COMPANY-SPONSORED BOWLING Putnams Social Capital Theory: Building Relationships to Build Strong Brands

V.A. Udeh Comm 605- Integrated Strategic Communication

The following cards can be used to lead a team discussion on how to build relationships with your stakeholders to build both social capital and a stronger brand.

Insight: It has been argued that through forming the necessary networks and connections for organizations and individuals, public relations plays a central role in maintaining a balanced society. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts

Process: (3 teams)

Brand & Values Teams select a card that includes the brands values /attributes. Cause Each brand team will select a cause to support. Connect After selecting a cause, teams must determine how they will connect with brand stakeholders utilizing Putnams distinctions of bonding and bridging. Advocate Based on Putnams distinctions, selected issues mission and brand values, each team will develop initiatives that will build relationships between and among the brand and internal and external stakeholders. Community Teams will describe how they visualize the results of their efforts (socially constructed reality).

AVON - BRAND ATTRIBUTES

A neighbor / Optimistic / Innovative / Fresh / Engaged

Insight: integrated marketing [communication] is a cross-functional process for managing profitable brand relationships by bringing people and corporate learning together to maintain strategic consistency in brand communications, facilitate purposeful dialogue with customersand market a corporate mission that increases brand trust. -T. Duncan & S. Moriarty, Driving brand value: Using integrated marketing to manage profitable stakeholder relationships

WHOLE FOODS BRAND ATTRIBUTES

Health Conscious / Natural / Community-focused / Happy

Insight: integrated marketing [communication] is a cross-functional process for managing profitable brand relationships by bringing people and corporate learning together to maintain strategic consistency in brand communications, facilitate purposeful dialogue with customersand market a corporate mission that increases

brand trust. -T. Duncan & S. Moriarty, Driving brand value: Using integrated marketing to manage profitable stakeholder relationships

SEVENTH GENERATION BRAND ATTRIBUTES

Authentic / Transparent / Fair / Inspirational / Inter-connected / Renewed

Insight: integrated marketing [communication] is a cross-functional process for managing profitable brand relationships by bringing people and corporate learning together to maintain strategic consistency in brand communications, facilitate purposeful dialogue with customersand market a corporate mission that increases brand trust. -T. Duncan & S. Moriarty, Driving brand value: Using integrated marketing to manage profitable stakeholder relationships

CAUSE Our Environment Recycling Energy Conservation Global Warming Clean Water

Insight: social capital refers to investments in social relations that create surplus value:
relations between people and various kinds of capital embedded in and mobilizable through those relations. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts

CAUSE The Human Condition Preventative Healthcare Education Hunger

Insight: social capital refers to investments in social relations that create surplus value:
relations between people and various kinds of capital embedded in and mobilizable through those relations. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts

CAUSE Our Community Veteran Support Youth Programs Workforce Development Crisis Shelters

Insight: social capital refers to investments in social relations that create surplus value:
relations between people and various kinds of capital embedded in and mobilizable through those relations. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts

Determine how you will connect with brand stakeholders utilizing Putnams theory distinctions:

CONNECT

Bonding Building relationships with internal stakeholders. Bridging Building relationships with external publics.
Insight: Ties should be first formed inside the organization (bonding) ...organizational reputation among external stakeholders is greatly influenced by internal reputation. Only after bonding capital is established, can organizations build bridging social capital. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts

How will you leverage brand values and the mission of the selected cause to create relationships with all brand stakeholders?

ADVOCATE

Social/Interactive Media -Grassroots Initiatives -Peer-to-Peer Advocacy -Formal Volunteer Programs

-Partnerships with communitybased organizations -Neighborhood programs -Professional organizations

Insight: connections among people, establish bonds of trust and understanding, building community. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts

COMMUNITY -How will your efforts create or strengthen participants concept of community? -Will your efforts to build social capital result in a stronger emotional connection to the brand? -How would you maintain and nurture the community you created?
Insight: Community does not happen by accident and neither does it prosper where it is not cultivated. In a similar manner, the cultivation of stakeholder relations ensures organizational survival. -Vilma Luoma-aho, Public Relations and Social Theory, Key Figures and Concepts