Good Works!

Good Works! Plot Summary

Introduction

It was a chilly morning in Manhattan when Sarah, the marketing director of a mid-sized tech company, stared at the dismal engagement numbers from their latest product launch. Despite innovative features and competitive pricing, something was missing—a deeper connection with their audience. That evening, while volunteering at a local digital literacy program for seniors, Sarah watched as an elderly woman's face lit up when sending her first email to a grandchild overseas. The moment sparked an idea: what if her company could integrate social good into its core business model? This revelation represents a fundamental shift happening across the corporate landscape today. Companies are discovering that the traditional line between doing good and doing well has blurred. Corporate social initiatives have evolved from simple charity into strategic approaches that simultaneously create business value and address societal challenges. These initiatives now span multiple dimensions—from cause promotions and marketing partnerships to employee volunteering and responsible business practices. When executed thoughtfully, they create a virtuous cycle: enhancing brand reputation, engaging employees, strengthening community relationships, and ultimately driving sustainable growth. The following chapters explore how organizations of all sizes have successfully implemented these initiatives, transforming both their businesses and the communities they serve.

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Corporate Giving: Beyond Charity to Strategy

When American Express launched a campaign in 1983 to help restore the Statue of Liberty, they pioneered what would become a revolutionary approach to corporate social responsibility. Rather than simply writing a check, they pledged to donate one cent to the restoration fund each time someone used their card, plus a dollar for every new application. The results were remarkable: $1.7 million raised for Lady Liberty, card usage up 27 percent, and new applications increasing by 10 percent. This campaign marked one of the first major instances where doing good and doing well aligned perfectly. In the decades that followed, corporate giving transformed dramatically. Milton Friedman's 1970s assertion that "the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits" gave way to a more nuanced understanding of corporate responsibility. By the early 2000s, companies like Starbucks were integrating ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship, and community involvement into their core business strategies. Their commitment extended beyond mere philanthropy to include changing how they sourced materials, designed stores, and engaged with farmers and communities throughout their supply chain. The digital revolution accelerated this evolution even further. When the Chase Community Giving program launched, it enlisted consumers in determining which nonprofits should receive contributions. Pepsi took this approach even further with its Refresh Project, redirecting millions of dollars from Super Bowl advertising to fund social projects nominated and voted on by the public through digital and social media. These programs represented a fundamental shift in how companies approached social responsibility—moving from executive-directed charity to community-driven impact. Today's most successful companies have moved beyond the traditional philanthropic model of "giving back" to strategically integrating social initiatives that align with their business goals. Microsoft doesn't just donate money to education; it provides technology skills training through community-based learning centers, developing future customers while addressing digital inequality. Similarly, Procter & Gamble's Pampers brand partners with UNICEF to provide maternal neonatal tetanus vaccinations in developing countries, creating emotional connections with mothers worldwide while saving lives. This evolution reflects a growing recognition that corporate social initiatives aren't just "nice to have" but essential components of business strategy. Research consistently shows that consumers prefer brands that demonstrate social responsibility, employees seek companies with values that match their own, and investors increasingly consider environmental, social, and governance factors in their decisions. The companies thriving in this new environment understand that strategic social initiatives create multiple forms of value—for communities, for stakeholders, and ultimately for their bottom line.

