Simon Mainwaring. The We First Blog.

We&Co: Unlocking the power of a simple ‘thank you’

I wanted to share a new app which I think makes a powerful statement about where the emphasis needs to be in the social business marketplace.  It’s called We&Co and launched in Atlanta this week. Building on Foursquare’s API, We&Co shifts the emphasis from place to people by simply enabling people to say “thank you.”

What’s so powerful about this idea is that it starts to quantify human capital. How much do you as a consumer value a positive experience with a brand or its customer service department? How willing are you to share that with your friends? How inclined are you to let that person know that you’re interaction with them was positive?

As GOOD Magazine points out, this also becomes leverage for employees who are adding value to a brand through the good work that they do. An app such as We&Co enables an employee to quantify their value to their employee, especially if they deal with customers face to face.

What I like about this app is that it’s starting to add metrics to the emotional currency that drives social media. The simple act of saying “thank you” is a demonstration of gratitude in response to an experience that was meaningful to a customer or citizen. When a positive exchange between a brand and customers becomes quantifiable metrics, it encourages brand to provide better service, customer service to do a better job, and consumers to actively show their gratitude.

I say this in the context of my belief that technology is teaching us to be human again.  Through simple apps such as We&Co, we’re starting to demonstrate the fact that we value positive experiences. By making them measurable, it also opens the door for companies to reward their employees on a performance basis as well as connecting with customers who took the time to say thank your.

In this distrustful consumer environment, as evidenced by Edelman’s Trust Barometer of 2011, the more a brand can do to demonstrate its commitment to its customers, and the easier it is for customers to reward them, the faster we can build positive and lasting relationships between brands and their customers around positive and meaningful exchanges.

To find the We&Co app, click here, and follow them on twitter @weand_co

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Brand/Cause partnerships: GMC & Invisible People – Part 2

In We First I promote brand and cause partnerships because they provide benefits to both parties. Building on Part 1 of this story that examined the benefits to brands, today we examine what is the benefit to a cause that partners with a company? I had the great pleasure of speaking with Mark Horvarth, founder of Invisible People about the rewards of partnering with GMC.

SM: Hi, Mark. Tell us what is the value to you and the homeless cause that you’ve discovered through working with GMC?

MH: Obviously brands have to sell products. If they don’t, they can’t fuel any missions.  For me, the Terrain is awesome, the gas is awesome, the homeless people love it, but the most important thing is relationships. For me, how I work with brands – my strategy – is that people don’t listen to politicians anymore. They don’t want to listen to a ‘homeless expert,’ but if you have Pepsi or GMC or Hanes or DoubleTree talking about the issues of homelessness, it becomes validated and people start paying attention. It’s also validated my efforts when big brands partner with me, and all I am is this little guy screaming really loudly about homelessness and poverty, it increases the impact. It all goes together and literally because of all this housing programs have started. There were people who were homeless that slept inside last night because of Invisible People.

SM: That is such an incredible, tangible difference. It’s also really important the way that brands engage – whether they do it authentically or whether it is thinly veiled self-promotion. Can you talk to me about how important it is for brand to be truly committed?

MH: What’s interesting is that the best brand relationships I’ve made weren’t made in the traditional way. I didn’t make a request like a formal sponsorship deck. It was just a conversation that came up where we discovered we could mutually benefit each other.  Next thing you know, we’re working together. Those have been the best.

SM: From your perspective, as someone who has been promoting the cause of homelessness, what do you see as the benefits to the GMC  brand?

MH: There are a couple of things that happen. First off, there is a lot of talk about ROI.  There’s very little investment, you know? When GMC loans me a car, I’m not saying it’s nothing, but it’s not as expensive as, say, a Super Bowl commercial. So the return is almost immediate and the investment is comparatively low. Also, through me, GMC now has a very long car commercial. Where your car commercial on TV lasts thirty seconds, I’m will be on the road until early November. So by doing it with the social media communities and influencers you have a ripple effect, where the conversation multiplies and multiplies. The end result is still to sell a car, but now people feel good about it.

SM:  So it’s a really smart business strategy with a view to the bottom line.

MH: Right. I hope more brands come around. Cause marketing is growing. We have younger generations now volunteering more. It’s part of the high school, it’s part of the educational system. They have grown up with a heart change, where they want to give back. They care. When you research millennials, you see that they have buying power, and where they are spending their money is socially conscious organizations. This is why cause-marketing is growing.

SM:  From your experience in working with GMC, what would your advice be to other brands who are still on the fence about whether they should engage with a cause that’s in alignment with their core values?

MH: My advice to other brands would be to go ahead, take the risk. Do something different. I’m not your normal marketing campaign.  But again, your return is going to be huge compared to the investment. And it’s the right thing to do.

SM: What does it mean to you personally?

