As modern business diviners and creators, marketers struggle with moral questions every day. Well, this marketer does. I believe we thrive best when we honour our own core values.
Constantly chasing content, many of us default to the easy: observing of ‘world days’ of interest to our community or to the general public. From stat holidays to days that honour social values, this technique can give your manager a sigh of relief ’cause, honestly, there’s a special day for everything and every day is special.
There’s a trap though – and one that sits in the realm of authenticity to cause. If we arbitrarily support events just because a day has been set aside to do so, what are we saying about what matters to our business? Does that matter to our audience? Could it affect the integrity of our community?
You bet it does.
Our audience is listening. If you exist in a space that affects a particular issue, remember they are looking to your for guidance and leadership. If they see you support any given cause out of the blue just because somebody decides is World Snail Day, it affects their understanding of your core integrity as an organization. And businesses that are dependent on their gorgeous followers could seriously be affected by a lack of faith.
And this goes treble for serious issues. Are you talking about issues in your business on a regular basis? Have you taken up a cause of equity for women, for example? If not, remember that you might be seen as fakey and predatory when suddenly taking up these causes for just one day. And never mention them again. Death. Just death.
What to do?
Take a look at the issues that you are already talking about. Think about the causes or issues that matter to you as a person and align with your business’ core values. These conversations are hard. They define the moral basis for your business and for you as a person.
Then it’s easy: do a quick google search to see if a day, week, or month is dedicated to the observance of the lived reality of folks being honoured or the cause being remembered. Put that on your social calendar.
And don’t miss it. Your audience is listening.
This blog took me an hour and a half from spark of the idea to posting (including graphics). If you need solid, thoughtful content on the double let me know. Got a comment? Same. Bring it.
