Giving Back Can Spark A Personal Re-Brand

Today, smart companies and their executives are increasing brand equity and longevity by acting on their conscience.  Bottom line, giving back makes your personal brand and your business brand relevant to your target audience and that fuels staying power.

When you connect in significant ways with your community, people see you differently; you demonstrate authentic leadership through your service.  By rallying behind a good cause, you become more successful in life. It’s instant karma.

At my company Big Fish, we have positioned ourselves as experts in creating pro-social initiatives and as a result have worked on Nickelodeon’s, “Big Green Help”, Lifetime’s breast cancer awareness campaign, Comedy Central’s “Comedy RX,” a hospital-based program promoting the healing powers of laughter and more. In addition, we give a portion of our billings to The Aquarium of the Pacific and put that fact on every invoice.  It’s good for my business.  It’s good for my brand.

From Avon to McDonald’s to Target, great brands create staying power by championing a cause. They leverage their influence for a greater good, and in turn the company endures in the hearts and minds of its loyal customers. And you can do it, too.

On the journey to reinventing yourself, think about what non-profit resonates with you.  Prospective employers or customers will see your philanthropic nature, and will be inclined to trust you more.  And so will the people that volunteer alongside you.  Who knows?  While doing a good deed you could meet a new employer, a possible client or a potential business partner.

Keep in mind, that true advocacy happens at the nexus of integrity and inspiration.  Choosing a cause should take into consideration your personal values, beliefs and creative ideas and line-up with your mission and vision for your career.  

These three questions will help you choose a non-profit that’s right for you:

1) What are you passionate about, e.g., nature, children, art, politics, music…?

2) What talents do you have that can be leveraged to make a difference?

3) Is the cause good for the world and good for your brand?

People often fear that getting involved in a non-profit will be costly, because it will take time away from their core business.  The truth is… perceptions about you and your company will change for the better as you make change.

Robin Fisher Roffer is a leading brand strategist and reinvention specialist. Founder and CEO of Big Fish Marketing, she is the author of Make A Name For Yourself: 8 Steps Every Woman Needs To Create A Personal Brand Strategy For Success, The Fearless Fish Out Of Water: How To Succeed When You’re The Only One Like You and Reinventing Yourself: 10 Steps To Shifting Your Career Into High Gear. Learn about her Reinvent Yourself! Workshops at http://relevanceinstitute.com/

Robin Fisher Roffer