MH: Actually, it’s very humbling. Here I am, a little guy that started this with $45, an iPhone, a camera and a laptop. It’s just been amazing. Sometimes you wonder, should I keep on going? What’s it worth? What’s the end result? Should I go back into getting myself a normal marketing job? But when GM or another large brand comes along, it’s very humbling because this is all bigger than me and I am humbled that something I did has touched their marketing department, that touched their decision-makers in a way that caused them to help support this cause.

SM: Would you say that the results are real? Can you give some assurance to brands and customers that when they buy that product, because the brand is doing good, there are tangible results to show for it?

MH: Absolutely. Brands should pick non-profits not just because they’re sexy, but because they’re actually having results. Literally, because of InvisiblePeople.TV, here in New York, rooms full of policy makers of national homeless leaders are gathering together to plot out an outreach strategy for Invisible People. We’re talking national leaders from all the different organizations and we’re talking about getting people off the streets and into housing.

SM: Mark, I’m so thrilled that these partnerships are working out for two reasons. One is because they really do serve the cause that you’re so passionate about, but they also serve as a powerful demonstration to other brands and to non-profits to seek brand partnerships so we can really start to make a difference across the board. Thanks so much for your time.

You can follow Mark’s great work  and the 2011 InvisiblePeople.tv International Roadtrip here and follow him on twitter @invisiblepeople and @hardlynormal. Huge thanks also to GMC and the wonderful @lizstrauss for helping to make this initiative possible.

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Brand/Cause partnerships: GMC & Invisible People – Part 1

In We First I champion brand and cause partnerships because they provide benefits to both parties. So what is the value to a brand that supports a cause and what value does a cause find in such a partnership?

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Connie Burke, of General Motors North Central Region Communications, about their partnership with Mark Horvarth who founded the Invisible People movement that is raising awareness and funds for the homeless in the U.S. In Part 1, we hear from Connie about the value of the partnership to the GMC brand and why the gave him a Terrain vehicle to help support his work. Here’s what she kindly shared.

SM: In choosing to work with Mark and Invisible People, did GMC see some parallel between his work and what the brand is doing?

Connie: I’ve been following Mark ever since I met him a year ago at SXSW, and he was the ultimate road warrior, basically working out of his vehicle because he’s always on the road, not just going to speaking engagements and important conferences, but he is also swinging through various cities to visit homeless shelters. When he’s invited to places like SXSW, he attends, but instead of going to the dinners and the parties, he’s the guy out there going to bring a pizza to someone sleeping under a bridge. That really impressed me. Here’s a guy saving the world one person at a time. He’s just a guy out there every single day, slugging it out. Even when he gets discouraged, overwhelmed or emotional, he’s still out there. I can’t think of a better walking example of a perfect fit in terms of the brand’s spirit of determination and perseverance. That’s Mark. Even though I work at a company that mass-produces vehicles, we sell them one at a time.

SM:  What would you say the value to the brand is?

Connie: That’s a very interesting question because we were all wondering how this fits. Some might sit back and say, how does the GMC brand fit with homeless people?  Homeless people aren’t buying vehicles. But that’s not what it’s about. The particular vehicle he received, the Terrain, is very fuel efficient, functional, and is a cross-over, meaning it has SUV functionality. All we wanted to do was provide him with the proper tool to help him do the important work he’s doing. So not only did we give him a fuel-efficient ride, we equipped it with wi-fi so it can literally be his mobile office. Part of what Mark does is travel the country and teaches homeless people to use social media tools. He can do that right out of his vehicle now, and that helps people better their situation because it’s hard to get a job when you don’t have an address, but you’d have a shot at it if you have as much as an email address and a way to contact prospective employers.

SM: Do you find that such efforts resonate with GMC employees?

Connie: Absolutely. This is something that was featured on our main internal news page. I’ve heard from so many of our fellow employees that it is something they feel proud of being a part of. It’s one of those things that makes you feel very proud to work for a company or brand that would do this. You don’t make profit or money by giving things away, but sometimes you see an area where you can do a lot of good and make a huge difference and you know the momentum will keep going.

SM: Do you believe that enhancement to a brand’s reputation, to the way the employees feel about working there, affects the way consumers feel about the brand?

Connie: Definitely. Not only does it make GMC a company of choice to work for, but I think a lot of consumers out there, whether they’re green minded or socially conscious, they like to feel good they’re buying products especially when it’s a big ticket item.

SM: Do you see this as a growing trend where, as a function of social media and the rise of a social business marketplace, that brands are more willing to engage with communities and do activities that are meaningful to their customers?

Connie: I absolutely do. The more we have examples like this that we can point to the easier it will be to get more people on board, especially decision makers.

SM: So if you had any advice for a company or brand that has its own core values and is considering doing socially responsible initiatives or outreach, what would it be?

Connie: It’s the right thing to do from many angles. These are the kinds of things that have a ripple effect for years to come with people.

You can follow Mark’s great work  and the 2011 InvisiblePeople.tv International Roadtrip here and follow him on twitter @invisiblepeople and @hardlynormal.

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