One of my favorite things about being a Community Manager is partnering with brands that I love and support. Many people recognize and love Burt’s Bees for their Beeswax Lip Balm, and to date, Burt’s Bees has collected over 500 customer reviews for that single product alone. I’m a big fan myself of this lip balm, but what truly connects me with the Burt’s Bees brand is their commitment to the greater good. This commitment is a core part of their company culture, and I see it not only in the products they create, but also in the people they hire. I also find it remarkable that the Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation is funded by 10% of the company’s overall retail sales.

Over the winter holidays, Bazaarvoice partnered with Burt’s Bees to help them launch their “Who’s Your Reason for Giving?” Stories campaign. Over 200 heartwarming stories started pouring in from their community shortly after launch. I had the opportunity today to catch up with Molly Fisher from the Burt’s Bees team:

What is your role with Burt’s Bees and what role does social marketing play for your organization?

I am Burt’s Bees’ Interactive and eCommerce Manager. Social Marketing has quickly become a leading way for consumers to engage and interact with our Brand. Burt’s Bees has had a loyal following from very early on, but social marketing avenues have empowered us to have a transparent conversation with our consumers, engage them on a personal level, and more deeply reinforce the values and mission of this company. This depth of engagement has been valuable in helping us shape our ideas and gain a robust picture of our consumers.

What inspired the Burt’s Bees team to come up with its Who’s Your Reason for Giving campaign?

With any campaign we launch at Burt’s Bees, we try to add elements of doing good and paying that goodness forward. In the midst of a second Holiday season made difficult for many by the economic downturn, our team felt that a return to simple values was meaningful and appropriate. We started asking the questions “Who inspires you to be more giving? Who makes you happy just by being them?” Let’s honor people who make a difference and inspire others no matter their situation.

How has the Burt’s Bees community responded to this campaign?

The response was amazing – We saw a higher than expected participation rate largely driven by media, PR, and messaging to our existing email base. We (and our consumers) were overwhelmed by the heartfelt, beautiful, inspiring stories we read.

Were there any customer stories or types of story that particularly stood out to you or that you weren’t expecting?

We quickly noticed a powerful theme of “everyday heroes”…strong mothers, good friends battling breast cancer, co-workers going above and beyond with courage and enthusiasm. This was more than just a fun campaign, it served as an invitation to stop for a moment and thank someone.

Living the Greater Good is a large part of your company culture. What are some of the ways that Burt’s Bees gives back to its community?

Living the greater good is the “how” and “why” we do what we do. It’s about operating our company with the highest level of social responsibility – focusing on three key areas: natural well-being, environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Working at Burt’s Bees requires a steadfast commitment to these core values.

What advice would you give others on how to engage their communities through customer stories?

Media messaging used to be about telling consumers what to do and touting all the bells and whistles of your product or service. Social media allows for a more natural decision making process and ideally a longer-term loyalty. Invite consumers to engage with your brand in a personal way (reviews, stories, opinions, etc.) and you will be surprised how they will not only share, but also become advocates of your brand. Also increasingly important, give them the tools and technology to make it easy to participate and invite others in their networks as well.