In today’s digitally connected word, the power to shift consumer behavior and influence social movements is derived from the ability to mobilize people around the world. Movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #MarchForOurLives are impacting politics and changing culture in the United States and around the world. At the same time, advertising, digital marketing specifically, is increasingly driven by social media, user-generated content and brand-driven movements. In other words, the phenomena transforming society today is fueled by the ability to activate large numbers of people to participate in a collective conversation.

Jerry Heimans and Henry Timms’ new book titled New Power!  reveals how engaging masses of people is being used for both positive and negative objectives in politics, advertising, activism and more. What’s more, the book shares practices that help the reader gain the power to connect with people at scale. As such this is a must read for anyone looking to engage people to help them build a movement around a cause or a brand.

From a branding perspective, new power is essential to building a reputation, establishing consumer trust, and fostering connections with consumers. Engaging audiences at scale requires more than simply posting on social media and showcasing the latest product trends. To build and maintain connections with the crowd you must build a network around a higher purpose. Brand-fueled movements must be built around a cause that goes beyond your company or industry and connects to broader cultural conversations impacting humanity.

Purpose-driven brands such as TOMS, Salesforce and Tesla are growing their company and influence around a mission to contribute to the world, rather than simply selling products and services. By being a mission with a company, purposeful brands are able to gain earned media, consumer advocacy and scale the organic reach of their marketing initiatives.

How New Power is Influencing the Business Environment:

The power of connected and engaged crowds is changing business and advertising. This new power, which is not only owned by media giants and influencers, but by each individual consumer and activist, can both help and harm companies. Additionally, the new power to connect at scale is enabling companies to strengthen internal communities and build corporate culture.

On one hand, brands that successfully tap into cultural conversations are able to interact with consumers in new ways that deepen ties and build community. For example, REI’s #OptOutside campaign, which started when the company closed its stores on Black Friday and encouraged employees and consumers to go outside instead of shop, has turned into a social movement dedicated to conserving and enjoying nature while getting exercise. There are over 7.5 million posts on Instagram that utilize the hashtag and REI has grown its social media following to over 1.9 million followers.

On the other, the risk of consumer backlash threatens both brand image and the bottom line. For example, the recent #DeleteFacebook movement, which stemmed from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, impacted Facebook’s corporate policy, tarnished its reputation and impacted its stock price.

Essentially, consumers have never been more connected with each other, the brands they do business with, and the media. Brands that learn to utilize the new power to build a better world will be rewarded with consumer goodwill, earned media and financial prosperity.

Three ways to mobilize new power within your organizations:

1. Leverage social storytelling: A byproduct of being constantly connected is that consumers are bombarded with corporate messaging. To attract and maintain consumer attention you must create compelling content that is relevant and meaningful for consumers.

By positioning your brand as a force for good, you can utilize your advertising to spread messages about issues that matter to consumers. Today’s consumers want to support brands that make a positive impact in the world and social change is a great way to create a positive, memorable association with your brand while also doing good.

An example of a brand tapping into cultural conversations by taking a leading role in a social movement is Dicks Sporting Goods. After the Parkland shooting, Dicks took the initiative to stop selling assault style rifles and is encouraging legislation that would implement stricter gun safety laws. In turn, the company received coverage in major news outlets and gained praise on social media. Social good initiatives also offer excellent storytelling potential, which can be used to create content for social media and other advertising channels.

2. Engage consumers to build your brand: While showing people how your brand is building a better world may improve your reputation, an even better way to strengthen relationships with consumers is to invite them to help you do good.

An example of a brand that’s successfully engaging consumers to contribute to a social issue while building its media presence is Rodan + Fields. The skincare company #RFGoNaked campaign encouraged consumers to post a makeup-free selfie on social media, which would trigger a $1 dollar donation to the Prescription for Change Foundation that supports youth empowerment. Consumers want to shape the brands the love and do good. By inviting consumers to actively participate in a social good campaign, Rodan + Fields was not only able to generate word of mouth advertising, but also strengthened connections with consumers by offering them a way to contribute to a cause they care about.

3. Build community: To truly connect with the crowd and gain the power to influence people at scale, you must build community. This means bringing stakeholders together for a common goal and maintaining connections over time. Key stakeholders include consumers, nonprofits, public sector organizations and other social good companies.

A company doing an excellent job of creating community is Patagonia. The brand’s Action Works program allows consumers to volunteer with local organizations by offering skilled labor, resources and or money. Patagonia also hosts numerous in store workshops and events, lobbies for environmental conservation and supports trade organizations such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. By creating ties with numerous stakeholders, Patagonia is has built a strong community around its brand. In turn, the company has gained over 3 million followers on instagram, has a massive network of partners to scale the reach of its social good ad campaigns and is actively influencing culture.

The key takeaway is that it is increasingly important to be able to connect with the crowd at scale. The new power derived from collective activism is shifting trends, influencing markets and altering power globally. New Power!  is an indispensable guide for brands and entrepreneurs looking to expand their network, grow their business and do good in the world.