I tried an experiment yesterday that I think may change significantly the way I shop in the future. With my husband out of town and my daughters otherwise occupied, I leisurely shopped alone. Only this time, I was purposefully paying attention to how many stores were promoting locally-produced items and/or the store's commitment to charitable giving. (I'm usually a power shopper, who focuses largely on saving time.)
Luckily, it wasn't hard to make purchases that let me feel good about contributing to a cause bigger than just good-old consumerism. At Rainblue Gallery, for instance, I was able to buy some beautiful pottery made by artists in Georgia and sold by a local merchant who has owned this family business for 32 years. Truthfully, I've bought things before at Rainblue, but mostly because I just loved the art. This time I was determined to spend money specifically to benefit Georgia potters.
Later, I stopped by Target to pick up a couple of things that I could easily have bought when I was grocery shopping. But I had read an article about Target's charitable giving program that results in over $3 million a week going into their neighborhoods, primarily to local schools, and decided the minor inconvenience was worthwhile.
At Barnes and Noble, I was able to contribute to a reading program for children by purchasing one of several pre-selected books located right at the cash register.
The rest of the day and night went like that. I bought very little that didn't have a giving component of some type. It takes more effort and time, but doesn't everything that really matters?
I'm not the only Boomer out shopping this way. According to a recently study by Focalyst, 88 percent of Boomers make an effort to support local retailers, 67 percent specifically buy from companies that have strong community ties, and 54 percent seek items that are locally produced. The study also showed that Boomers who regularly volunteer are more savvy shoppers than non-volunteers, probably because they have a raised consciousness.
Beyond paying attention to the ties I've already noted, I also found myself paying more attention to whether an item was endorsed by a specific organization. The best example I can think of is when I was in a local nursery looking for gardening gloves for my husband, I specifically bought a pair that had received the Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Commendation. Now, my husband doesn't even have arthritis, thankfully, but the Foundation is a client and these were the only gloves on the rack that were endorsed, so I grabbed them.
According to Edelman's recent GoodPurpose study, companies are waking up to the realization that people are increasingly making buying decisions based on the opportunity the brand offers to champion social causes, whether in our own back yard or on the other side of the world. It's called "mutual social responsibility."
The study showed, among other things, that 76 percent of consumers prefer to buy brands that make a donation to worthy causes. And almost 7 in 10 consumers around the world said that during a recession, they would be more loyal to a brand that supports a good cause. While the study wasn't limited to Boomers, the trends are consistent with Boomer patterns.
So, what does this mean for your brand? You're probably better off to funnel some advertising or marketing money into social responsibility programs. After all, it trumps even design and innovation in terms of payback. I encourage you to check out these studies and consider what changes you may need to consider to get your brand ready for the post-holiday season.
It seems more people like me will start paying closer attention during the recession to what your brand represents. And when times are good again, we'll already be in the habit of rewarding brands we feel deserve our business.
