Last week, Richard Binhammer from DELL twittered me about the launch of Regeneration. Once at the site, the first thing I saw was a box inviting me to leave my idea in answer to "What Does Green Mean to You?" I love being asked my opinion, so right away, Regeneration won me over, and I blogged about it. Within the first 24 hours the post received more than 500 unique page views.


Not bad for Dell, and an example of how much interest exists when businesses do good.
If you read my work, you likely know that I believe every person and every business and institution should make an effort to put people ahead of all else and contribute to making the planet a better place to live and work. DELL's new interactive blog is dedicated to The Regeneration, which is a global movement made up of "people committed to sustaining the world's natural environment."
Sean Donahue, DELL's resident green guru, offered these insights into what visitors to the site can expect:
The most innovative and inspiring ideas our customers, suppliers and partners are putting into practice every day. Trends, interviews, thoughts and ideas, from Dell employees and outside partners and customers around the world. And the latest tips, tools, screensavers and links in a portable (and downloadable) "green" backpack. Donahue encourages companies and individuals alike to think about changing things for the better.
Another example of doing good is a story from Yoplait, which raised more than $1.2 million for breast cancer awareness several years ago by having customers send in their Yoplait yogurt lids. For every lid mailed in, Yoplait donated 10 cents for breast cancer awareness. During that promotion, Yoplait reaped 12 million in sales. That ain't just yogurt; that's real revenue.
Those numbers represent Yoplait's external efforts, but there usually is an internal return on investment as well. Today's graduates are looking for more than money in a job, and are willing to trade income to work for a company that is socially responsible and ethically minded. Employees of those companies are 25 percent more loyal than those working at companies who are not. This results in real cost savings: Loyalty reduces turnover and it raises earnings, as loyal employees as a rule are more productive.
Small businesses benefit as well as large companies. The owner a small marketing firm in Connecticut supports professional women's organizations by giving of her time and offering small college scholarships. The positive public relations and word of mouth those cause-related efforts generate bring new clients. But this is not the primary reasons she gives back. She does it because it is the right thing to do. I know from experience that she would do these things whether or not she benefited financially, which makes her business authentically based in values. And many business people share that philosophy of genuinely wanting to give back.
Research and anecdotal evidence tells us time and time again that cause-related marketing, social responsibility and ethics-driven business practices bring a good return on investment. And the more you share your commitment to the community and the planet using marketing, the greater your return on your good deeds.
Author's Note: The DELL example was first posted at bizsolutionsplus. The Yoplait story is excerpted from Lead With Your Heart.