Danny Star and the team speak often about how clients can do right by their communities.
To be clear, we do this in the context of “helping.” Any benefit to one’s business is ancillary. Doing something good for someone else just to be seen as a “purposeful company” or something isn’t a good idea. It could be seen as inauthentic because, well, in that context, it kind of is.
But, by helping others, charitable donations, and actions, your company may find benefits you didn’t anticipate.
A Shampoo Anecdote
Herbal Essences is a popular shampoo brand. Looking to reach more customers (and to be helpful) they “added raised stripes or dots to the bottom of (their) bottles so that visually impaired people (could) tell the difference between shampoo and conditioner.”
We can all agree that was a good idea.
It’s purposeful, empathetic, providing a bit of assistance to those who could maybe use a bit more help.
While certainly not the biggest, most dramatic change, it was the right thing to do.
However, they soon found that it had added benefits to the company.
When in the shower, if you’re like, well, just about all of us, you probably close your eyes.
That can make it difficult (without rubbing your eyes, holding your head out of the water, and so forth) to pick out which is the shampoo and which is the conditioner.
So, everyone could benefit from those raised stripes and dots.
By first setting out to do good for others, they ended up finding a way to improve their business.
The same can work for your company.
Unsure What to Do? Ask Yourself: “How Could We Help?”
We’re not privy to the inner meetings of those who work at Herbal Essences. Perhaps they had planned that for years and years.
However, it’s equally likely that they were thinking of ways to help other people and that came up.
Whenever someone says “think outside the box,” as marketers, we tend to think of that only in terms of marketing. Ask yourself: “how can we help people in a way that’s ‘outside the box?” You’ll never know where that might lead.
To talk to Danny about this or anything else, schedule a remote marketing consulting in Los Angeles session with him at (213) 457-3250.
