Understanding Generosity In Branding

Social media expert Dawn Renshaw unpacks what generosity in branding really means and why people are drawn to businesses that treat employees, customers, and communities with care. We share practical ways to show your values without sounding performative, plus real stories that explain the “givers gain” feeling. 

Episode Resources

Stoney Creek Social Media

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Transcript

Welcome To Kindness Marketing

Richard Piet 0:06

Hi, Richard Piet, and welcome back to the Kindness Marketing Podcast. That's what we talk about here is kindness marketing, the elements of it, and give you some things to think about as it relates to it, and hopefully try to answer some of the questions you may already have as it relates to this. Dawn Renshaw is the kindness marketing expert, founder of Stony Creek Social Media, and we're back together with Dawn today. Hi, Dawn. Hi, Richard.

Defining Generosity In Branding

Richard Piet 0:39

Today we're going to talk about the psychology of generosity in branding. All right, let's let's start with maybe what is the most obvious question here. What do we mean by generosity in branding? Or giving things away, or what does that mean?

Dawn Renshaw 0:56

It means that you are, you know, you want to give as opposed to receiving. And people look at that and like, if you're in a business to make money, you want people to give you money. But you know, people want to do business with a company that's that gives back to their community, that they're involved in their community, their employees are good people, that you know, they care about their employees, and their employees have good benefits, you know. It's not just about, you know, I go in and I give you my money for your product or your service. It's like, I want to know about your company, you know, what your values are. You know, do you give back to the community? Do you treat your customer or your employees fairly? Do you treat your customers fair? All the things that go into being a good human. Now people want to do business with businesses that are doing the right thing.

Richard Piet 1:43

And so we should, I presume, take some time to shed light in our marketing on those organizations we feel passionate about and and maybe we do things for in the community, right?

Dawn Renshaw 1:58

Right. You know, we I work with a company right now that all of their employees are required. Part of their employment requirement is that they have so many volunteer hours in the community. And those volunteer hours

Sharing Good Deeds Without Bragging

Dawn Renshaw 2:12

are paid hours. So the employer is paying them to go volunteer. And they're like, well, we don't really like talking about that. And it's like, I get it, because on some level it might feel like bragging, but also you have to look at it like it might, it might encourage other businesses to step up and do the right thing.

Richard Piet 2:30

Yeah. And so I would say this is a little bit of a delicate balance. And your client's perspective about that. We don't, we don't want to brag or be be perceived as doing that. This is where you come in to help them frame the message.

Dawn Renshaw 2:46

Right. Teter-totter it. Yeah. So, like we'll take pictures of their employees volunteering, and so we don't come right out and say, hey, this is what we're doing, look at us, but we'll say, This is so-and-so from such and such a company, and he is spending part of his required volunteer hours at such and such a place. There's a delicate approach to it because you don't want to go, hey, look at me. Um, this is what I'm doing. But I do think that it's uh a way of not only you know shedding the kindness light on yourself, but you're also, you know, shedding light on that company. And, you know, because you you know people, your company is affiliated with people, and it's like that cross-marketing where you're saying, okay, this is gonna hit our audience, and our audience is now gonna know about this nonprofit that exists.

Richard Piet 3:32

Right. And and you've just articulated the difference between maybe what could be more possibly perceived as bragging, and and just saying, hey, look, you know, here's some people we know and look what they do. And that's really the point. Why your company is involved with them is to help uh show how much they mean to you and and uh how they help in the community, giving them some accolades. You

Why Giving Feels So Powerful

Richard Piet 3:58

know, what triggers in our brains? I'm not asking for a clinical answer, Don. I'm just curious, what does it do for us when uh generosity is evident in business?

Dawn Renshaw 4:13

Well, it's interesting because I was part of a group called Um Business Network International, B and I they call it, you know, and they called it um Givers Gain. And it's what's like the more you give, the more you get. But to me, you know, it's you know, when I was a little girl, we would make May Day baskets and you would run up and you would knock on the door and you'd leave the basket and you'd run into the bushes and you'd see them. Um, and it was just so neat to see them, you know, the the people so excited about the baskets and you know and things like that. But it was something that, you know, oftentimes they didn't never knew it was you. Um and so, but it was like that you got that warm, fuzzy, like awesome feeling from seeing them, and you got nothing back. And I always say that one of the the biggest joys I get in my life is doing something for somebody and them not knowing it's me, or it's doing that for somebody that you know could never pay you back and being okay with that.

