USA TODAY: At a handful of Panera locations, down-and-out folks pay only what they can afford. Nordstrom recently opened a test store where all profits go to charity. Starbucks has three coffee shops where a big chunk of the money made helps the needy…
For decades, this kind of corporate kindness was the exception, but in the past few years, dozens of America’s biggest brands have embraced socially kind deeds as an unusually effective way to sell themselves to consumers, employees, even stockholders. Some are listening to their hearts — while others are listening to social-media chatter and creating consumable spin…
Doing good is becoming less an option and more a requirement. But it’s tricky. It’s not just about writing checks anymore, and most Millennials have a seemingly innate ability to smell out manufactured kindness. Corporate kindness must be grounded in an holistic sense of good that can’t feel, smell or taste like it’s been painted on by the corporate spin-meisters. It has to come from within… (more)
