Brand Philanthropy: Building A Creative Brand With A Purpose
When I set out to make this blog and brand, I never fully considered brand philanthropy.
Buzzwordiness aside, I instantly knew it was something I wanted to dive deeper into and include as part of my own brand goals in creative entrepreneurialism.
For me, attaching philanthropy to my brand is sort of like hiring a director for decision-making.
It’s a way to sort of litmus test everything you’re doing, ensuring you stay aligned with the philanthropic mission.
So we’ll be exploring this concept by looking at the benefits, some examples from artists and musicians and a discussion on how to work philanthropy into a creative brand.
OK, enough small talk – let’s get it!
What Is Brand Philanthropy?
Clarifying things with a clean definition seems like a reasonable starting point. So let’s start there.
Brand philanthropy is the taking of actions that positively impact society and your community and/or help to advance a social cause or issue.
A core objective of philanthropy is advancing a social cause or contributing in some way towards the betterment of society. So brand philanthropy is a pretty sweet concept, I think.
For me, I’m setting up shop with a creative brand built around these ideals. But more on that later.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of brand philanthropy.
Brand Philanthropy: Sweet Benefits To Know
Intuition tells us that philanthropy is, well, good. But let’s iron things out here, and look at some specific reasons why and how.
Here are some of my favorite benefits to brand philanthropy.
It’s contagious.
Have you ever seen that “kindness boomerang” video, featuring the song ‘One Day’ by Matisyahu?
If you haven’t yet, definitely check it out – it’s inspiring and paints a pretty clear picture of the main idea here: giving value and volunteerism is contagious.
It provides support for social issues and challenges.
This one is sort of obvious, but brand philanthropy is a form of direct support or investment in social issues and challenges.
So building and supporting philanthropic brands can have a meaningful impact on our communities and social wellness.
It’s educational and raises awareness.
No benefits list would be complete without a nod to education and awareness.
It may be another obvious, direct benefit to brand philanthropy, but it’s an incredibly powerful point that always deserves mention.
It fosters healthier, happier communities and societies.
Is it too redundant to say “when we all do better, we all do better”? Maybe, but I think you get my point.
Fostering a community built around equity benefits everyone – not just underrepresented groups. We are stronger together, and brand philanthropy is one more tool to help foster healthier, happier societies.
Examples of Philanthropic Artists, Musicians & Companies
Below are some sweet examples of brand philanthropy in action.
The list is definitely not exhaustive (obviously), so I’ll circle back to this article periodically to update it with new artists and brands worthy of mention.
I decided to focus on examples that are more “on-brand” for me. I’ve focused on people and businesses who are in the creative, travel and lifestyle niche.
Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper has done a number of charitable things. Notably, he created the nonprofit SocialWorks, which “...aims to empower the youth through arts, education and civic engagement.”
Beyoncé
Beyoncé has given back a lot over the years. Among many worthy mentions, she founded the charity BeyGOOD as a fundraising initiative supporting a variety of projects including awareness programs and scholarships.
TOMS
No philanthropic brand list would be complete without mention of TOMS shoes. Initially, their one-to-one model (of donating a pair of shoes for every shoe purchased) is what gave them a reputation for brand philanthropy. However, they’ve changed that model.
You can check out their Impact Overview page to learn more about what they’re up to these days.
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys supports a variety of charities and continues to be an artist that truly embodies giving. Notably, she co-founded Keep A Child Alive (KCA) with Leigh Blake to provide healthcare, housing and other support for HIV/AIDS.
The Making of A Philanthropic Creative Brand
So how can creatives build a philanthropic brand?
I think there are numerous opportunities and solutions these days — thanks to technology, the internet and more awareness of issues in general.
It’s something I plan on doing in the future with my own music and content.
So here’s the quick general path I’m taking:
Establish your goals and vision/purpose for your philanthropic brand
Explore other philanthropic brands, and study their strategies and tactics
Create content at scale, focusing on adding value and build an audience
Leverage and use technology and modern infrastructure
Make a plan and strategize on how you’re going to turn one of your core products or services into charity or philanthropic energy
For example, turning songs, artwork or video content into NFTs that share royalties and income with the owner and/or a charity
Test, optimize and pivot when needed
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