Impact Storytelling - PR for Social Enterprises

We believe in doing great by doing good.

WE’RE YULU

@604PR @YULUPR #VANIMPACT14

CONTENT

WHAT IS IMPACT STORYTELLING?

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

WHY IS SOCIAL IMPACT RELEVANT NOW?

CRAFTING AN AUTHENTIC STORY

1

2

3

4

5 CASE STUDIES


We work exclusively with companies that have a positive social impact because we believe what’s good for the world is good for business.


Yulu’s Mission: We believe communication is one of the most powerful tools for inspiring and motivating others. We are dedicated to discovering concepts, ideas and organizations that have a positive impact on humanity. It’s our goal to share their messages with wider audiences to create a better world..


Yulu’s Mandate: Yulu has a social mandate to work with companies that look beyond the bottom line and provide societal value.

What do you stand for?


Yulu envisions a world where the public can more easily connect to brands that have a positive impact on society; where media the media we consume is helpful, not harmful; and where the PR industry is regulated by strong set of principles and values.

VISIONWhat do you stand for?


What do you stand for?


World Housing: Inspired by the One-for-One™ gifting model developed by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, World Housing is the world’s first one-for-one real estate gifting model. For every home sold at one of our certified World Housing condominium projects, a home is constructed and gifted to a deserving family living in a third world garbage dump community.


To provide housing to the most people on earth,

while enabling social giving and philanthropy in a real estate market where millions of transactions take place every year.

WORLD HOUSINGTM


mission

MISSION

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? WHAT A AN ORGANIZATION STANDS FOR, WHAT THEY ARE WORKING TOWARDS, WHAT INSPIRES THEM. THESE ARE ALL COMPONENTS THAT FORM A COMPANY’S STORY.


On the consumer side, there is a growing demand for socially-responsible products and services, particularly amongst the Millennial generation. By 2020, its members will represent one out of every three adults on the continent.

The global economy, societal trends, social influencers, media – these are all contributors to how the public will receive and digest your brand and story.

WHY IS IT RELEVANT FOR YOUR STORY TO HAVE SOCIAL IMPACT?

We are in an era of social sharing. What your business does, good or bad, the word will spread.

Media are always on the look-out for company’s that are doing innovative things that will affect more than just the bottom line – the more creative your social give is, the more likely a reporter will cover your story.


When we’re looking for a story that will resonate with the press and capture the attention of the public, we follow a simple rule of humanity. People feel before they think or take action.


When you signed up for this seminar, think back to the moment before you clicked on the “purchase button” and entered your credit card number. What feelings were evoked? Inspiration? Curiosity? A craving or longing to learn from or be in the presence of like-minded people?

When we’re looking to engage the public in a story, this process is vital. In order for those words on a page, screen or video, to have impact, they first have to evoke a strong emotion. That’s where social impact has a great vantage point. You are not just trying to sell the public on a product or service, you are trying to get their buy-in to a greater purpose.

A movement or feeling that is bigger than they are, but if you communicate the value, is maybe something they want to be a proponent of. The opportunity to build ambassadors for your brand is so much greater with social enterprises and cause-based organizations for this reason. That pathway from feeling, to thought to action, needs to be clear in your messaging for this to be effective.


cgepThe Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership created a distribution enterprise in a rural area in Peru to provide opportunities for women entrepreneurs to earn a reliable income for their families. These communities are often remote and poverty stricken as they’re unable to access basic resources essential to their livelihoods.



CGEP

Claris Healthcare was launching a digital tablet in an attempt to bring senior citizens into everyday online conversations between family members and loved ones. The tablet also aimed to keep family members and caregivers apprised of the senior’s health. The challenge was two-Fold: How would we garner the attention of seniors, a non-tech audience; and how would media respond to another tech product in a very saturated consumer technology market?

Yulu worked with Claris’ stakeholders to identify the key differentiators of its product. We then positioned the product as a tablet designed specifically for seniors who were skeptical of technology – highlighting the senior-friendly functionality that was not offered in other products on the market. Yulu organized a New York and Toronto media tour, where we met with top media outlets, providing reporters with a first-hand demo of the product and an opportunity to speak with Claris Companion’s creators.

CLARIS COMPANION

THE CHALLENGE

THE SOLUTION


IS SIMPLY HAVING A SOCIAL IMPACT STRATEGY IN A BUSINESS MODEL AN AUTOMATIC PR MOVE IN

AND OF ITSELF?

YES AND NO.Having a strong social impact strategy is great PR amongst the public who know you exist. In today’s multi-media world, people often forget that the best PR is still word of mouth. In fact good old fashioned word of mouth has become even more powerful in modern times because technology has enabled individuals to EXLOG�LQÀXHQWLDO�QHWZRUNV�ZLWKRXW�JHRJUDSKLFDO�EDUULHUV�DQG�self-broadcast to them through social media.


AUTHENTICITY (PEOPLE CAN SPOT THE PHONIES)

BRAND CONTINUITY / CONSISTENCY

MESSAGE POSITIONING

LAW OF THE FEW (IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT EVANGELISTS)

COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING & EXECUTION

If you are on to something good, gaining brand evangelists has never been easier or more effective. So why do so many great cause-oriented organizations get lost in noise?


warby parkerFor every pair of Warby Parker glasses purchased, the company pays for the production of a pair of eyeglasses for WKH�QRQ�SUR¿W�RUJDQL]DWLRQ�9LVLRQ6SULQJ��ZKLFK�9LVLRQ6SULQJ�in turn sells either directly to consumers or companies.


