Companies are increasing towards the demands of society. Facing racism, women empowerment, LGBTQA + issues, sustainability, conscious consumption are all topics that need to be worked out in the corporate environment.
In fact, this is a consumer demand: A study by the 2019 Accenture Strategy showed that 83% of Brazilians prefer to buy from companies that protect their objectives aligned with their life values. This trend is seen when we see organizations being questioned on social media by their customers, who want more than just a product.
The temptation to be a part of these conversations, however, can be fertile ground for empty marketing, with no commitment to concrete actions, or over-promoting advertising and taking the initiative on its own. This is what we call socialwashing or greenwashing, which can be translated as social makeup or green makeup.
“Many times the company does a lot of marketing to say that it is complying with the law. It should not be a matter of marketing. In an interview with the podcast, Chloeber Leite, Coordinator of the Energy and Sustainability Program at Edec (Brazilian Institute for Consumer Protection), says that we have to advertise different things. Here it is done, here it is donatedProduced by MOL Institute.
Apart from being abusive towards the consumer, this makeup goes unnoticed. According to study Edelman Trust Barometer: Brands in the midst of crisis, Who interviewed eight thousand people in eight countries (Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States) last year, 62% say that “a lot of brands are critical social and political issues.” Are only used as marketing maneuvers to sell more products ”.
Also interviewed in the episode for Professor Edgar Barki, coordinator of the Center for Entrepreneurship and New Business at FGV’s School of Business Administration, it is imperative that companies not only attract their customers, but their employees. And when communicating your purpose, pay attention to three points: Consistency, Consistency and Transparency.
He said, “It is important to work continuously. The company should do more and better, and not just be visible to fans ”, he concluded.
* Roberta Faria and Rodrigo Pipponzi are social entrepreneurs and founders of MOL, the world’s largest social impact publisher, who have already donated over R $ 35 million to over 80 NGOs from all over Brazil. They are part of the movement for a culture since 2017.