Our Mission

Our Mission: is to help businesses invest in improving the lives of the communities they serve – as an intrinsic part of their service offering.

To show how business can create positive long-term societal change while also meeting their commercial aims and shareholder obligations. We believe the former does not have to be compromised by the latter.

Asociat are working towards a goal in which businesses and communities can combine forces to-create a fairer, kinder, cleaner world.

There are some qualities that we believe will help us achieve our mission…

We are tenacious...

If you want to change the world then you will undoubtedly encounter people who disagree with your world view. In business and in life, many people have the power to say NO to your vision.

Getting to a YES requires a wider consultation with a larger constituency of people. That usually ensures ‘yes’ decisions happen less often. Which makes tenacity the most valued quality at Asociat – you have to keep communicating, keep collaborating; to keep asking the questions that will get you to a big fat YES.

We are creatively curious...

Problem solving is a creative exercise. Identifying the problems that need solving is also a creative exercise – it’s not always apparent who needs help and how you might be able to contribute.

Being curious helps with that. And once you have a big idea that will change somebody’s world for the better, then a truckload of imagination is required to work out how to make your vision happen; to transfer it from your head and into the real world!

At Asociat, being creatively curious helps us identify who and how we can help, and who we need to partner with to ensure success in our mission.

We are perspective takers...

Our actions have consequences for others. To understand how our actions, beliefs and ambitions might impact the lives of the people and communities around us, to get a grip on how we might be able to help others achieve, a perspective switch is required.

Perspective taking is an attempt to see the world through the eyes of others without necessarily agreeing with everything you see through them!

By taking a wider perspective we can begin to understand how our actions will be received by those we are engaging with. A failure to take perspective is a failure of imagination – and that’s not good if you are also creatively curious!

There is a danger of course – to consider the world from another’s perspective with a truly open mind may challenge your personal beliefs and preconceptions – you may need to evolve and adapt your ideas. At Asociat we embrace that kind of challenge as part of our mission.

We are realistically optimistic...

Whatever your mission, you need to believe the horizon is bathed in sunshine, or why head there at all? Optimism is the spur that gets you there.

At the same time, a healthy dose of realism will help you foresee, adapt to and navigate around all the bumps, ravines and hurdles on route.

We hope to be kind...

Being kind. It’s always a work in progress. Something to aspire to. We don’t get it right all the time. We’re only human.

Undoubtedly though, if more kindness existed in business there would be NO plastic in our seas, emissions scandals, zero hours contracts, gender pay gaps, institutional racism and other injustices and inequalities.

Tenacious

Creatively curious

Perspective takers

Realistically optimistic

Kind

How do we get to where we’re going?

It starts with a perception shift…

We help brands communicate with their customers in a new way;

Not as consumers. Or as a demographic. Categorising people by what they earn or how they shop just isn’t appropriate anymore – it may never have been!

Our mission is to help commercial organisations to look at their customers in a new way..

As a community

All communities are different. There are lots of them.

It could be a community in a city borough struggling with digital poverty; or access to sports or music. Or female students who want to study STEM subjects. Or older people suffering from loneliness. Or any of the myriad communities inside the acronym LGBTQ+ etc, etc, etc!

Each community has a unique set of needs. We identify those needs.

We help brands consult with a community that is important to them; working with all stakeholders to co-create partnerships to address those needs.

Which helps people look at brands in a different way too.

Not just as advertisers.

As partners; to help improve the quality of living in urban environments.

It’s what people want from business…

Back in 2019, 64% said a company’s “primary purpose” should be “making the world a better place”. New Paradigm Strategy Group & Fortune 2019.

By 2021, 80% agreed, “a business must play a role in addressing societal issues; they want a company to take actions which increase profits – but also improve social conditions and (here it is again) make the world a better place.” Edelman Trust Barometer 2021.

In 2023 businesses are NOW the only trusted institutions versus governments media and even NGOs! Edelman Trust Barometer 2023.

Having discovered the opportunity, we work with our clients to deliver each community partnership.

We advise, create, produce, manage and measure each campaign. We are an end-to-end delivery partner.

The outcomes have tangible benefits for all stakeholders…

For the community the benefits are obvious; we help to make their world a better place.

The same is true for brands…

The benefits for brands: mission, value and purpose

The right Community Partnership serving the right need underlines a brand’s active commitment to purpose-based initiatives.

Back in 2019, only 50% of people believed a company if they said they wanted to make the world a better place.

Source: AFLAC CSR Survey 2019

Now, 100% of people WANT to believe.

“Purpose will be central to rebuilding brands in the society that is emerging after the pandemic.”

Source: Marketing Week 2020

The benefits for brands: marcomms, PR and content creation

The right Community Partnership builds an authentic values driven marcomms platform

Community Partnerships don’t necessarily need to be confined solely to your CSR program.

They can be your through the line advertising campaign too.

The right Community Partnership creates genuine collaboration between brands and the communities they serve.

They also create compelling content for all your channels.

The benefits for brands: customer retention, team engagement, profitability

The right community partnership helps retain and attract new ‘values aware’ customers.

“Authentic purpose is now as important as digital to the next generation of customers.”

Source: Deloitte Global Marketing Trends Report 2020.

This also extends to increased employee engagement, attraction of talent, customer engagement & brand loyalty

“Purpose-driven companies have 40% higher levels of workforce retention than their competitors.”

“Companies with highly engaged teams realise substantially higher productivity, higher customer engagement and 23% higher profitability*.”

“After learning a brand is socially responsible, Gen-Zers are 85% more likely to trust a brand, 84% more likely to buy and 82% more likely to recommend**”

Sources: *Gallup Engagement Survey 2021. **Sustainable Brands & Harris Poll 2018.