I can’t think of a more exciting time to be alive and working in the US than right now. Technology, politics, sustainable practices, social networking, progressive businesses, they are all heading for not just change, but the Responsibility Revolution. It is a dramatic paradigm shift. We’ve watched the decades long and constant drip of this movement intensify and come to a head, I believe, first with An Inconvenient Truth and second with the election of Barak Obama to the Presidency. It is finally here. Call me naive, but I believe in a big picture, forward thinking way of doing business that gives more than it takes in the community and operates on integrity. According to CNBC “…consumers increasingly prioritize accountability and integrity from companies, it is clear that the social responsibility movement is here to stay.” But if you’re not already convinced, your business will be left behind very quickly.
So what does that mean to you? A couple things: I imagine you work with people who are looking for ways to grow and change their business to keep up with at least the competition. I also imagine you are a person with vision, integrity and a bold sense of style. (I can tell that about you.) So how can your department, company or industry contribute to and be part of the Responsibility Revolution? Many businesses are starting with Green practices. But it doesn’t have to start or stop there. What is meaningful, connected to your business and the most obvious, local place to start?
One of my favorite approaches from a blogger (The Secret Diary of a Bonafide Marketing Genius) asked businesses who were pitching products to her to donate $100 to Doctors Without Borders in exchange for her writing about the product. She talked about why this organization was important to her, briefly offering information about the group and insight into what motivates her, then made it VERY easy to donate. Other companies, like Xerox and Target, have made it part of the way they do business, either by pioneering greener, cleaner ways to operate or by giving back to local communities over $3 million…per week.
And saving the best for last: Since this blog is about marketing and the convergence of the wine industry and social networking, allow me to share with you about Humanitas. Owner and Thought Leader Judd Wallenbrock wrote, “I’ve embraced the message of giving directly from my revenue line and am working off of giving 7% of my revenues to charity.” To so many of us, the solution is an obvious, elegant, timely one. Wallenbrock provides yet another example for all businesses. Contributing to your community is not just a good idea; it is essential to an integrated, progressive, successful business plan.
This Friday, November 21, wine lovers world wide will join Twitter Taste Live and Humanitas to “Drink Charitably”. Now there’s a holiday present that will be on MY gift giving list. “A Better World, One Sip At a Time” Yes, please.
NOTES:
Hahn Vineyards were recently certified Sustainable in Practice. And, through the magic of Twitter, I posted about trying to get Humanitas wine in time for this Friday’s tasting. Multiple strokes of good fortunate brought Judd Wallenbrock to my office with the wines for the tasting. I had already started this post, and synchronously, absolutely had to include Humanitas and what they do. Leaders in any industry are rarely appreciated for the challenging path of pioneering a new way of thinking, being and doing business. Thank you.
How do you give back?
California Wine Life 
It certainly seems like our culture is embracing a new kind of hero – smart people who are passionate about causes and able to communicate about them in compelling ways. Folks like Gore and Obama, who gave the Presentation and the Speech that launched a thousand ships. Heck, if they’re giving out Nobel Prizes and presidencies for their kind of work, I’m willing to follow their lead.
Corporate Social Responsibility is a subject I’m eager to learn more about. The story of what your company is doing is compelling because it shows you can be an ordinary for-profit business and still champion a cause (which is different from writing checks).
Thanks so much for this — not just the plug (!) but the message of social responsibility. The time is now and the opportunity is staring us all in the face — do the right thing! And it can be as passive as simply buying the right wine or the right salad dressing to being a full blown activist. But the point –do something and do it now. And not to drag on…but be positive about it!! Let’s raise a glass to the ‘responsibility revolution’!
Nice post Lisa, as usual. It’s not writing – it’s prose!
As far as the topic and corporate & social responsibility I am a little bit more jaded in my thinking. I have always been a little suspect when a company decides to “go green”. Is it because it is the catch phrase of the year or are they really commited to making a difference?
Humanitas – They are Commited…they are putting their money where their mouths are. For every 100 bucks they make 7 bucks goes to their charity.
I had a lady once say to me (when I was talking about making obscene amounts of money) that she didn’t need a whole lot. All she needed was about $50,000 per year for her to live on (obviously putting down the notion that I wanted make as much cash as possible). At that point I asked her if she had a favorite cause. She stated that it was her church and that she loved it and lived for it. I told her I had an idea – make a million dollars, keep $50k for herself and give the $950k surplus to her pastor. If she really loved her church that much she would be more than happy to do that right?!
The moral is she was conveniently “parroting” what she had heard. And it sounded good to her – Money is the root of all evil – but she forgot that is what created her church and it’s programs to begin with.
Are the corporations and others just “parroting” what sounds good or are they really thinking it through and commiting to the process like Humanitas?
