The Social Values Project

The Social Values Project™ blends cutting-edge psychology, marketing and data science to get to the heart of what motivates people’s behavior. Our proprietary insights tool helps businesses connect with customers and employees on a deeper level using authentic content that speaks to their inner values, needs and desires.

Why is speaking to values important? Values provide a deeper basis for understanding why people feel and behave a certain way, how they make decisions and communicate. They serve as guiding principles for what people find important in their everyday lives.

Over the last few years, we have seen a fundamental shift in what people value. They are increasingly seeking to connect on a deeper level. No longer passive recipients of information, they want to formulate their own ideas of what defines a brand.

47% of consumers report buying something monthly to support a cause, an increase from 32% in 2010 (Edelman).

Values-based segmentation can help companies identify high potential insights earlier & more effectively. It allows us to go beyond historical demographic data to understand “why” people buy, and how to attract ideal customers based on shared attitudes and beliefs. It empowers us to recognize the brand evangelists, more loyal and likely to purchase, share and review.

Tapping into social values insights leads to higher probability of success in marketing and innovation efforts by identifying emerging trends, influencers and opportunities. It give us greater understanding of how customers, employees and other key audiences want to communicate and engage with a company.

As global trends point toward a post-materialist society, we believe leveraging data science can bridge the gap between what we analyze and what people truly care about. The Social Values Project aspires to offer both businesses and consumers an avenue toward mutually fulfilling relationships, resulting in greater prosperity and well-being for current and future generations

The Social Values Project is looking for beta testers to provide feedback on our new consumer insights tool. Interested? Email values@zenzi.com.

Mythbusting: Marketing to Moms

Marketing to Moms? Zenzi breaks down the top misconceptions in mommy marketing, and outlines the importance of genuine interaction.

Marketing to Moms? You’re not alone. A quick search on Google of “Marketing to Moms” yielded over 52,000 results in Google News, and more than 72 million results across the entire web. These figures are not surprising when you consider that mothers control an astounding $2 trillion of purchasing power in the US. $2 trillion dollars. That’s power.

So is your company hoping for a piece of the pie? There are some things you need to know first. As women, mothers and marketers, Zenzi sees the misconceptions in mommy marketing every day. Here are the top three mommy marketing myths, and our tips on how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Moms are all the same
Quick: when someone says “mom”, what do you think? Loving? Happy? Stressed? Stays at home? Workaholic? Loves to cook? Avoids the kitchen at all costs? Drives a minivan? Drives a Porsche? The fact is moms are individuals, and treating them as a homogenous group is a huge mistake. It all comes down to a woman’s values, and how your particular product or service will speak to what is important to her as an individual, not just as a mom. The only way to know is to ask, whether through research studies, focus groups, surveys, online listening or old-fashioned one-on-one conversation.

Mistake #2: Moms are always happy, especially when cleaning
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never smiled while scrubbing the toilet. But tell that to the manufacturers of toilet bowl cleaners. Who are these women who enjoy cleaning so much? Most likely, they don’t exist. 75 percent of mothers say marketers and advertisers don’t understand what it’s like to be a mom, according to global market-research agency MinTel. Let’s break it down: moms control $2 trillion dollars in spending, but a full ¾ feel misunderstood by marketers. The good news? The marketplace is wide open for companies to connect with moms in a genuine way. Again, it comes down to understanding and celebrating what is actually true versus what society says is true. Do your homework, and ask the right questions to get to the heart of what matters to her.

Mistake #3: Women aren’t tech savvy
This is perhaps the biggest myth of all. If you’re ignoring women in your digital and social marketing efforts, you are missing your biggest opportunity to engage. With 94.5% of moms on the internet, and 76.2% of them on social networks, connecting with them online is essential for everything from driving awareness to closing the sales cycle. And you better be mobile. According to a study last year by Babycenter, “mobile phones – and smartphones in particular – have become indispensible to moms, who are 18% more likely than average to have a smartphone. Overall adoption of smartphones among moms has risen 64% over the past two years, and 51% of moms say they are addicted to their smartphone”. What does this mean? Your social and mobile business should not be relegated to a junior marketing associate, but rather should connect across all aspects of your business, from customer service to sales to marketing. It the most important thing you can do to grow your share of voice with moms. Period.

Looking for the secret to true happiness? Start with your spending habits.

Not all of life’s purchases are created equal. Whether you seek out social activities or strive for personal development, how you choose to spend your money can have a powerful effect on your happiness.

Should you catch a comedy show or visit an art gallery? Invite your friends or go solo? Knowing your personal values can predict whether or not you will ultimately be satisfied with your decision.

Using empirical research and new consumer insights tools, we are finally gaining clarity on how values predict consumption. How does our spending influence lasting positive effects, both in our own lives and in those around us?

Measuring implicit motivations can help us understand why people feel and behave a certain way, how they communicate and make choices between products and brands.

Want to learn more? We need your vote to get onstage at SXSW! Zenzi CEO Sarah Hardwick will be collaborating with Dr. Ryan Howell of San Francisco State University on a dual session. Together, we will uncover how values can predict spending habits, teach attendees how to assess personal value types & make purchases aligned with their happiness.

Login to the SXSW Panelpicker and vote before September 5th.

You can also view our interactive Prezi

How Corporate Social Responsibility Affects Your Business

The age of donating a million dollars and spending millions of dollars in publicizing that donation are behind us. Now more than ever, consumers are calling for large corporations to small businesses alike to integrate their corporate social responsibility values into the fabric of their company culture. From sustainability, workers’ rights or supporting the hungry, consumers expect brands to align themselves with a cause and fully support that cause whether consumers hear about it or not. In today’s era, corporate social responsibility is much more than an added value piece to a company’s public relations campaign: it is their brand identity.

In a survey done by Landor Associates, 77 percent of consumers said it is important for companies to be socially responsible. In addition, in the 1999 Cone/Roper Cause Related Trends Report, at least 80 percent of those surveyed said they had a more positive association of the firm if it has a corporate social responsibility campaign, and two-thirds said the company’s corporate social responsibility would affect their purchasing decision, switching to companies that give back to a cause in some way. With more information than ever available at consumers’ fingertips, consumers have established giving back as an important criteria in making their purchasing decisions, and actively seek out that information before making a purchase.

In addition, in the Time Magazine article Why Companies Can No Longer Afford to Ignore Their Social Responsibilities, the author argues that having corporate social responsibility affects your talent pool of employees. Having a corporate social responsibility was listed as the third most important factor in determining an employer, in a study conducted by Towers Perrin.

Another added value to attracting a qualified workforce that cares about corporate social responsibility is that employees understand they are working for a greater good, adding to employee morale and motivation in their job roles. By creating an altruistic company culture, companies can attract like-minded individuals who derive their motivation from serving the greater good of the business, and believe in the business’s mission. This intrinsic motivation creates more motivated employees who have a deep interest in their job position, and require less external rewards.

Developing an authentic, integrated corporate social responsibility campaign requires a lot of support from management. To create a company culture built around giving back, management must set an example by supporting the cause personally, set up incentive programs that benefit the cause, provide consistent support to the cause, and have a deep understanding of the cause and why the organization has selected this cause to support. While there is added effort in building a company culture around corporate social responsibility, the benefits are great. And besides, it’s always better to give than to receive, right?