Social License to Brand

The other day I was at an event where I heard the term "Social License To Operate" used again and again. After the event, I realised that I am seeing the mainstreaming of this term more and more. Now to me, this social license to operate everyone is searching for, is just a more "timely" way of saying, I need to build a brand position that is relevant to the communities my organization interacts with, because if I don't, I won't survive.

Remember, branding applies to anyone or anything that needs or wants to own a position in people's minds. So, if you are an organization that depends on people acting in a manner that will strengthen your cause, then you must brand that position, and communicate it through paid for, owned and earned media. If you don't then you have no way of influencing the discussion that is going on around your cause.

Today an organization's social license to operate is written by its stakeholders, and they have the power to voice how they want entities to act if they want their support. So if you have not built a mechanism that engages or at the very least listens to what the stakeholders in your communities are saying, then you really do not have a license to brand, let alone operate.