MULO Brands With Soul November Picks: The Season of Giving
Rather than single out one brand this month, we will focus on how several MULO (multi-location) brands are leaning into giving this holiday season with tie-ins to philanthropic efforts.
Aligning a brand with a specific charitable effort can be risky, so doing due diligence before selecting a cause is imperative today. You certainly don’t want consumers boycotting your company over the holiday season due to trolls who don’t support the same cause as your company.
This year, hunger seems to be a popular giving category for many MULO brands. Among the charities being supported by these brands are:
- No Kid Hungry:
- Arby’s
- Denny’s
- Walmart
- Williams Sonoma
- The Jack in the Box Foundation
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe
- Many others can be found on this page
- Feeding America:
- Crate & Barrel
- Free People
- Starbucks
- TJX, which owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra, and Homesense
According to the Feeding America site, 47 million people in the U.S. are food insecure, including 14 million children. Over 50 million people turned to food assistance programs last year, and 100 percent of U.S. counties experience food insecurity. It appears to be a charitable category that is hard to dispute and the fact that children are impacted makes it worthwhile to support. The chances of it polarizing a customer base are slim.
Three ways retailers and restaurants can engage their shoppers, diners, and employees in their charitable efforts are:
- Ensuring that they list their charitable partnerships on their websites and social media
- Running a “rounding-up” program at check-out so people can add to their charges with a donation to a non-profit organization
- Holding an employee event, where teams can work together at a food bank or other local venue that needs volunteers.
Savvy MULO brands are forming their own foundations, staffed by talent who are well-versed in evaluating and selecting philanthropic causes. Many also focus on allowing their regional managers, store owners, and franchisees to weigh-in on local community causes that are important to the customers they serve.
Above all, brands need to be authentic and transparent in their giving strategies. If they are only generous during the holiday season because the optics are good, they will soon lose credibility with the customers they serve.
So choose wisely, market effectively, and give generously (to the right causes) this holiday season.
