When I started my business I was confronted by a friend of mine who asked what was my social strategy for my business.

pay it forward

As this was 15 or so years ago my answer was Social what!

In todays business world most businesses misread this and start talking about their social media however this is not what we are talking about.

The topic of business responsibility has been captioned under many names, including strategic philanthropy, corporate citizenship, social responsibility and other monikers.

As the names imply, each carries with it a certain perspective on the role of business in society. Regardless of the label, for now the dominant paradigm underlying business social responsibility or CSR is centered on the idea of giving back though many try and use it as a money making strategy.

CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility which we call social justice.

What we do as a small business is donate some time to different non profit organizations with the aim of no return. For example we provide services to Schoolies on the Gold Coast, orphanages in Thailand and training for underprivileged youth.

These are all provided at no cost and is part of our social justice program.

Why would you do this?

The main reason is to stop the business becoming to insular and introspective. Look at any successful business or person and you will find they have a social justice program of some sort. Some might just call it a pass it forward program.

While we say we do it without expecting a return it does increase our network and visibility but the ethos behind it should be more giving than receiving.

Random Acts of Kindness from Businesses

Giving unexpectedly to customers, also called “generosity marketing,” adds a special dimension to a marketing program, as demonstrated by major brands:

    • Coca-Cola set up a special Coke machine in the middle of a college campus that dispensed endless drinks and other gifts. The reaction from students was priceless.

    • Kleenex allowed people to send free packs of tissues to their sick family and friends during its “Softness Worth Sharing” campaign.
    • Sweetgreen, a D.C. restaurant, gave out “random acts of sweetness” by leaving gift certificates on cars that had just received parking tickets.
    • Hyatt managers and employees unexpectedly picked up the tab for bar drinks or spa massages.
    • KLM, an airline, surprised customers at check-in with personalized gifts to use during their trip. View the video below:

 

The idea is to surprise customers and leave them feeling pleased, and grateful. Gratitude is a powerful and profitable emotion that inspires recipients to pay it forward – and often to pay back to the giving company through advocacy and brand loyalty.

Need any help or would you like to join our program then go to the front page.

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