The Impact of Social Commitment on your Personal Brand

Sheryl Sandberg, Dan Schulman, and Oprah Winfrey. These leaders’ brands have one thing in common: a strong commitment to social responsibility.

For years, business organizations have been required to display moral leadership as part of their corporate, social, and environmental responsibility (CSER). However, since the start of the 21st century, social media and increased connectivity have amplified individual voices, enabling people to also advocate for causes they care about across the globe.

Today everyone has the power to make an impact, that’s why social commitment is no longer a reserve of corporate brands. Leaders, celebrities and more people are taking the initiative to enact positive change in society, and individual responsibility is becoming a fundamental necessity.

Also known as personal social responsibility, this commitment stems from the belief that each individual can contribute to society in whatever way, however small. It’s also anchored in the thought that the price of greatness is responsibility and we need to rise above our interests to support causes that are greater than ourselves.

But beyond this allyship between personal brands and social commitment, what impact does social good and individual responsibility have on your personal brand?

Why Is Social Commitment Important for Your Brand?

When considering partnerships, consumers and investors seek exceptional brands that have a positive impact on their communities. This has made sustainability and social responsibility critical to successful personal brands.

This adds value to your brand in the following ways:

Building Credibility and Trust: When you align your personal brand with a cause you care about, you command a loyal following from people who believe in your vision to better things in society. It illustrates your connection with people in society, which signals your authenticity and builds trust with your audience.

Oprah Winfrey’s brand has benefitted a lot from this. The success of her shows, books and philanthropic engagements are as a result of people’s trust in her brand and credibility.

Showcase Leadership and Initiative: Initiative and impact are some of the defining qualities of a leader. By taking a stand on social issues, you demonstrate a proactive approach to addressing societal challenges. This positions you as a thought leader in the areas of expertise and props you up for leadership positions – be it on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) boards, committees, or even companies.

Marc Benioff, Saleforce’s CEO is popularly known as the activist CEO for this reason. Marc took a bold stance on homelessness in San Francisco, and in 2019 he demonstrated his commitment further by establishing the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative to explore homelessness intervention strategies.

Standing out and Attracting Opportunities: Companies are increasingly seeking individuals who bring more than just expertise to the table. Highlighting your social responsibility efforts can make you a more attractive candidate in today’s job market as it sets you apart from competitors who have nothing more to show for their brands other than their education and skills.
It showcases your unique value proposition and demonstrates your proficiency and commitment to personal initiative, establishing you as a credible brand to associate with.

Enhancing Your Social Capital: Highlighting your social responsibility efforts allows you to connect with individuals who share your values, and together you can form a robust community of brands that do great things. This network allows you to reach wider niches, learn from each other, unlock new opportunities and expand your impact.

Boosting Personal Fulfillment: The golden crown of individual social responsibility is personal fulfillment. Your commitment to social issues enables you to contribute to something greater than yourself and make a positive impact on society.

This is incredibly rewarding as it sparks a deeper sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It enhances your overall well being and motivation, and positively influences your personal and professional life.

How to Integrate Social Responsibility into Your Brand

So how do you align social commitment with your personal brand? Here are 7 actionable steps:

Identify Your Cause: Before committing to anything socially, you need to know your values and goals. Social responsibility is not a box you tick, authenticity is key. Choose a social issue you’re genuinely passionate about and can commit fully to.

What issue do I want to champion?
Does it align with my personal and professional goals?
What tools and resources do I have to successfully contribute to this cause?
How does championing this cause reflect on my brand?
What are the risks involved?

Sheryl Sandberg’s advocacy is a good case in point. Following her experience as a top executive in a predominantly male field, Sheryl devotes her time to empower women, especially working mothers, to relentlessly pursue success in the business world.

Use Your Skills and Expertise: Find ways to leverage your skills and expertise to contribute to your chosen cause. This humanizes your efforts and creates a stronger connection between your brand and your social initiatives.

Dan Schulman truly embodies this. With extensive experience in mobile technology and payments, Dan pours his expertise into supporting entrepreneurs and improving the financial health of myriads across the globe.

Volunteer and Offer Resources: Volunteering is one of the most direct ways of demonstrating individual social responsibility. It enables you to make a tangible difference using your time, skills, talents, and monetary resources. Oprah is known fondly for her generous donations to education, poverty alleviation and other not for profit ventures.

Besides directly volunteering your resources, you can partner with other individuals or charitable organizations with the same goals to further their impact on your community.

Advocate and Create Awareness: Empowering people with information is also an incredible way of fulfilling your social responsibility. We’re privileged to have access to powerful digital tools today that we can use to reach out to the masses.

Use the available online platforms such as social media to educate people on matters close to your heart – be it ethics, social justice, or even environmental advocacy. You can use multi-media formats such as articles, stories, and videos to drive the message and calls to action.

Support Socially Responsible Brands: Ethical consumption is integral to living responsibly. It puts your money where your mouth is. This includes the brands you buy from as well as those you partner with. Make the conscious choice of working with or purchasing from companies committed to social responsibility.

Live Responsibly: Individual social responsibility is a lifestyle, which means you must first embody it before outwardly professing it. It can take subtle ways such as just being thoughtful and intentional about how you impact those around you.

During the pandemic in 2020, the perfect way to demonstrate social responsibility was through wearing your mask correctly and keeping a safe social distance. Every other day, that could look like not littering, using water sparingly, helping persons living with disabilities in social situations and even speaking up against any form of injustice.

Share Your Journey and Impact: Just like in any project, impact reports are important in your social responsibility journey. Use platforms, such as your social media, blogs, or public speaking engagements, to share authentically your experiences and insights related to your social responsibility efforts.

Conduct surveys on your target audience, compile testimonials, and reviews to holistically visualize your impact.

This not only amplifies your commitment to making an impact but also acts as an inspiration and guiding light for others who are on the journey as well.

While expressing your social responsibility, balance impact and plugging your brand. Focus on the action and remain consistent in your pursuit of social good. In conclusion, social commitment is intricately linked to your brand. You can use your brand to steer revolutionary changes in society and, in turn, reap the benefits of opportunity, credibility, and personal fulfillment.

At Reactionpower, we’re keen to help you use your personal brand to show up for people and the planet. We’re here to help you lead with foresight, attract the right people, showcase your leadership qualities, and ultimately, leave long lasting positive change in the world. Talk to us today and begin your journey to being seen, heard and remembered.