BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

(photo courtesy of justHugo via Flickr)

How well are companies doing at doing the right thing these days? Actually, they’re doing great things in the areas of green behavior, human rights, education, philanthropy, and the like. What they’re not doing so well is getting recognized by consumers for their good deeds. And the fact is, consumers will more likely take out their wallets for those brands they feel are helping make the world a better place. Those brands doing the best job at getting the credit they deserve are those that link their social behavior with their brand’s promise. Take a read of my latest column in Forbes Online and you’ll learn about companies who are succeeding at this effort and how they — and the world — are reaping the benefits.

It was with great interest that I read a recent article in the New York Times about how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are turning away from tradtional PR to spread news of their newly-hatched companies and turning straight to the tactics likely to make them richer entrepreneurs – digital technology and, in particular, the technology that facilitates word-of-mouth. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur, or even a Silicon Valley resident to understand the innate capabilities of digital technology to spread news, be it good or bad, truth or heresay. The reason for my great interest in this Times article was how it echoed the sentiments in a piece I just wrote for this week’s print edition of Brandweek magazine about GM’s “Reinvention” campaign. In it I explain that while this once-mighty brand set forth its new promise to become a more efficient company in a series of television ads, this top-down pronouncement isn’t going win any friends or influence people. It’s only when people start tweeting, blogging and spreading their experiences under the digital magnifying glass that proof of its promise will be validated – and credible.