We First

March 7, 2011
Can big business be socially responsible? Brand consulting expert Mainwaring certainly thinks so. He believes new technologies aren't merely making life easier, they're making us better: in allowing us to connect with each other across geographic, cultural, and language barriers, the Internet and social media might very well be increasing our capacity for empathy. His "We First" ethos proposes cooperation between governments, philanthropies, and capitalist corporations to achieve meaningful social transformation. Social media—viral, borderless—is the perfect vehicle to promote "contributory consumerism," and Mainwaring has fascinating suggestions for technological innovation and systemic change: he proposes a "Global Brand Initiative": an association of corporate brands and their advertising partners and competitors that willingly work together (Coke with Pepsi, Greenpeace with WWF, the U.S. with China) to advance corporate social responsibility and charitable donations. Tall orders, all—but the author's enthusiasm and evidence make an excellent (and counterintuitive) case for big business's ability to make major strides in creating a more equitable world.