Social impact is no longer reserved for charitable organisations alone. In recent years, the concept of social enterprise has powered a major transformation of the business landscape. Social enterprises mix profit with purpose, well-being with worth, and contribute over £60bn annually to the UK economy alone.
With an output that creates positive change, social enterprises are set to define the future as they improve people’s lives in many ways by providing training and employment opportunities for those furthest from the market, supporting communities and by helping the environment.
Companies are more conscious than ever of their social footprint and are actively looking at steps to improve theirs. Leading companies no longer see themselves as separate islands but as part of a much wider ecosystem — an ecosystem in which they can and should play an active role. The focus isn’t just on the bottom line anymore, it’s on whether a business gives back what it takes out of the environment and society, and it’s on the well-being of their employees and the wider community.
Where It All Began
Although there are examples of social enterprises going as far back as the mid-19th century, the idea slowly began to take off again during the 1990s, and over the last 20 years, a movement has been gathering pace that’s now impossible to ignore.
The idea that a business has no other responsibility than to provide its service and maximise its profits has gone the way of floppy disks, fax machines, and 56k modems. Consumers are now more likely to favour businesses that take a stand on issues that matter to them.
Products That Give Back
We have noticed that our clients are increasingly looking to embrace and embody social enterprise schemes and ideas through their merchandise, and as long-time advocates of social enterprises and social responsibility, we’re stepping up to the plate by continuing to integrate those ideas and options into our value proposition.
One of the most impactful ways we’ve been doing this is through our Products That Give Back collection. They have social enterprise and responsibility built into them from conception to delivery and beyond. Not only do they serve as the latest in innovative, sustainable, and practical promotional merchandise, they also have the power to help those who need it most.
Each of our Products That Give Back has a powerful story to tell and provides life-changing, potentially even life-saving benefits for others.
For example, they include recycled products that both save water in production and donate part of their profit to water.org, a charity that empowers people by giving them access to clean water. Some businesses plant a tree for every product sold, remove unregistered guns from the streets, provide socks to homeless people or donate their profits to autism charities and countless others.
One of our favourites is a CorrectBook notebook that helps to champion education and literacy in some of the world’s least developed countries.
Shared Responsibility
As part of our broader social responsibility efforts, Geiger is committed to helping to achieve genuine positive impact on some of the biggest issues affecting our community and planet. As global events and developments continue to show us, we’re all in this together and we are not going to solve problems by working alone so we all need to play our part and work together as best we can, as individuals and organisations, to help make a real difference.
Geiger is not alone in this way of thinking. Leading the way with us are global brands like Ben & Jerry’s, who support a number of worthy causes, like Farm Aid and even formed Ben & Jerry’s Foundation designed to drive progressive social changes.
Lego, Levi, Microsoft, Marc Jacobs, Adidas and many other companies have made a similar commitment to source their products responsibly and help to take care of those people and areas of the planet that need it the most.
Don’t get left behind!
Your brand can become a part of this wonderful and important step in business evolution by making sure your merchandise is socially responsible and creates a positive change.
Your business matters, your customers matter, and all of our roles in the wider ecosystem matter. By acknowledging this through your branded merchandise, you are letting your clients know that you can provide them with what they want whilst also showing them that you care about the same things that they do.
Get Involved
If you are interested in what our promotional products can do for you, then reach out to one of our friendly team for a quick chat. We can offer everything from pre-packed ranges to tailored individual products, all shipped from our warehouse in Hayes, Middlesex straight to your door or directly to your customers’ doors.
