"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain
Today, 13th November, is World Kindness Day, a day nationally recognised for the celebration of kindness in society, promoting the transformative power of ‘being kind’ to benefit the human psyche, health, wellbeing, community and the environment.
Kindness has a wonderful 'win-win' quality - benefiting the receiver and the giver, and has been proven to boost mood, reduce stress and release feel-good hormones. Its effects are contagious and can create a wonderful ripple effect.
World Kindness Day is the day you’re encouraged to turn up to work with chocolates for your colleagues – to indulge in the glow of giving.
But how can businesses harness the power of ‘being kind’ to build a loyal network of customers who feel valued, and feel compelled to repeat purchase?
Authenticity is critical. Consumers are savvy and looking for something genuine. A corporate decision to support a cause really does need substance with genuine actions that support the rhetoric.
Iceland’s 2018 campaign in partnership with Greenpeace is a great example of when things don’t quite go to plan, but ultimately with the right intentions do benefit the pocket of the corporation driving change.
Using Greenpeace’s animated 'Rang Tan' film as their main Christmas advertisement to raise awareness of rainforest destruction caused by the palm oil industry, Iceland promised to removed palm oil from all its own brand products.
But Iceland narrowly missed its deadline for reformulating all own label products to remove palm oil and made a “big mistake” by not explaining the situation sooner, according to its MD Richard Walker.
The backlash that followed when it emerged Iceland had removed its name from the packaging of some lines instead of palm oil from the product, resulted in public and media-led criticism of the campaign.
But in a world where bad publicity can become good, at least when intentions are genuine, Iceland regained favour when the 17 lines were later successfully reformulated and moved back to Iceland branding.
In the long-term, it played out well for the brand. MD Richard Walker, was given numerous opportunities to apologise for not explaining the situation earlier, he was publicly forgiven and positive support was garnered for his next ‘positive change’ mission to remove all plastic packaging from Iceland own brand items by 2024.
In fact, at the helm of MD Richard Walker, son of the company’s founder, Iceland is on track for achieving its highest profit in over a decade.
The lesson here? Be kind but do it with authenticity and you will secure the genuine support of a loyal customer base, which in the long term will benefit your bottom line.
Richard Walker is not the only example of a younger generation leader keen to make authentic changes. We are living in a world where, if you look hard, you can support innovative brands, shaking up the consumer landscape whilst also giving back:
Lemonade Dolls
Set up five years ago by Lemon Fuller, Lemonade Dolls is a lingerie brand on a mission to build confidence in anyone who identifies as a female, celebrating the beauty of every size and shape. Not only is Lemonade Dolls campaigning for confidence, it also donates one pair of ‘undies’ to a refugee for every £50 spent.
i&i Jewellery
A stylish, contemporary jewellery brand who donate 10% of all their profit to Set Beautiful Free, an Indian charity that rescues women and children from sex slavery and teaches them skills to begin a new life.
The Good Roll
The Good Roll makes 100% tree-friendly and sustainable toilet paper, donating 50% of its next profit to building toilets in Africa.
The trend for considerate consumerism with a focus on sustainability and ‘giving back’ looks set to be here for the long-term, with contemporary brands prioritising a kinder more altruistic approach to business.
But it’s critical to remember, this is not about headline grabbing stunts or gimmicks, but an authentic long-term approach to driving positive change that benefits everyone involved in the production chain.