It's no secret that the world is facing some tough challenges at the moment. Between the climate crisis, rising inflation, ongoing conflicts, the pandemic, and widespread burnout, keeping up with all the issues affecting our local and global communities can be overwhelming.
But let's not lose hope! We're entering a new era where people are becoming more aware of these critical issues and want to take action to address them.
That's why purpose-driven organisations are becoming increasingly popular and Public Relations (PR) can play a crucial role in helping these organisations succeed. By using PR to harness this competitive advantage, we can make a positive impact. We're all in this together and can make a difference.
Here are some ways that PR can help purpose-driven organisations and businesses:
1. Builds trust and credibility.
People want to trust the brands and organisations they support. As a society, we are becoming more mindful of how our decisions impact the world around us and how we spend our money and time.
PR can help purpose-driven organisations and businesses to build trust and credibility with their stakeholders, including customers, investors, employees, and the wider public.
Positive media coverage, increased sales, better employee recruitment and retention, and crisis resilience are just a few of the flow-on benefits of a positive brand image and reputation.
2. Raises awareness.
According to Lwindi Ellis, PR and Communications Director of Raise Communications, PR for purpose is a win-win for both the cause and the organisation.
By creating engaging stories and content that highlight the organisation's purpose, PR can help to attract the attention of its target audience and inspire them to support its cause.
Raise Communications client and Kiwi ethical shopping directory, fair&good, achieved this through the launch of their Chrome extension, which helps consumers identify ethical brands and products when shopping online.
Not only have fair&good made strides in promoting the ethical lifestyle but local ethically conscious brands have also enjoyed an increased customer base.
3. Attracts funding and investment.
Being purpose-driven makes business sense. In recent times, people are now starting to realise this fact as businesses that take action for a better world have a healthier bottom line than those that don’t.
PR can help attract funding and investment by showcasing the organisation's impact and potential for creating positive change.
Indra Nooyi, Former CEO of PepsiCo, says that when she was named CEO in 2006, she carefully curated a vision for the company, which she called ‘Performance with Purpose.’ By creating a vision this way, not only did shareholders, employees and communities benefit – so did the bottom line.
In Indra’s 12 years as CEO, total shareholder return was 149%, dividends grew 10% a year, and net revenue jumped 80%.
4. Influences public opinion.
PR can help to influence public opinion and shape the conversation around the purpose-driven organisation and the cause they are backing. Lwindi Ellis of Raise Communications affirms this.
“PR can empower organisations to elevate their mission and drive meaningful change by giving their cause a voice and influencing perceptions of the public," she says.
A notable example of this was when Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, made headlines when he announced his plan to donate to the company to fight the climate crisis. In his letter, he said: “Instead of ‘going public,’ you could say we’re ‘going purpose.’ Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth.”
5. Builds partnerships and collaborations.
PR can help build partnerships and collaborations by showcasing the organisation's purpose and aligning it with the values and goals of potential partners.
Recently, women’s clothing chain Max partnered with clothing rent and resale marketplace Designer Wardrobe so customers can opt-in to re-sell their garments later at the time of purchase.
This partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to sustainability and reducing waste in the fashion industry.
In conclusion
The global issues we face have led to a significant shift in society's values. People are now more conscious of social, economic, and environmental issues and look to organisations to lead with purpose.
This shift towards a purpose-driven approach is driving demand for sustainable solutions and pushing organisations to adapt to meet the expectations of this new era.
By creating engaging stories and content that highlight the organisation's purpose, PR can attract the attention of its target audience and inspire them to support its cause.
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