Chapter 2: Marketing-Driven Initiatives: Connecting Causes with Consumers

When Blake Mycoskie traveled to Argentina in 2006, he witnessed extreme poverty and noticed many children without shoes. Rather than simply donating footwear, he created TOMS Shoes with a revolutionary "One for One" business model: for every pair sold, the company would give a pair to a child in need. This concept resonated deeply with consumers seeking meaningful ways to make a difference through everyday purchases. As Blake discovered shortly after launching the company, TOMS customers became passionate advocates. While checking in for a flight, he overheard a stranger enthusiastically explaining the TOMS story to another traveler. "When I bought this pair of shoes, they actually gave a pair to a child in Argentina," she exclaimed. That moment revealed something profound—people weren't just buying shoes; they were buying into a movement. Similar magic happened when Yoplait yogurt connected with the breast cancer cause in the early 1990s. After years of unsuccessful attempts to establish a promotional identity through sponsorships of figure skating, women's hockey, and even the movie Jurassic Park, the brand found its purpose when employees at a California production plant asked to sponsor a local breast cancer race. Testing revealed this was "an ownable connection" that resonated deeply with Yoplait's target consumers. The brand became the national presenting sponsor of Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure series and launched its iconic "Save Lids to Save Lives" program, where consumers mail in pink yogurt lids to generate donations. This cause connection transformed Yoplait's marketing effectiveness, with Race for the Cure tie-ins consistently creating significant sales increases during campaign periods. For UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's, cause marketing created an extraordinary competitive advantage. Every other year, they become the exclusive retailer of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day merchandise—novelty red noses and related items that support programs helping vulnerable people in the UK and Africa. During the six-week campaign preceding the massive BBC fundraising broadcast, Sainsbury's stores attract new customers and increase visits from existing ones, generating tens of millions of pounds in incremental sales. While the red noses themselves are sold at no profit, the company's Nectar loyalty card data confirms that the promotion pays for itself many times over by driving traffic and purchases. These stories illustrate how marketing-driven social initiatives create powerful connections between brands and consumers. Whether through cause promotions that raise awareness, cause-related marketing that ties purchases to donations, or social marketing that promotes behavior change, these programs tap into consumers' desire to contribute to social good through their everyday choices. They transform transactions into meaningful experiences and customers into brand advocates who proudly share the story with others. The effectiveness of these initiatives stems from authentic alignment between the brand, the cause, and consumer values. When Pampers partnered with UNICEF to provide vaccines, they discovered through research that mothers deeply connected with the idea that "without giving anything that is out of my way, without sacrificing anything, I am just buying a pack of diapers which anyway I need to buy, I will save the life of a baby." This emotional resonance translated directly to business results, with purchase intent increasing by 29 percent among consumers aware of the campaign.

Chapter 3: Employee Engagement: Mobilizing Workforce for Social Impact

When Seattle's Sellen Construction began building a new wing for the local children's hospital, their workers found an unexpected way to brighten patients' days. Ironworkers began spray-painting greetings to individual children on steel beams before raising them into place. "HI KIRA" on a beam visible from her window brought a smile back to one young girl's face after a difficult day of treatments. Meanwhile, other construction workers created a life-sized "Where's Waldo?" game, moving the character around the construction site daily so children could search for him from their hospital windows. These spontaneous acts of kindness weren't part of any formal corporate program, yet they generated tremendous goodwill for both the construction company and the hospital, with local media reporting the story under headlines like "Local ironworkers building hope, one beam at a time." At IBM, employee volunteering reaches extraordinary scale. During the company's 100th anniversary celebration, 300,000 IBM employees logged 2.8 million hours of service in 120 countries on a single day, serving over 10 million people through 5,000 IBM-led events. Their On Demand Community program equips employees and retirees with technology solutions to enhance their volunteer work, whether teaching science in underserved schools or mentoring entrepreneurs in developing countries. One standout volunteer, Abhishek Singh from Bangalore, India, recruited 100 colleagues to work with children at the Kadesh Children's Home on weekends. Their efforts teaching science, math, and English transformed student attendance and reading fluency while strengthening participants' connection to IBM's values and mission. For pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, employee volunteerism extends beyond local communities through their Global Health Fellows Program. The initiative places employees in three- to six-month assignments with international development organizations addressing major health issues in underserved populations. Peter Zhang, an associate director from Pfizer China, spent six months in Kenya working with Population Services International to improve their sales and marketing of essential health products. Upon returning, Zhang found his volunteer experience opened new doors with government stakeholders: "I can now personally describe how Pfizer shoulders its corporate responsibilities in an innovative way that contributes to the development of healthcare around the world." These examples demonstrate how employee volunteering creates multiple layers of value. For companies, it builds employee pride, develops leadership skills, strengthens team cohesion, and enhances reputation. For employees, it provides meaningful experiences that connect personal values with professional life. For communities, it delivers needed skills and resources while building lasting relationships with corporate partners. The most effective corporate volunteer programs align with business expertise, employee passions, and community needs. When outdoor clothing company Patagonia established its Environmental Internship Program, employees could leave their jobs for up to two months to work for environmental organizations of their choice—with Patagonia continuing to pay their salaries and benefits. This program not only advances the company's environmental mission but also brings valuable perspectives back to the business. As internship participant Mark Shimahara explained after documenting bird-friendly coffee farming practices in Guatemala, "I feel confident my time, on behalf of Patagonia, helped fulfill our founder Yvon Chouinard's intent to motivate positive change in business practices."

