Assessment

Are you getting credit for what you already do?

Eight honest questions about whether your community involvement is building your brand or just your karma. Takes about two minutes.

Answer with what's actually true today, not what you intend to do. Nobody sees your answers but you.

If we asked ten of your customers to name a cause your business supports, how many could?

Probably none. Most of what we give is quiet. A couple might remember something. Most could name it. It's part of how people know us.

How do you decide what to sponsor or support?

Whoever asks. It changes month to month. Mostly relationships and habit, with some pattern to it. We've chosen a deliberate focus and say no to the rest.

Does your community involvement have a name people would recognize?

No. It's a collection of separate things. Sort of. Some recurring events, nothing branded. Yes. A named, recurring commitment people associate with us.

How often does your involvement show up where your market can actually see it?

Almost never. We don't talk about it. Occasionally. A social post here, a banner there. Consistently, in the places our community already pays attention.

How long have you supported your main cause?

It changes nearly every year. A few years with some repeats, some turnover. The same commitment for years. People expect it from us.

Where are your employees in all this?

They don't know about most of it. They're aware, but it's the owner's thing. They participate, and some of it was their idea.

Could a customer connect your involvement to what your business stands for?

No. The causes have nothing to do with what we do. Loosely. You'd have to squint. Yes. The fit is natural enough that it explains itself.

When did your community involvement last appear in your own marketing?

Never. It feels like bragging. Once in a while, when someone thinks of it. Regularly. We tell the story plainly, as a fact about who we are.

Please answer all eight questions first.

Talk With MSM

This is a self-assessment, not a diagnosis. It's designed to surface the gap between what you give and what your brand gets back.

Whatever your score, the raw material is already paid for.

Tell us what your business already does in the community. We’ll tell you honestly whether there’s a strategy in it.

Talk With MSM