There is nothing more powerful than seeing employees showing initiative by embracing causes that matter most to them. It's also the reason why you'll see employees stage their own Biggest Morning Tea events in support of the Cancer Council of Australia or wear red to work to support the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and their work in child protection.
Australians are capable of showing great empathy and there's no better or more authentic way to demonstrate your brand's values than to get involved and sponsor one of the many social enterprises out there trying to make the world a better place. When you let your employees guide your efforts you are ensuring your sponsorships are on message.
Here's how you can redesign your sponsorship portfolio so your employees become your brand advocates:
- 1.Understand as a company who you are and what you stand for
- It's all very well saying you support a range of non-for-profit organisations but how many of these actual make sense to your company vision and goals? How many have been strategically chosen and nurtured because they speak volumes about your company values and the contributions you are able to make through your products and services? It is critical to any sponsorship selection process that you know intimately who you are and what you stand for. While you could be a franchisee coffee business that sells quality coffee from Uganda and promotes inclusiveness, you could also be a bank branch that makes wealth management accessible to everyone.
- 2.Listen to your people and to what matters most to them
- Employees are often a very good guiding stick for where you could be focusing your energies. They will demonstrate what matters most to them because they will be getting involved with these charities already outside of their working day. Very often we end up championing causes that are close to our heart because of a family member or friend who is undergoing personal challenges.
- When you take the time to listen to them and to find out what is happening in their life, they'll feel valued and sense that you really do care. Your people will feel comfortable enough to share what their hopes and dreams are for a better life and this will give you give you all the information you need to set a course of action.
- 3.Be strategic
- Compile a short list of the various causes that the company could support based on the interests of your employees. See how they fit with commitments already in place and know what and how much of your resources you have available for new sponsorships. Only choose to support ones that are a natural brand fit. If you own a gym franchise, it's a natural brand fit to sponsor triathlon or community run events. If you are own a family law firm, then it's not a stretch to see you supporting a school fair. Decide strategically which cause will get you closer to your target market, all the while not losing sight of what matters most to your people.
- 4.Take action
- This is the opportunity to amplify the efforts of your employees. Be proactive and arrange to meet with the community or social enterprise that is of interest to you. Find out where their needs lie and how your company as a whole, may be able to assist. Be prepared to think creatively about how you can solve their problem with a solution that creates a win-win outcome. The answer is often one you haven't previously considered and doesn't take a huge amount of resources. Guaranteed if you follow this process, the likelihood of success will be far greater when your employees are on-board already.
- Want to know more about how to create brand advocates out of your employees? Need help with your brand strategy? We can help! Let us know what you need either via email at info@eventsponsors.com.au or register your enquiry at www.eventsponsors.com.au.
