Good ideas look good (Brian A Jackson / Shutterstock.com)
In their mission to be a positive force in the world, social good brands have it tough - they basically have to run two businesses, all day everyday. On one hand they have to take care of their startups, and that takes tons of work, time, and money. On the other hand they have to stay accountable for their social impact - because these are the foundations on which they’ve built their brands.
These two endeavors take a tremendous amount of time and effort, so its especially great to see that these brands have nailed it on their overall branding as well. The overall branding is so important because it’s usually what we see first when introduced to the brand. This is one of the best investments a brand can make - to build social media outlets, websites, and packaging to compete with not just other social enterprises, but also with traditional brands.
They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to these social enterprises - you can.
1. THX
SOCIAL GOOD: The THX Co. is out to provide uniquely inspired, top-quality products such as coffee and perfume, sold at radically transparent prices. All profits go directly towards their partner charities.
GOOD BRANDING: This newly- launched brand came out of the gate strong with a great logo, amazing packaging and a clean, easy-to-use website.
2. COURAJ
SOCIAL GOOD: Pronounced “courage,” COURAJ is a Texas-based buy-one-give-one lifestyle clothing brand and tool, with one mission: to encourage the people of the world show more courage.
GOOD BRANDING: Another new brand, Couraj did some clever things with the overall name and a great job on the logo. The lion automatically makes us think of courage, immediately giving the brand a foundation and identity representation. The logo translates well across all social media outlets and is great for printing.
3. HALF UNITED
SOCIAL GOOD: HALF UNITED sells products that use a recycled bullet casing to represent the fight against hunger, and provides a week’s worth of meals (half of the profits) to a child in need for every purchase.
GOOD BRANDING: HALF UNITED shows just how powerful simplicity can be. The logo is clear and identifiable with the overall brand, and translates well across different products. This is key when building out a brand that will eventually include more products.
4. COTOPAXI
SOCIAL GOOD: Cotopaxi is an outdoor gear company with a social mission to eradicate poverty.
GOOD BRANDING: This enterprise’s logo is top notch, and their website is even better. The orange in the logo makes a strong impact, catching the eye right away. Once again, notice how the logo plays well in different sizes and with different colors. It translates well across their line of products, and the logo is great for badges and sewing on materials if need be - simple, clean and effective.
5. THIS BAR SAVES LIVES
SOCIAL GOOD: This social enterprise makes gourmet, healthy snack bars - and gives a packet of life-saving food to a child in need for every bar purchased.
GOOD BRANDING: This Bar Saves Lives packaging is second to none, with great color schemes to compliment each product. For the logo, the name says it all - it’s an immediate eye catcher and it gets customers interested right away.
This article originally appeared on CauseArtist and is republished here with permission.
