HowBy now, we all know that doing good is good for business.
Most of us would agree that we want to feel good not only about that work that we do, but also about the company we work for.
Today, employees want to work for companies that share their values. According to a Deloitte study, six out of 10 Millennials say a “sense of purpose is part of the reason they chose to work for their current employer.” And 72% of students and 53% of the current workforce polled felt that having a job where they can make an impact was essential to their happiness.
Companies are taking notice. Cause marketing has become an essential element in brand promotion, as well as a tool for recruiting and maintaining top talent.
How do you make the connection between your brand and what it stands for? Here are three simple steps:
Get your team involved.
Have them help define the causes, practices and issues that are most meaningful or impactful to your brand.
Take action.
Implement cause-centered programs or campaigns in your everyday business operations. By doing so, you’ll not only make an impact, but you’ll create an engaging, authentic corporate culture that employees actually want to be a part of. (Our Shamrock Cares program is an example of a targeted, successful cause marketing effort that has energized our team and improves the environment by planting trees.)
Create a buzz.
As part of a multi-channel marketing effort, give your employees the branded products and apparel they really want—and that align with your corporate values. Think sustainable products and socially-responsible brands. These items get your brand posted, shared and liked and on social media.
Making a cause + brand statement is on-trend.
I’ve had more and more customers add branded premium products and apparel items to their marketing and HR programs based solely on requests from their employees. Their associates are proud of where they work and want branded swag to rep their corporate brand.
If you’re looking to give your people what they want, onboarding kits are a great way to welcome new employees to the team while reinforcing and cultivating corporate culture. These kits provide new team members with branded items for use at the office and well beyond. Polo shirts, jackets, hats, insulated mugs, travel bags and wireless charging accessories are some of the most popular items trending right now.
We help customers present these kits to new-hires in various ways. They can be delivered electronically—as a congratulations and welcome-to-the-team email that prompts the new employee to order the item(s) of his/her choice with direct-ship convenience. Or you can create a pre-assembled branded kit presented as part of the in-office onboarding process.
In either format, the onboarding kit is a great tool for engaging employees, promoting your brand and reinforcing cause marketing efforts.
If you’re interested in learning more or if you’d like to talk about ideas for your brand management, connect with me at jbanks@shamrockcompanies.net.
