The Key Principle When Partnering with a Social Cause — Honesty

The most important principle for a brand to adhere to when partnering with a social cause is genuineness and HONESTY. Above all else, the brand needs to be committed to the social cause, transparent and genuinely care about the cause. The last thing a brand wants to do is to commit to a social cause merely for PR gain without a firm understanding of the intractable problem at hand. Customers need to trust their brand, and they must trust that their brand cares about the social cause.

In addition to honesty, transparency is also key. Consider the case of Kiva, the micro-finance institution. Kiva became famous because its lending platform allowed users to directly donate to individuals in the developing world. For example, a user could donate directly to a baker in Azerbaijan and see pictures of that baker using her new oven. However, it was later revealed that user donations were not actually going directly to the intended target. Kiva donations actually worked in the same was as all other large non-profits. Donations went to a central agency and were then re-allocated. This angered users because the transparency they loved proved to be a lie. Brands cannot afford to make these mistakes. They must be honest and transparent with their social causes.