EP 07: Live Your Impact: Merging Activism with Your Personal Brand

2023-10-16

“If you want to be known for some type of social change and social impact, what does that look like for you?” In recent years especially, we’ve watched as major corporations use their profiles and platforms to bring attention to key issues affecting our world. To help promote climate justice, U.S. clothing brand Patagonia contributes 1% of their profits to organizations working to save the environment. American ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s adorns the walls of its headquarters with information on U.S. voting laws. P&G (...

“If you want to be known for some type of social change and social impact, what does that look like for you?”

In recent years especially, we’ve watched as major corporations use their profiles and platforms to bring attention to key issues affecting our world. To help promote climate justice, U.S. clothing brand Patagonia contributes 1% of their profits to organizations working to save the environment. American ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s adorns the walls of its headquarters with information on U.S. voting laws. P&G (Procter & Gamble) has launched campaigns promoting gender equality and helping to eradicate stereotypes.

You, too, are a brand, and as a female leader you have an unrivaled power to affect social change. Yet, many women keep the causes they’re most passionate about to themselves. On today’s episode, Robbin offers a series of tips for engaging in your own personal brand activism. She explains how to let the world know more about your cause, strengthen your professional association to it, amplify your voice, and deal with the inevitable criticism you’ll receive when you do.

Take a stand with your brand. Not only will you experience a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in your life but you’ll raise awareness around what deeply matters to you.

Quotes

“Now more than ever, consumers are choosing to purchase from brands that align with their own personal values and what they believe. And they're really voting with their wallets for the type of businesses that they want to see in the world. It's just something that's really evolved over the last couple of years.” (4:43 | Robbin)
“Brand activism exists at the intersection of what people want, what the world needs, and what a brand uniquely offers.” (5:00 | Robbin)
“Here's the thing: You are a brand. What you value, what you believe, how you position yourself out into the world, how you position yourself in the marketplace. And this is regardless of whether you are still inside an organization or whether you own your own business on the other side of the fence.” (5:14 | Robbin)
“One of the things I believe to my core is that every woman on this planet has some type of idea for social change or social impact that could revolutionize her community, her organization, her industry, or the world. We all have that. There's just a fear around putting that out there. But we are the key to solving some of the most pressing global challenges of our time. It is women, it is us, and it is getting ready to put ourselves out there in a larger way, and take a stand for what matters for us.” (6:08 | Robbin)
“I want to give you a little bit of a caveat: When you do start doing this, you are going to have people who completely align with what you have to say, you're going to have people who think you're nuts, and you are going to have detractors who are going to poke holes in what you’re saying.” (7:52 | Robbin)

Links

Patagonia Climate Justice: https://www.patagonia.com/actionworks/campaigns/climate-justice-is-social-justice/

Ben & Jerry’s - Silence Is Not An Option

https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/media-center/dismantle-white-supremacy

Together, We Can Reimagine Criminal Justice Reform

https://www.benjerry.com/values/issues-we-care-about/justice-remixd.html

P&G - The Best Men Can Be

https://gillette.com/en-us/about/the-best-men-can-be

https://us.pg.com/lgbtq-visibility/

Widen the Screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUHop5i8-f4

#WeSeeEqual