Doing Good by Talking to Each Other

By Helen Vollmer, President, Edelman Southwest

As winter winds blew into Austin in mid- December, the Edelman Southwest crew hosted an amazing holiday breakfast of corporate and non-profit leaders, led by its own Carol Cone, the acknowledged “mother of cause marketing.” Joining Carol in a conversation at the new W Austin hotel on how both businesses and 501c3 organizations can profit from citizenship initiatives were Nona Evans, global marketing for Whole Foods, Amanda Webster, community relations managers and employee communications manager of National Instruments and Emily Steinberg, associate director of College Forward.

Panelists and audience members agreed with Edelman’s 2010 goodpurpose ^TM study findings that deeper engagement in social issues is now expected on the part of brands and corporations. Consumers are demonstrating exceedingly high expectations of businesses and nonprofits to work together to find solutions to our biggest challenges. And consumer loyalties now lay with those entities that do so.

There were several “a-ha” moments, including a collective group nod that non-profits and their for-profit allies need to do a much better job of communicating what each party needs from the other to gain the most benefit. It was pointed out that non-profits should do their homework in advance to understand what causes corporations have aligned themselves with and they should vet what the company already may be doing in that arena.

Plus, flexibility is key in developing programs that work toward common good. It’s okay for businesses, according to our experts, to pilot a program and see if the relationship is mutually beneficial before determining if a long-term commitment is in everyone’s best interest. Finally, at all costs, both corporations and non-profits need to stay focused on what’s needed to accomplish their mission. It’s easy to get distracted by the sound of a good idea, but partnerships are only successful if they get you closer to your goal.

The takeaway? Starting conversations such as this one in Austin and keeping them going is a responsibility we all have. One of Edelman’s New Year’s resolutions in the Southwest is a commitment to making sure we are all engaged in such dialogues that lead us all to a better place with purpose.