Richard Piet 5:08

Yeah, and and there's the uh the feeling that you get about that, and it helps it helps uh stir up that giver's gain, right? That uh that we're after. It's interesting you say that. I was in a restaurant the other day, and uh across the dining room there was a man with a young girl, I presume it was his daughter, I don't know, maybe it wasn't. And uh my waitress was at the table, and another waitress came up to her and said, You got the check for that table over there? And and she sort of looked at her kind of sideways Yeah, of course I do. What are you talking about? And she said, Somebody wants to pay their bill.

Dawn Renshaw 5:49

Oh.

Richard Piet 5:50

And so she tore the check out of the book and handed it to her. So when that, presumably dad and the little girl left, they would find out that uh their check had been paid. Same kind of thing, not hiding in the bushes, but we don't even know who that was.

Dawn Renshaw 6:06

Right, right. One of my favorite things to do, and it sounds really silly, is when you're in the drive-thru and the person in front of you pays for yours, and so then you pay for the one behind, you know. And I remember doing it one time at a Big B coffee, and and I always get a cop, you know, the same coffee, it's you know, four or five dollars. And the girl looks at me and she goes, their order's $12. And I'm like, sure, you know, she was just like, you know, it's like you're getting a four-dollar coffee and you're paying for $12, you know. Um, but you know, and again, it's that thing where, you know, that person has no way of repaying you. And it, I don't know, maybe I'm just a little, a little touched, but I just get so excited, and it's you know, four or five dollars. And um, yeah, it's like there's not more negativity and more darkness in the world, it's just louder, and we just need to drown it out.

Richard Piet 6:59

Yeah, with some kindness and generosity. So, what can a business owner do to stimulate generosity and this giver's gain

Building Loyalty Through Employee Kindness

Richard Piet 7:10

thing? Any thoughts on that?

Dawn Renshaw 7:12

Well, yes. And one thing that I talk about with my employees is that my employees are my business. They're my customers. And so if I am kind to them and treat them with respect and and dignity and give to them, I mean, I get people that ask me if they can come work for me because I have one young man that works for me, he's been with me six years, and he he gets six weeks paid vacation. Wow. And so people are like, can I come work with you? Um, if you are if you're stingy with your employees and you're not kind to them, how do you expect them to be kind to your customers?

Richard Piet 7:54

I I'm pausing there, so you can take a minute to absorb that. Uh, but it makes plenty of sense. Now we're talking about internally, right? We're not even talking about generosity toward clients or customers. You're trying to stimulate uh a loyalty, isn't that right?

Dawn Renshaw 8:15

Right, right. There's just some people that that just resonate kindness and they wanna they want to do what's right for people, they want to help people as much as they can. And it's something that I'm very fortunate to have uh people on staff that that go that extra mile. We've had people call us at the last minute and say, Hey, I need this, hey, I need that. You know, but it's something that we also learn from other business owners. I work with a local printer, and I remember one time I had slipped up and forgot to order my business cards. This was years and years and years ago. And I had to go out of town for an event. I remember calling them and saying, Hey, I messed up. I need some business cards, and I need them like today by five. And this was like 10 o'clock in the morning. And they're like, no problem. And it was like, so do you think I'll ever buy a printed product from anybody else?

Richard Piet 9:06

No, yeah, right. They it resonated with generosity and kindness, and now you're a customer

Final Takeaways And How To Connect

Richard Piet 9:14

for life. So there you go. Uh think about that. How can generosity play a role in your business? Maybe, uh, and this is often true, right? Where we business owners are so in it that maybe we can't see it. Dawn can help us see it, and that's the point. Her contact info and link is in the show notes. Just click through and ask Dawn your own questions. After all, the Kindness Marketing Podcast, it leverages Dawn's expertise in this area. Dawn will be back soon. Thank you.

Dawn Renshaw 9:51

Thank you.

Richard Piet 9:52

Stony Creek Social Media and the Kindness Marketing Podcast. Subscribe. It's your favorite place to get podcasts, or follow us on YouTube. Take care.