A book review and recommendation by Dan Beaulieu
Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit
by Anne Bahr Thompson
Copyright: 2018 Amacon
Price: $27.95
Pages: 294 with index
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I love this book and want every business leader to read it
The best way to get your people engaged is to give them a company with a mission that is bigger than the company. People now more than ever want to believe in things or causes that matter. They want to be proud of the company they work for.
A company with values is a company that will last, is a company that has brand identity and is known for caring about its customers and about people in general.
This is what this book is all about. Here are some examples:
“Businesses that ingrain social responsibility and corporate citizenship across their operations will create greater financial and social value over the long term.”
Nothing has ever been truer and unfortunately rarer. Most of our companies are in business for themselves and don’t adhere to the values of social responsibility.
“Ethical customs follow changing values and an evolving ethos. To remain relevant, businesses need to follow these changes closely and ensure they adapt to shifting needs and expectations of customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders.
“Like Ikea, all brands need to be restless and consistent in how they present themselves; staying true to their purpose and personality while continuously evolving and raising their standards to reflect changing social values and expectations.”
Now, I know what some of you are thinking, “I can barely eke out a profit now. I can barely keep my employees engaged and focused on the job they are doing. How do you expect me to get involved in all of this greater good stuff?” Or, “This is all good for big companies, but I’m running a little five-million-dollar job shop. How can I possibly do the kinds of things recommended in this book?”
I hear you, and as a consultant to many five and 10-million-dollar companies, I sympathize. But I also know that getting your company and your team involved in doing good will create a better company and help you develop a company that will perform better. The reason for that being that the same attributes and values required to have a “do good” company, are also the attributes and values required to have a well-run, profitable company filled with engaged, committed and passionate employees.
Here are examples from the book of how brand citizenship directly enhances a company:
• Trust (don’t let me down) improves: customer service, product development, marketing and branding and finance.
• Enrichment (enhance daily life) improves: customer service, customer relationship management, communications, product development, digital technology.
• Responsibility (behave fairly) improves: human resources, corporate responsibility, sustainability, supply chain management, corporate communications/reputation management, finance, legal compliance.
• Community (connect me) improves: human resources, corporate social responsibility, digital technology, market and brand.
• Contribution (make be bigger then I am) improves: corporate social responsibility, sustainability, supply chain management, product development, reputation management, marketing and brand.
In short, the message is, do all you can to drive your company to do good and you will have a good, nay, great company in the end.
Don’t just read this book, study it, believe it, practice it and you will not only help make a better company, but a better world as well.
Dan Beaulieu is the president and founder of D.B. Management LLC, a consulting firm specializing in all aspects of sales, marketing and branding with a focus on rep-principal relationships. His latest book is The PCB 101 Handbook which can be purchased online by emailing danbbeaulieu@aol.com. Dan is also the author of “It’s Only Common Sense,” a weekly sales column appearing at pcb007.com. Dan can be reached at 207.649.0879.