There seems to be no shortage of brands wanting to do good these days – or seen to be doing good. A new Loerie Award, which GreaterCapital is advising on, will reward brands for the contribution they have made to the common good. Dylan Edwards looks at the rise of ‘social marketing’ and how this new movement is evolving in response to increasingly savvy consumers.

A 1949 television advertisement shows a handsome man in a white coat sitting behind a large desk. He lights a cigarette as a beautiful nurse hands him some important looking papers. As the man busies himself reading, the voiceover informs us: “More doctors smoke Camel than any other brand of cigarette.”

Goodness is ‘in’

How times have changed. But just like Camel in 1949, who believed the association with the medical profession would build brand loyalty, companies and advertisers today want to be associated with doing good. From the environment to education to health – everyone is jumping on the good bandwagon.

The reason? It sells more product. Put quite simply: goodness is ‘in’. As terms like ‘organic’, ‘fair trade’, and ‘carbon neutral’ entered the mainstream, companies moved to create products to meet the new demand.

Cynical

While many worry about the cynical intentions of marketers, the ‘social marketing’ movement can have profoundly positive outcomes. When businesses integrate their social investment strategy with their, usually considerably more potent, marketing strategy – truly great things are possible. In a media-driven age, big brands have become the leaders, the role models, the trend-setters. Who better to raise awareness about social issues? And who else has the budget to drive real change?

Doing good while doing well

There is mounting evidence to show that doing good and doing well are not necessarily forces that pull in opposite directions. Companies are becoming increasingly intelligent about their social and environmental spending as they realise that doing good is good for business.

Mike Harrison, the Chief Brand Officer for Timberland, a company that has been hailed for its environmental initiatives, captures this when he says: “We\'re not advocating for good causes just for the sake of it, there is an element of enlightened self-interest in this; we\'re an outdoors brand, if winter goes away, it’s not a good thing for us financially either.”

Advertisers for good

In a manifestation of this trend, advertising creatives are now looking for ways to use their talents for good – and being recognised for it. The Loerie Awards, South Africa’s premier advertising and marketing awards, have this year introduced the Ubuntu Award, for brands that have a positive social and/or environmental impact. “It is increasingly important for companies to ensure that their brand is a positive contributor to our environment,” says Andrew Human, CEO of The Loerie Awards “What we are looking for with this new category is brands that have gone the extra mile to improve our living conditions, whether it be in the form of community services or protecting and enhancing our living space.”

Exciting

GreaterCapital, as part of the GreaterGood group, has been asked to advise the judging panel on the social impact of entries for this year’s award. GreaterGood CEO, Dean Hand, will be joining the judging panel: “Consumers are savvy about the provenance of the products they buy and brands are having to focus on the responsibility they have to their social and environmental impact, more than ever before.”

“When brands start to compete to have increasingly innovative social investment strategies, things get really exciting. The Ubuntu Award is a great opportunity to showcase and reward brands that are working to improve the world they operate in.”