Who should have one of the largest charitable orgainzation in the world? Well the richest of course. I have to take my hat off to Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet for being committed. Their organization right now will hand out over $35 Billion to charity over the years to come. I’m sure it will grow larger too.
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While it’s wrapped in self-righteousness, the exchange of donation for blog coverage is just another variation of payola–taking a bribe, only feeling better about it….
Dear Epicuria,
I noticed you slammed an idea without offering a better one. This is more common than is helpful. I also clicked over a half-dozen times on your web site without finding any opportunity to leave a comment. Convenient. I’m not sure you understand blogging. It is a conversation. While accepting charitable donations don’t seem to be adversely affecting businesses in order to attract more business, you suggest that offer is somehow unethical for bloggers to do so. Another point suggesting you don’t understanding bloggers. I’d say the first tenet is to listen. The second, add value. I don’t see where you have done either in our circumstances.
Epicuria, i think you are missing WineDiverGirl’s point. No one is suggesting a point blank payment system. I think we are just trying to find a common ground for bloggers & producers to communicate. I really don’t see how this is different than movie critics getting Oscar movies and swag bags, or literary critics getting advance copies of books. Bloggers, specifically wine bloggers, do not specifically set out to request samples for the express purpose of getting free wine. Furthermore, not every sample sent to bloggers is reviewed OR reviewed favorably.
Blogging is a dialog, about whatever the blogger chooses to write about. It might be my dinner tonight, it might be a bottle of wine I opened, it might be about my athlete’s foot. The point is, it is my choice what I write on my blog. Granted, some bloggers do accept advertise or monetary compensation for content but that is the vast exception to the rule.
As producers and other retailers are continuously trying to do more with less, why not open the neural network further and allow addition word of mouth marketing efforts via new channels to emerge?
Lisa, it’s in your heart.
The ability to give ~ Lives in your heart.
The Notion to share ~ Lives in your heart.
Affecting the world around you ~ Lives in your heart
Doing something good for another ~ Lives in your heart.
The heart always shows through. Transparency, truth and love…always come across as sincere. I am giving 10% off everything I make between now and the end of the holidays to my local SPCA. Why? It comes from my heart.
Well written. Folks like Epicuria are just here to test us.
Keith
Many times people don’t realize all the corporate giving that does go on. I’ve done fundraising for various community and international projects for decades and LOTS of money is handed out by all size businesses.
Then there are the huge in-kind donations.
Senior managers and owners participate in service organizations such as Rotary and support projects and charities around the world. Many times I’ve seen $5K or more raised out of pocket at a Rotary meeting for a worthy cause that needed cash ASAP.
Sending a % of profits or sales to charity is fine if that is the intent of the business. However, that strategy will hurt the growth of the business, reduce the potential for greater profits, and reduce hiring. As some kind of universal business policy it would hurt all of us. And it isn’t needed.
So much of what is happening around you is supported by businesses directly and indirectly. This process has been going on for a long time and is working very well. Only a bigger economy will improve it and that comes from investing profits in productivity and products and services that people want.
– jim
“While it’s wrapped in self-righteousness, the exchange of donation for blog coverage is just another variation of payola–taking a bribe, only feeling better about it….”
Epicuria, what exactly do you have against this? All I see happening is coverage for a brand and money for a non-profit. I see nothing bad with this, in fact, I see a clever way of helping raise money. I’ll take a self-righteous donor over a humble miser any day.
Anyhow, this illustrates yet another creative tool for social change. Thanks for bringing my attention to it Lisa!
-Ky
One can challenge a certain inappropriate action without having to suggest an alternative i.e., a way around that action. I suppose a standard disclaimer would help (“I am promoting this wine because the producer gave money to a charity”–and let the reader decide whether the content of the blog should or should not be taken with a grain of salt). .
It may be that I “don’t understanding bloggers” and “the first tenant is to listen” (I always thought the first tenant was the current occupant in the White House) The first tenet of authenticity in posting commentary whether online or in print or electronic media is to be straight with your audience. You can never have too much transparency in such an endeavor. As for the second tenant or tenet, testing pronouncements, as keith puts it, always adds value. You can never have too much dialogue.
I stand with Steve Heimoff (who also thought pay-to-play, regardless of where the money goes, was inappropriate for cyberjournalism). Since there is no problem, there need not be any solutions. Let bloggers and producers communicate away. Let producers keep bloggers in the loop about changing developments. Send the samples perhaps with a pen or set of stemware. But once you start flacking you take off your disinterested commentator hat and put on your pr hat, just as Joe Diaz does. If Ky doesn’t see a conflict of interest problem well so be it.
Epi
I shouldn’t have added that website url–since it has nothing to do with vino. And anyway, it’s always appropriate, I believe, to keep responses to comments on the forum where they started.