The Social Issue Positioning Handbook

A step-by-step guide to communicating about the world’s most pressing issues.

More than ever, brands are being pressed to embrace their social and environmental role. But speaking up on current issues comes with risks. This blueprint is for brand managers, communications professionals, executives, and founders who feel compelled to clarify their social purpose but lack a North Star to guide their marketing and communications. It combines practical advice, real-world examples and insights from academic research to offer a clear methodology for crafting messages that resonate.

70% of consumers say they buy from brands they believe reflect their own principles — Ipsos Global Trends 2021

81% believe CEOs should be personally visible when discussing the work their company has done to benefit society — 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer

62% of millennials favour products that show off their political and social beliefs — 5WPR Consumer Culture Report

This handbook is for…

• Mission-driven Founders and CEOs who want to build up their communications game;
• Communications and marketing leads looking for guidance on which issues to speak up on, and how;
• Brand managers who want to understand how consumer attitudes about social issues can affect business;
• PR professionals who want to acquire skills to support mission-driven organizations.

Table of contents

Introduction: ‘Corporates are losing the culture wars’
Should you take a stand?
Figuring out what to say
Getting real about consumers
Consulting your team
Building stakeholder alignment
Employees first
Aligning with strategy
Staying silent
Navigating fragmented markets
Collective action
Crafting your statement
Who’s speaking?
Structuring your message
Storytelling for change
Responding to current events
Anticipating hot topics
Taking action
Cause marketing won’t save you
Conclusion

Pay what you feel

This handbook was entirely self-financed. This includes dozens of my own research and writing hours, plus professional editing and graphic design services. I'm offering it on a pay-what-you-want basis, starting at CAD$10. (It's arguably worth more, but I think it should remain accessible.) Please contribute with what you feel is a fair amount for this knowledge.

About Delfina

Delfina is a research and communications consultancy for mission-driven organizations. We shape conversations that deepen engagement, backed by exceptional insights.