Change is inevitable.
The world around us, as well as the markets in which we operate, are ever-evolving.
Trends and fads come and go with bewildering rapidity, forcing brands to adapt and establish new ones on a regular basis.
Today, consumers no longer care about a decent product or service; they want more.
They need a “conscious brand“.
In this blog, we will explain what conscious branding is and discuss the steps you need to take to create a conscious branding strategy for your business.
What is Conscious Branding?
Conscious branding is basically what the words imply.
It’s all about making a deliberate effort as a company to be more aware of our behaviours and actions to the world we live in, knowing that what we release has consequences, sometimes long-term.
In other words, what matters most to conscious brands are the values they stand for, not just growth and more income.
The goal of conscious companies is to create a network that shares the same principles and values, and wants to make the world a better place, not building the largest community possible.
And the biggest reward from this is that a specific audience will have already met their basic needs, but now want to have a real impact on society.
Therefore, they will choose to engage with those brands they most identify with.
3 Steps to Create a Brand That People Believe In
Luckily, you don’t have to be a big shot in order to transform your business into a conscious brand.
Here are 3 steps you can take to ensure your actions resonate with your ideal consumers.
In turn, this will not only help to make a lasting impact, but grow your revenue too.
Be Clear About Your Values
To be a conscious brand, it needs to be made clear what you stand for as a business.
And to do this, you need to be open about the socially responsible causes your brand is an advocate for – this is where your audience will fall in love.
As people get savvier, building trust in marketing is becoming more and more important each day; consumers want to do business with the brands they a) like, b) trust and c) align with.
To put it simply, you need to include your views and values in your marketing; share your beliefs, and ask your audience to be involved and support the same causes.
Positively, you can get ahead of the competition by intentionally integrating social responsibility into your daily business routine, ensuring that you are participating in social and environmental responsibility while being viewed as a thought leader in your field.
Actions Speak Louder
It’s one thing to talk about the causes you back, but doing something about them is a different story.
People are weary of outdated marketing tactics, deceptive advertising, and brands and influencers who don’t live up to their claims.
Building and running a conscious brand, on the other hand, requires more deliberate decision-making and an unyielding commitment to the cause for good; but the benefit is the creation of a movement that leads to tremendous success and influence.
There are several methods to get involved in the good cause: collect donations, offer scholarships and participate in activism, to name a few.
Take advantage of the resources you have: your voice, your business and your community, to take action.
When you integrate these activities into your company culture, and they are accepted by both employees and customers, you have started a movement.
Your brand will rise above the competition if you follow ethical business practices while also being open and accountable, and providing significant value.
Harness Partnerships Based on Values
Co-branding with another business is a powerful approach to raise public awareness of an issue, enhance the impact of an activity and expand both organisations’ visibility.
However, the company you choose to work with has an immediate influence on your reputation, brand awareness, and potential consumer opinions of your business.
Choose business partnerships that are consistent with your principles and values to ensure that you’re making smart partnering decisions.
Make it a top priority to figure out your brand values if you haven’t already.
You can do this using the 3S method:
- First: Source. Do a Google search for “brand value words.” Choose as many terms as you can that you identify with and believe are essential.
- Second: Sort. Group all of the similar words together. For example, honesty, integrity and truth would go in the same pile.
- Finally: Select. Choose your most important words from the categories by what you believe best represents your highest values.
Final Words
Now more than ever before, consumers are demanding that companies become transparent and take a hands-on approach to making the world a better place.
People want conscious brands, and they will do business with companies that have a higher aim through having an intentional purpose or promoting social responsibility.
