Social entrepreneurship – the right way, anyway

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There seems to be a buzz word off the lips of every young Malaysian entrepreneur these days. A new buzz word that will make your company on the top of the list to attract ‘Gen Y’ employees.

Social entrepreneurship.
Cause-related marketing.

Companies today are more socially conscious and it seems that if you were to attach a cause to your marketing strategy, the appeal to the youth community works in more powerful ways than if you were to attach a straightforward celebrity endorsement, although by no means are we suggesting endorsements don’t work. Together, a celebrity with a cause offers double the impact.

However, is it purely a marketing jargon, or is society truly seeking to do more for one another through ‘social entrepreneurship’?

Here are some case studies to consider:

Hollywood renowned on-screen actress Cate Blanchett has a cause, and that is to further theatre. So, she’s been working with Sydney Theatre Company as their co-artistic director and they’ve just launched together with Suncorp, limited $20 ticket seats to make theatre more accessible to the public. Great move for theatre-goers and bringing theatre closer to the people!

Pakistan’s former cricketeer and celebrity heart throb Imran Khan now bats for politics and has taken on a whole new direction in his campaign, themed ‘change’. He shall be leading his party after winning a seat in parliament to end corruption and effect reforms. (2019 update: Imran Khan is the Prime Minister of Pakistan)

James Dean, although its been a long time since his movie ‘Rebel without a cause’, still continues to drive home the message about youth and their need for freedom of expression. For over 60 years, that movie and the memory of James Dean has given youth the fight for freedom as their ’cause’.

James Dean in Rebel without a Cause

In Australia, I read recently about a teenage school kid who’s come up with a cause himself. Buying a school bus for children from a school in Africa! He has successfully gotten his school friends to help him raise the funds to buy a bus so that it can shuttle the children to/fro school and their small town in Africa. Commendable!

Closer to home, celebrities are also doing their part for causes, however it seems its more generic rather than “this is my cause, and my only cause”. In Malaysia, we see more and more celebrities pitching in for a multitude of causes. Not just one. So it’s a good thing. But we need more advocates to take a bit more of a risk to step up and pick a cause and offer those charities longevity. Perhaps then, there might be a harder impact hitting home, rather than a fleeting impact.

Social entrepreneurship is a new catch-phrase and I encourage parents with children, families, seniors, young people to embrace a cause and ride with it. Offer a commitment of at least 3-5 years because it will take that amount of time to raise the funds and see through your projects.

I often hear a lot of comments like…

“I’m not sure about which cause to support”
“I’d fight for a cause, but it must be something I like”
“The charity I like already has many sponsors. I don’t think they need me”
“I really want to start my own cause”

Well, folks, make it happen. Sometimes, it’s not about which ’cause’ we choose. Rather its about which ’cause’ chooses us or needs our help the most. And your role is about connecting the cause, to your community.

Update 11.11.19:

Interested but unsure how to get involved?

Volunteer your time at events. Man a booth. Spread the word about the cause via your social media networks. Any help is a valuable investment for those you could help. It’s a valuable investment for humankind. A lot of times, I hear charity begins at home. Well, folks, it’s true but it shouldn’t end there. Charity is innate and we’re all born with it. It’s up to us to carry it forward. Here’s three cheers to social entrepreneurship and for whatever cause you fight for, make it a fight worthwhile.

List of cause-related project directories:

Since writing this article eight years ago in 2011, there have been further progress in cause-marketing campaigns and one campaign in particular stands out.

A teenage girl from Sweden named Greta Thunberg started the #FridaysForFuture movement in August 2018 by sitting in front of the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis and shared it via Instagram and Twitter. What’s surprising is the number of critics as well as hateful abuse that have emerged as a result of these climate change activism campaigns that include the hashtags #FridaysForFuture and #Climatestrike. What is it that adults find so abhorring about this one girl’s campaign? Have a look for yourself and key those hashtags into your browser to see what’s going on in your own city, and make your own judgement about her cause. After all, climate change does affect us all.

Previously written and posted in postrelease.wordpress.com by Jasmine Low. All thoughts and opinions are my own.