Show Notes:
Stephen Greene CBE is co-founder and CEO of the international pro-social media and entertainment company RockCorps.
RockCorps uses music and culture to inspire action—providing the tools and opportunities for people to volunteer and get involved in their community. One person, one show, one city at a time—RockCorps enables people to change the world, while at the same time enabling brands to develop a unique connection with their target audience.
I met Stephen a few years ago while I was at adidas, and we were looking for new, remarkable ways to connect with our consumers. What Stephen does at RockCorps is remarkable.
RockCorps has welcomed Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Pharrell, Snoop, Diddy, Busta and hundreds more to their stages.
In 2012 the then British Prime Minister, David Cameron, appointed Greene as Executive Chairman of the independent management body of the National Citizen Service. And in 2019, at the Queen’s Birthday honours, Stephen was awarded the CBE for services to young people. Standing for Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the CBE is the highest ranking Order of the British Empire award after a knighthood.
Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn.
In this episode we discuss:
- How one pasta dinner between friends ultimately impacted thousands of people around the world
- What the “Tsunami of Kindness” is, and the opportunity it presents
- The secret brand sponsorship that will drive brand love and brand loyalty
- The framing that can unlock exponential returns for multiple stakeholders
- A new approach to connecting with and hiring diverse youth
- The power of citizens to change the world, one small act at a time
Key Takeaways:
- We don’t need to go back to “life as normal”. As we come out of COVID, we can take this opportunity to intentionally decide what we want to keep from the old way of doing things, and what we want to reinvent and improve. Where we want to connect more, where we want to give more, and where we want to demand more.
- There is an opportunity to use marketing in a different way: To use marketing dollars to create meaningful experiences for your consumer and also create a ripple effect of good. With RockCorps your brand can be the conduit that enables your consumers to tap into their intrinsic motivation. The narrative of our lives is ultimately constructed by the power of individual moments—your brand can be part of a transformative moment, and as a result, consumers’ relationship with your brand will change forever.
- Business isn’t inherently bad or inherently good. Business has both negative and positive externalities. There is a lot of opportunity to look at business holistically, and intentionally maximize positive externalities in the way we operate, and minimize or eliminate negative externalities.
References:
- RockCorps
- Apprentice Nation
- Director and RockCorps co-founder Chris Robinson
- Boost Mobile
- Former Boost Mobile CMO Darryl Cobbin’s LinkedIn
- 95% of affluent millennials in the USA say that they would switch brands for a good cause (85% of all millennials in the USA say they would switch brands for a good cause)