Chapter 4: Business Operations: Embedding Social Responsibility in Practice

When Linda Fisher joined DuPont as chief sustainability officer after serving as deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, she helped transform the chemical company "from environmental boogeyman to darling of the green movement." Under her leadership, DuPont slashed greenhouse gas emissions to 72 percent below 1990 levels through systematic assessment of energy efficiency opportunities across its operations. The approach wasn't about "one big, sexy thing" but rather "a plant-by-plant, process-by-process assessment of becoming more efficient." This methodical approach to environmental responsibility yielded remarkable financial benefits—conservation steps over 15 years saved the company approximately $3 billion. At Whole Foods Market, socially responsible business practices extend to transforming how consumers shop for seafood. Recognizing research showing that 70 percent of shoppers consider buying sustainable fish important but only 30 percent actually do so due to confusion about labeling, the company implemented a revolutionary color-coded system. Working with the Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium, they categorized all seafood as either green (best choice), yellow (good alternative), or red (avoid) with clear labeling at seafood counters. The company didn't stop there—they committed to eliminating all red-rated species by Earth Day 2012. This initiative simultaneously educated consumers, influenced supplier practices, and differentiated Whole Foods in the marketplace. Nike demonstrated how responsible business practices can create new market opportunities when they developed the Air Native N7, a performance athletic shoe designed specifically for Native Americans. After learning that Native Americans have, on average, a much wider and taller foot than standard shoe dimensions accommodate, Nike researchers consulted podiatrists and members of the Indian Health Services to create a specialized design. This initiative extended beyond the product itself to include the N7 Fund, which awards grants to Native American and Aboriginal grassroots sport and fitness programs for youth. By addressing a previously unmet need while supporting community health, Nike strengthened its brand among an underserved population. In South Africa, Coca-Cola bottlers tackled the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS through comprehensive workplace programs. Their initiative included education on proper condom use (with free condoms available in restrooms and even paycheck envelopes), peer counselor training, free confidential testing, and access to antiretroviral drugs. The company also established a clear corporate policy committing to non-discrimination, privacy rights, and reasonable accommodation for affected employees. By 2006, the program had expanded to all bottling partners across Africa, with over 34,000 employees engaged in education activities and more than 13,700 taking HIV tests. These examples illustrate how embedding social responsibility into core business operations creates sustainable value for companies and society. Unlike philanthropy or marketing campaigns that operate separately from the business, these approaches transform how companies design products, manage resources, engage with suppliers, and serve customers. They represent the deepest level of commitment to corporate social responsibility—where doing good becomes inseparable from how business is conducted. The companies leading in this area recognize that socially responsible practices aren't just about minimizing harm but about creating positive impact through their core operations. Microsoft's Connector program addresses Seattle's traffic congestion by providing comfortable, Wi-Fi-equipped employee transportation that has reduced single-occupant vehicle commuting while enhancing employee satisfaction. Levi Strauss revolutionized product care instructions by adding messaging on jeans tags encouraging consumers to wash less, wash in cold water, line dry, and eventually donate to Goodwill—simultaneously reducing environmental impact and extending product lifecycles.

