WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF MATTERS Part 2

In the last decade we’ve seen different kinds of companies emerge, to meet the demands of a newly conscious consumer. The dot-com revolution has already spawned some incredibly successful companies, run by entrepreneurs who have a strong sense of purpose, which is embedded into the company culture – for example Atlassian, an Australia software success story.

As we said in Blog 8, which looks at corporations, public companies, NGOs and franchise operations, if you want to partner with the commercial sector, it’s important to understand their makeup.

Let’s look now at those organisations that are rewriting the rules of business:

Private company

A private company is privately owned, for example, KPMG and Cotton On Group, and may not receive as many proposals from non-profits as public companies. If they’re a ‘challenger’[1] brand (like Karma Cola, Dodo, Airbnb & Ola) they could be a good prospect because they’re renowned for having a strong social purpose at their core, and keen to differentiate.

As they’re not required to share performance statistics, financials or, indeed, their community activities, finding information can be challenging. Australian private companies will most likely operate on a July-June financial year and things usually most fast. It’s quite likely that the founder will be on the other side of the desk when you pitch, so it’s possible to get a “Yes!” straight away. When Murdoch Children’s Research Institute approached real estate agency Kay & Burton, they went in with a compelling pitch, and got a “Yes!” at the first meeting with the owner.

Learn more about MCRI’s story of securing 5 corporate partners: https://www.bepartnerready.com/success

SME (Small to Medium Enterprise)

SME’s employ under 200 people and make up a whopping 97% of all Australian businesses. Fast-growing SME’s include Choice Energy, Car Next Door and Laser Clinics Australia. They don’t receive as many proposals as public or private companies and can often be good prospects for brand-aligned partnerships, if they’re seeking innovative ways to differentiate. Australian SME’s will most likely operate on a July-June financial year and things usually most fast.

Social Enterprise

A social enterprise operates commercially, but with the aim of maximising social impact. Think the thankyou® group (spring water, food, and body care) with 100% of profit going to life-changing food, water and health sanitation projects around the world. Others include Good Cycles, Fruit2work and Streat. These are potential partners for non-profits, but they could also be competitors, as they’re also looking to partner with the corporate and business sector.

B Corps

Certified B Corporations emerged in 2006 and are defined, not by their legal structure, but by their social and environmental performance, as measured by non-profit B Lab. They adhere to the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence and are required to undertake a rigorous assessment before being accredited. Well known global B Corps are Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s, and in Australia we have many including T2, Arbonne and our partner, Marlin Communications. Initially, they would appear to be perfect partner material, but in order to achieve their B Corp status, they must demonstrate social and environmental action, so they may already be partnered.

Start-up

Non-profits need to be wary of start-ups; often they have no cash to invest and simply want to gain some feel-good halo from aligning with a charity. If they want your brand, they need to budget for it like everything else – don’t hand it over on a ‘promise’ of future sales.

A true partnership is when both parties benefit.

[1] challenger brands have an ambitious mindset to rewrite the rules of their industry

Hailey Cavill-Jaspers