In July 2013, Warby Parker announced that it had distrib-uted 500,000 pairs of eyeglasses to people in need. Warby Parker is a certified B Corporation with areas of excellence in Accountability and Consumers. The company is 100% carbon neutral.

�� Workers: Living wage paid to all full time part time employees; 100% of full time employees receive bonus; >80% of health insurance premiums covered; >15% job growth rate; 100% of full time employee participate in external professional development

�� Consumers: One-for-one give back program benefits people in emerging markets those unable to afford glasses

�� Community: 30-40% of management is from previously excluded populations; 25-49% of employees participate in company organized service day

�� Environment: Company conducts internal environmental review; annual carbon inventory conducted

WARBY PARKER

SOCIAL IMPACT

B-CORP CERTIFICATION HIGHLIGHTS


7RPV�LV�D�IRU�SUR¿W�FRPSDQ\�EDVHG�LQ�&DOLIRUQLD��WKDW�RSHUDWHV�WKH�QRQ�SUR¿W�VXEVLGLDU\��)ULHQGV�RI�7206��When Toms sells a pair of shoes, a pair of shoes is given to an impoverished child, and when Toms sells a pair of H\HZHDU��SDUW�RI�WKH�SUR¿W�LV�XVHG�WR�VDYH�RU�UHVWRUH�WKH�eyesight for people in developing countries.


toms

Why is it relevant for your story to have social impact?

The global economy, societal trends, social influencers, media – these are all

contributors to how the public will receive and digest your brand and story.

- On the consumer side, there is a growing demand for socially-responsible

products and services, particularly amongst the Millennial generation.

By 2020, its members will represent one out of every three adults on the

continent.

- We are in an era of social sharing. What your business does, good or bad, the

word will spread.

- Media are always on the look-out for company’s that are doing innovative

things that will affect more than just the bottom line – the more creative your

social give is, the more likely a reporter will cover your story.

- Examples:

Author Daniel H. Pink described the company’s business modelas “expressly built for purpose maximization”, whereby Toms is both selling shoes and selling its ideal; creating consumers that are purchasing shoes and also making a purchase that transforms them into benefactors—a company goal if it is not a consumer goal. Another phrase used to try to describe the unique business model has been “caring capitalism”.

Toms’ marketing has involved fashion shows, high profile events,university campus marketing, social media, and temporary pop-up stores. Products have been created to fit with different environmental ideals as well, including the creation of shoes that adhere to vegan product restrictions in their product lines. The popular ideals of the company have led the company to becoming involved in cross-company advertising campaigns, including a commercial with AT&T that filmed one of Toms’ shoe drops in Uruguay.

�� In 2009, Mycoskie was invited to participate at the Opening Plenary of the Second Annual CGI U Meeting.

�� In February 2010, FastCompany named Toms #6 on their list of Top Ten Most Innovative Retail Companies.

�� At the 2011 South by Southwest conference, Blake gave the keynote address.

Notable recognitions:

SOCIAL IMPACT?

TOMS

MARKETING



3DWDJRQLD��,QF��LV�D�9HQWXUD��&DOLIRUQLD�EDVHG�clothing company, focusing mainly with high-end outdoor clothing. The company is a member of several environmental movements and is a certified B-Corporation, meaning the company is beholden to public-benefit concerns (in this case environmental) alongside its profit motive.

patagonia

Patagonia commits 1% of their total sales or 10% of their profit, whichever is more, to environmental groups. Since 1985, when the program was first started, Patagonia has donated $46 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Patagonia often features their environmental campaigns in their catalogs and advertisements. Many of their recent campaigns include work with preventing oil drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge, “Ocean As A Wilderness”, and “Don’t Dam Patagonia”. But their most buzz-worthy campaign is their reoccurring “Don’t buy this jacket” campaign. Patagonia’s risky, effective and authentic marketing campaign: A couple years back, Patagonia ran ads in the New York Times that simply stated “Don’t Buy This Jacket” — on Black Friday, no less! The company even went to the trouble to explain why consumers shouldn’t buy it (which, in case you’re curious, is because each jacket they produce leaves behind two-thirds its weight in waste).This seems like quite a risky move for any company that’s trying to remain profitable, and yet the company is having the best years in its history. How come? The answer is tied to their brand. Patagonia has found a way to balance their business and their brand promise by investing in the environment, and by creating features like The Footprint Chronicles, which allows consumers to track the environmental impact of Patagonia’s clothing items. Let’s take a look at a few ways that Patagonia is using this strategy to promote their brand, and what lessons we can take away for our own businesses:

MARKETING

PATAGONIA

1. Build Trust2. Establish a Connection

big messageWhen you’re in the public eye, you are open to scrutiny. Particularly when you’re claiming social impact. Be authentic. It is hard to recover when you lose the public’s trust.


Comcast Ecobill has the slogan of “PaperLESSisMORE” but Comcast still uses massive amounts of paper for direct marketing.

The Poland Spring eco-shape bottle is touted as “A little natural does a lot of good,” although 80% of beverage containers still go to the landfill.

Kimberly Clark’s claim of “Pure and Natural” diapers in green packaging uses organic cotton on the outside but keeps the same petrochemical gel on the inside. Pampers also claims that “Dry Max” diapers reduce landfill waste by reducing the amount of paper fluff in the diaper, which created as a way for Pampers to save money.

Much criticism was made to both businesses and individuals during the hugely successful Ice Bucket Challenge campaign for “arm chair activism and slacktivism” as videos were being posted and shared, yet many videos did not convert into donations...and others were upset by the mass amounts of water being wasted.

Examples of greenwashing and slacktivism culprits:


Q&A

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Impact Storytelling - PR for Social Enterprises