Issue 5, vol. 3 - June 2007

Corporate Social Responsibility; it’s a big phrase and a phrase we hear routinely in any number of spaces in the marketing, brand and consumer arenas. However, it’s not just something to simply pay lip service to; it’s becoming an increasingly vital aspect of any brand or organization – particularly for those focused on young or youthful North Americans.

As young North Americans become ever more in charge of their personal mediasphere and culture we are seeing a commensurate rise in their desire to start to customize brands and their linked products and practices to their own liking. This is most definitely being felt in terms of style, cultural context for communication, customer service, customization and functionality but it’s also starting to affect brands in new ways as young adults, teens and even tweens start to investigate and, importantly, act on the general values and overall ethics of any brand or organization they choose to support.

This trend is also being echoed viscerally by these same young generations as they start to take action by getting involved in charitable events, volunteering, fundraising and the like, at an untraditionally young age. As a potent example, being “green” has become more relevant than ever, dramatically influencing what products and services they buy, and whom they choose to work for.

Here’s some food for thought…

Obviously, the big takeaway here for you, our loyal readers, is that your brands and products are increasingly under the microscope! Holistically understanding how your actions are being perceived by your younger consumers is an imperative (it already really should have been up to this point).

Not surprisingly, environmentally-linked notions tend to be treated more urgently these days by young North Americans. Still, the fact that 1 in 5 teens and young adults are currently placing topbox importance on “considering if an item was ethically manufactured” should most definitely be seen as a signal of new brand dimensions and consumer imperatives to come. We’ve watched these types of brand and consumer criteria figures climb over the past 5 years from almost total mainstream obscurity to the important signals they are today and now, as we as a mass culture start to ask harder and harder questions about our consumer and corporate practices, we can only expect these signals to grow louder and become more a part of full mainstream culture in upcoming years.

A new brand criterion to add to the current and stable mix of quality, cultural cachet and value (among many others) is being born as we speak.