Why doing good is good business
In this guest post UnLtd CEO Steve Taitoko says media businesses need to look at how they are contributing in terms of social good in 2016.
Last week we received new Media i survey results, showing a record 88% of the industry believes we should be doing more to undo social issues in Australia.
It’s clear that there’s a social conscience within the creative and media communities that wants, and needs, to be acted upon. But for us to truly realise this sector’s potential to change young lives, there needs to be a shift. A shift in both; the way businesses view CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs, and the way individuals seize opportunities to get involved.
Why? Because “doing good” is actually good business. And it’s this realisation that will see significantly more people – and organistaions – coming forward to contribute in 2016.
It would be about time.
The problem with this industry is that most large agencies and many smaller agencies to be fair, make their largest revenues from companies who honestly couldn’t give two hoots about society. Just one look at a ‘clients’ tab on many agency websites will show junk food, gas guzzlers, fossil fuel burners on one end and then charities on the other, ‘(but these are pro bono!’. Many would argue that we could halve the amount of charities, if it wasn’t for the actions of the irresponsible companies who pollute the fabric of our society and demand handouts from government to keep them in business, raking in even more money to our greater detriment. Agencies help these faceless corporate flog their wares with bells on.
The ad agency world is second to the investment banking world, in terms of having a negative impact on society, this is a well known fact.
Purpose is everything. Working for the cause and more importantly, believing in it, will get the best work out of people. I can’t imagine that people think to themselves: ‘I want to help to increase heart disease, diabetes, carbon emissions…’ Do they? Well if they do, then they are working on the right clients if they work with these irresponsible companies. If they don’t, then how on earth do they get out of bed in the morning and to a degree; get to sleep at night?
We need companies to embed kindness in the organisation through layering a positive culture and ensuring it is on their agenda. Novelty cheques won’t change the world, engagement will.if it is driven by the lesdership how do we ensure a positive culture of doing good remains after the leaders have moved on?
Hi Steve, I hope you are aware of the global movement Conscious Capitalism – they’ve shown that conscious businesses actually outperform the market significantly!
http://www.consciouscapitalism.org/
Best,
Michael