Chapter 5: Measuring Impact: Balancing Social Good with Business Returns

When Kraft Foods launched its ambitious Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign in 2010, the company meticulously tracked both social and business impacts. On the social side, consumer actions generated 21 million meals for Feeding America's network of food banks. On the business side, the initiative contributed significantly to organic revenue gains exceeding 4 percent in the fourth quarter—performance so substantial it was highlighted in the company's earnings report. The campaign's trade spending yielded a three-to-one return, exceeding its goal of two-to-one. Perhaps most importantly, awareness of Kraft as a company combating hunger increased 55 percent from December 2009 to December 2010, strengthening emotional connections that put more Kraft products on shopping lists. For Target Corporation, measuring the impact of their education initiatives involves tracking both dollars invested and lives changed. Their Take Charge of Education program, launched in 1997, allows REDcard holders to direct 1 percent of their purchases to a K-12 school of their choice. By 2011, Target had donated more than $298 million to schools nationwide. Beyond the financial metrics, Target captures stories of individual transformation, like the eight-year-old at Adams Elementary in Corvallis, Oregon, who struggled with reading until an arts program funded by Target's REDcard donations helped her discover her artistic talent. The praise she received from classmates for her artwork gave her the confidence to embrace learning again. Measuring the full impact of corporate social initiatives remains challenging for most organizations. As former Johnson & Johnson philanthropy executive Curt Weeden noted, "Full-scale, highly quantitative evaluations are simply not practical or affordable for 99 percent of the contributions a company elects to make." This challenge is particularly acute for global companies with widely dispersed efforts. McDonald's, for example, reported: "Currently, we do not have systems to collect and aggregate what some 5,500 independent owner/operators do for their community, people and environment at the local level." Despite these challenges, leading companies are developing increasingly sophisticated measurement approaches. ConAgra Foods, committed to fighting child hunger, worked with outside experts to create a comprehensive logic model linking their strategies to intended results. This framework maps how specific activities and outputs—from direct service grants to cause marketing—contribute to outcomes like increased food access, improved nutrition, and ultimately improved food security for children. The model provides a clear snapshot of current efforts and a tool to evolve these investments over time to maximize impact. The most advanced practitioners recognize that measuring impact requires balancing quantitative metrics with qualitative assessment. They track the resources contributed (cash, products, employee time), the outputs generated (people served, materials distributed), and the outcomes achieved (changes in awareness, behavior, or conditions). Increasingly, they also consider the business value created through enhanced reputation, customer loyalty, employee engagement, and operational improvements. This dual focus on social and business returns isn't just about accountability—it's about continuous improvement. By understanding which initiatives create the greatest value for all stakeholders, companies can refine their approaches, reallocate resources, and ultimately increase their positive impact on society while strengthening their competitive position in the marketplace.

