Brands with a positive impact: how to put people and the planet at the heart of your business

What does cleaning up coastal areas have to do with designer glasses? How can homeless people get jobs in a pizzeria? How do you create a service for businesses provided by blind people? These aren't rhetorical questions, but rather concrete examples of brands born by putting people and the planet first.

Brands with a positive impact are no longer isolated cases of companies that choose to do business with a different focus, but rather are part of a growing ecosystem of organizations that promote the development of companies with a strong social and/or environmental footprint. These are not socially responsible actions, but rather corporate strategies and policies that permeate every area of the company, driven by a purpose that transcends commercial objectives and seeks to generate profound transformations.

How do these types of brands emerge?

The motivation to create brands with a positive impact can arise in different ways. In some cases, they are driven by entrepreneurs who identify a social or environmental problem, and instead of seeking donations or subsidies to solve it, they create business models. In other cases, they emerge from existing companies that had a commercial focus and discover they can contribute to society and the planet by transforming their value chains, policies, and organizational culture, and gearing them toward generating a positive impact.

Karun, a brand that invites you to change your perspective

This eyewear brand was born in Chile with a very clear purpose: to invite us to reflect: what would happen if we realized that we are all nature? Under this premise, it seeks to make people aware of their relationship with the environment around them, to value the wisdom of ancestral cultures, and to adopt healthier and more conscious consumer habits. They collect fishing nets, plastics, and other waste from the coasts and transform them into high-quality, exceptionally designed eyewear.

Pixza, a social empowerment platform disguised as a pizzeria

When Alejandro Souza, its founder, encountered the harsh reality experienced by homeless people, he knew he could do something about it. From Mexico, he created an innovative pizzeria selling blue corn pizzas with authentic Mexican flavors as a way to generate a business focused on helping people achieve better opportunities. They began by giving pizza to homeless people to break the ice and invite them to participate in a program called "The Route of Change," where people begin by bathing and sleeping in a conditioned space, then receive psychological support, job training, and various tools that allow them to escape their current situation and find work. The people who work there were part of the group of young people who managed to transform their situation thanks to this program.

In Good Hands, demonstrating that people with disabilities can be productive

This Social Enterprise was born motivated by the alarming figure that 80% of people with disabilities cannot access decent employment commensurate with their abilities and skills. To transform this vision, En Buenas Manos created various services that it sells to companies: massages performed by blind people, catering by deaf or hard-of-hearing people, manicure services performed by women in wheelchairs, among others. In this way, companies contract excellent service, but also realize that businesses can be a great engine for social integration and provide decent work opportunities. This Argentine company not only demonstrates that business can be done with a different vision, but also builds bridges.

Next Wednesday, October 2, at 5:00 PM , the talk "Brands with a Positive Impact: How to Put People and the Planet at the Heart of Your Business" will be given at the Globant Iconic Building, Pinto 968. It will be facilitated by Jessica Oyarbide, founder of Marcas que Marcan and EKHOS , as part of the FlamaX activities. The activity is free and open to the public, to register, please visit https://bit.ly/marcasconimpacto

NOTE https://www.eleco.com.ar/power/marcas-con-impacto-positive-como-poner-a-las-personas-y-al-planeta-en-el-corazon-del-negocio