these guys, social issues are their number one concern and it is not just about clean, green sustainable choices. They want to choose brands that they feel good about so company values and what their products stand for is key when making their purchase and consumption decisions. Consumers care more than ever before and they want to see businesses doing the same. So what are you and your business doing to address these changing needs? Do you know what is important to your consumers? Don’t delay, as despite the name of this Colmar Brunton research being “future” – this is happening now. We all have a role to play in creating the communities that we want to live in so what can you bring to the table to help improve your environment and set yourself up for longer term business success? In NZ we are a bit behind the curve on some of this stuff but a quick look to the likes of L’Oreal and Eat My Lunch will show that businesses big and small are doing so great stuff to embrace this change in priorities here in little old NZ. Before you leap into a million local sponsorship deals in an effort to ‘tick the box’ it is important to note that this is not just about any partnerships or relationships. It must be linked to your brand story and above all it must be authentic – a natural extension of what you do and part of your overall brand experience otherwise consumers will see straight through it. It might be a corporate sponsorship, a community partnership or it could be something more bespoke and unique to you and the products or service that you offer like Lion’s Alcohol&Me programme – the key is putting purpose beyond profit and connecting with your community in a meaningful way. If you want to talk more about this “Do Good” approach to business, I would love to hear from you so email me on jude@seenandheard.co.nz