Chapter 6: Case Studies: Transformative Corporate Social Initiatives in Action

When Starbucks decided to address the environmental impact of disposable coffee cups, they recognized the challenge couldn't be solved alone. In 2008, they engaged the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Society for Organizational Learning to explore a systems thinking approach to cup recycling. This led to the first Cup Summits in 2009 and 2010, convening government officials, raw material suppliers, cup manufacturers, retail and beverage businesses, recyclers, competitors, conservation groups, and academic experts. Rather than focusing solely on their own cups, Starbucks created a collaborative platform to transform industry practices. By 2011, the initiative had expanded to include competitors like Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, and Tim Horton's, and ultimately led to the creation of the Paper Recovery Alliance—taking the initiative industry-wide with the goal of making all beverage containers either reusable or recyclable. In South Africa, the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation confronted the devastating HIV/AIDS crisis with a comprehensive workplace initiative. When they began in 2003, only two of their 40-plus bottling partners across Africa had HIV/AIDS programs in place. The foundation provided education, testing, counseling, and access to antiretroviral treatments. By 2006, all bottlers were participating, with over 34,000 employees engaged in education activities and more than 1,100 receiving treatment. This program not only protected the company's workforce but also demonstrated corporate leadership on a critical public health issue, strengthening Coca-Cola's license to operate in communities across Africa. For Patagonia, environmental responsibility goes far beyond standard corporate sustainability efforts. Their Environmental Internship Program allows employees to leave their jobs for up to two months to work for environmental organizations while still receiving their full salary and benefits. Mark Shimahara, an internet marketer at Patagonia, used this opportunity to document bird-friendly coffee farming practices in Guatemala. His photographs provided evidence that maintaining diverse native shade trees on coffee plantations creates crucial habitat for migratory birds, supporting both environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture. This program epitomizes Patagonia's mission to "use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis" while giving employees transformative experiences that enhance their commitment to the company. The Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams, created a uniquely targeted initiative called Brewing the American Dream that reflects founder Jim Koch's own entrepreneurial journey. Remembering his struggles to secure financing and expertise when starting the company in 1984, Koch established a program providing microloans and mentoring to small food and beverage businesses. Working with nonprofit partner ACCION, the program offers loans ranging from $500 to $25,000 along with "speed coaching" events where Samuel Adams employees share expertise in branding, marketing, distribution, and other disciplines. The first beneficiary, pastry chef Carlene O'Garro, used her microloan to grow her catering business, Delectable Desires, while continuing to benefit from the Samuel Adams team's mentoring. By 2011, the program had funded nearly $1 million in loans and expanded nationwide. These diverse examples illustrate how transformative social initiatives create multidimensional value. Whether addressing environmental challenges, public health crises, community development, or entrepreneurship support, the most successful programs share common elements: authentic connection to the company's core business and values, strategic alignment with business objectives, engagement of multiple stakeholders, and commitment to measuring and improving outcomes over time. The evolution from traditional philanthropy to strategic social initiatives reflects a fundamental shift in how businesses understand their relationship with society. Rather than viewing social responsibility as separate from business strategy, leading companies now recognize the interdependence between business success and community wellbeing. They seek opportunities where their unique capabilities can create solutions to social challenges while strengthening their competitive position. This approach transforms corporate social responsibility from a peripheral obligation into a core strategic advantage.

Summary

The landscape of corporate social responsibility has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few decades. What began as obligatory charitable donations has evolved into strategic initiatives that simultaneously create business value and address pressing social challenges. The most successful companies now recognize that doing good and doing well are not competing priorities but complementary strategies that reinforce each other. Through cause promotions that raise awareness, cause-related marketing that ties purchases to donations, corporate social marketing that promotes behavior change, strategic philanthropy, employee volunteering, and responsible business practices, organizations are finding innovative ways to leverage their unique capabilities for positive impact. The stories throughout this book reveal a consistent pattern: when companies authentically align social initiatives with their core values, business objectives, and stakeholder expectations, they create powerful momentum for positive change. TOMS Shoes transformed the retail model with its "One for One" approach. Starbucks convened an entire industry to tackle cup waste. DuPont saved billions while slashing emissions. These companies and many others have discovered that social initiatives can drive innovation, enhance brand reputation, engage employees, strengthen community relationships, and ultimately contribute to sustainable growth. As we look to the future, the distinction between business strategy and social impact will continue to blur. The companies that thrive will be those that embrace this integration—finding the sweet spot where their capabilities and resources can create meaningful solutions to social challenges while building stronger, more resilient businesses that deliver value for all stakeholders.

About Author

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Philip Kotler

Professor Kotler's book, Marketing Management, is the world's most widely used graduate level textbook in marketing. His other textbooks include Principles of Marketing and management: An Introduction and they are also widely used around the world.Kotler developed new concepts in marketing including atmospherics, demarketing, megamarketing, turbomarketing and synchromarketing. He believes that marketing theory needs to go beyond price theory and incorporate the dynamics of innovation, distribution and promotion systems into analyzing, explaining and predicting economic outcomes.Kotler has worked for many large companies in the areas of marketing strategy, planning and organization, and international marketing.He presents seminars in major international cities and countries around the world on the latest marketing developments to companies and other organizations."He is the father of Marketing Management". (Wikipedia)

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