Society profits campaign launched to power up the UK’s growing social enterprise sector

Social Enterprise UK today unveiled the Society profits campaign, aimed at putting social enterprises at the forefront of promoting the no-nonsense message direct to customers.

The campaign, which has been launched ahead of Social Enterprise Day next month (17th November), uses a mix of poster concepts, as well as digital and paper post-it-style sticky notes. The message is that everyone profits from social enterprise.

Following research among its members, Social Enterprise UK devised the set of unbranded promotional tools and materials so that they can be used by any organisation, no matter what size, to get the social enterprise message across. The campaign is designed to simply communicate the positives generated by doing business with social enterprises.

Social enterprises as well as corporate supporters of the cause are invited to order the free campaign pack, and use the materials to showcase the message ‘Choose social enterprise and society profits’. The resources are also available as downloads from the Social Enterprise UK website – www.socialenterprise.org.uk

Working in partnership with www.buySe.co.uk, the UK-wide business directory that makes it easy for people to find social enterprises in their local area, Social Enterprise UK is using its own website to provide visitors with a number of different ways in which they can support the social enterprise movement. Social enterprises across Britain are also invited to promote their own Social Enterprise Day activities on the site. As well as a URL, a QR code appears on the posters that allows smartphone users to go straight to the website.

Peter Holbrook, Social Enterprise UK’s Chief Executive, said:

“Social enterprises are full of passion and enthusiasm for the cause, but they often tell us they lack a common language to describe what social enterprise is and simple tools to get the message across. If you’re busy running your business, you don’t have time to sit down and hammer out the social enterprise message for all your audiences – that’s why we are here. We have not branded the materials, as we are not promoting ourselves but social enterprise itself. We hope the campaign will be taken up with enthusiasm by the champions of social enterprise who are multiplying fast across the UK. Together, we believe that social enterprise is our best chance of creating a fairer world and protecting the planet.”

Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society, said:

“Like all businesses, Social Enterprises are judged on the quality and value of their product and services. However, when a customer chooses to buy from a Social Enterprise they create additional social benefit, and it’s important that people are made aware of this and understand the extra value that social enterprises provide. The Society Profits campaign provides practical support to help social enterprises communicate what it means when people buy from them or use their services.”

Did you know?

• Social enterprises are starting-up and working in Britain’s most deprived communities – with 39% of them based in the most deprived areas of the UK compared with just 13% of mainstream SMEs.

• Social enterprises are outstripping mainstream businesses for confidence and twice as likely as SMEs to have reported growth in the last year.

• Social enterprises are a natural home for female entrepreneurs and have more women on their boards than FTSE 100 companies. A quarter of social enterprises are owned by women, almost double the number of those running small private businesses.

• Social enterprises often employ people who traditionally come up against barriers when trying to find employment, such as those with disabilities, a history of homelessness or drug and alcohol problems.

Ends

For more information or for a copy of the campaign pack, please contact the Social Enterprise UK press office on 020 7793 2286 / 2318 or email Katherine Harvey or Fran Gorman.

Social Enterprise Day takes place on Thursday 17th November 2011, within Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Social Enterprise UK is the national body for social enterprise. Social enterprises are businesses that are changing the world. When they profit, society profits. Together with our members we are the voice for social enterprise in the UK. Our members are local grass-roots organisations and multi-million pound businesses that operate internationally. What unites them is their commitment to changing the world through business. Visit www.socialenterprise.org.uk.