The Corporate Social Mind: How Companies Lead Social Change from the Inside Out

by Derrick Feldmann, Michael Alberg-Seberich

One Voice, United Efforts, and a Social Mindset The Corporate Social Mind introduces a new cultural and strategic approach to social issue engagement by companies. It takes a lot more than just a good corporate social responsibility; environmental, social, and governance; or corporate citizenship/philanthropy strategy to support social change. Marketing and communications teams can play a crucial role in enhancing the work a business does to impact society, activating the public and consumers towards social issue action, and changing perceptions, attitudes, and strongly-held beliefs. This book is about bringing together those who work on social issues from both the corporate social responsibility and the marketing and communications sides and showing them how to engage in the kind of work that leads to stronger campaigns, moments, and initiatives that positively change the world. The Corporate Social Mind helps corporate impact and marketing teams understand how to collaborate and innovate, moving beyond their own ways of thinking and operating and coming together to address social issues through a mindset that embeds key traits into the daily work of their companies. Business as a whole, from research and innovation to marketing, can drive positive social change in society when it is integrated into the way we do the actual work. In The Corporate Social Mind , Derrick Feldmann and Michael Alberg-Seberich each bring together 20+ years of work in the social issue campaign, marketing, movement, and social impact spaces to help companies leverage assets for positive social issue progress. You'll see how key companies have done this and how every leader, no matter the industry, can establish a culture in which this is the mindset.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Social Change, Reference

232 pages, Hardcover

First published July 7, 2020

About the author

Derrick Feldmann is a sought-after speaker, researcher and advisor for cause
and corporate social responsibility engagement. He is the lead researcher and
creator of the Millennial Impact Project, a multi-year study of how the next
generation supports causes. The annual Millennial Impact Report is cited
regularly by such outlets as Forbes, TIME, Wall Street Journal and Fast
Company.

The report launches each year at MCON, a national conference Derrick created
and produces that draws more than 15,000 attendees online from for- and nonprofit
organizations across the world. MCON explores the question of whether
and how organizations are taking advantage of today’s heightened interest in
causes to build movements.

Derrick is president of Achieve, a creative research and campaigns agency
based in Indianapolis and West Palm Beach. Derrick founded Achieve to help
causes and companies address their most pressing issues as an advisory,
through audience research (internal and external), and with data-driven
awareness/fundraising campaigns.

Derrick is a co-author of the book Cause for Change: The Why and How of
Nonprofit Millennial Engagement and the upcoming title, Social Movements For
Good: How Companies and Causes Create Viral Change.
Derrick is a regular contributor to Philanthropy News Digest and the Huffington
Post IMPACT channel. He is on the Leadership Faculty of the Points of Light
Corporate Institute and a guest lecturer for the School of Public and
Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.
Derrick received an undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State
University and a graduate degree from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at
Indiana University. He went on to lead national fundraising efforts for The
LEAGUE and Learning to Give before founding Achieve in 2008.

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an "older" Millennial, I haven't yet worked for a company that mentioned Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but this is the second source I've read claiming that folks are now considering CSR in their job searches, so this really has me thinking what I should be looking for in an employer. The authors of the Corporate Social Mind establish eight traits companies can strive towards in order to better exemplify CSR; financial philanthropy is certainly not the only way that companies can contribute to social change.
This quick read is a business title and so will mostly appeal to corporate leaders, but I did find it very interesting, especially the eight interviews. The selected talent all had very unique experiences to share but there was a running theme I found quite interesting; companies should avoid pursuing CSR initiatives if the actual passion for social change does not exist, the goal should never be a PR ploy. Those companies that understand contributions to society are a "business opportunity and not a constraint" coupled with true passion and commitment will reap the greatest benefit. Leaders recommend tackling causes that are integral to their own business success, by utilizing the company's core services.
Thank you #netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

[Maj · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Corporate Social Mind, Feldmann and co-author Michael Alberg‑Seberich argue that modern companies must transcend siloed corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts and weave social purpose directly into their core business strategy. Rather than relegating social impact to a separate department, they advocate for a mindset where CSR, marketing, R&D, operations, and innovation all unite around shared societal goals. In essence, they ask business leaders to recognize what they call the “corporate social mind”—a company-wide awareness that “keeps society on your mind” at every turn.

What makes the book particularly compelling are the rich examples and actionable tools that bring this concept to life. The authors showcase companies like Salesforce, Levi Strauss, IBM, Danone, and Mondelēz who are already blurring the lines between social initiative and business function. These real-world stories underscore how organizations can harness their full range of assets—from marketing to innovation—to drive positive change. And it’s not just theory: the book also deploys probing “design and innovation” questions (“How does this decision affect people, society, and the environment?”) to help leaders think differently at every level.

Ultimately, The Corporate Social Mind serves as both roadmap and mirror: it challenges corporations to evolve while showing that taking social responsibility seriously isn’t just morally sound—it’s strategic, sustainable, and increasingly demanded by consumers, employees, and communities. For socially conscious leaders looking to move beyond lip service to genuine integration, it offers a timely framework for building resilient, purpose-driven businesses.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this book includes two major insights: sustainability and community involvement.
I'd admit that for every interview it was the one question I wanted to get an answer on how a company is meeting these needs and reaching out to the people around them.
I would recommend this to anyone in the corporate world and also in the interviews shared here- you get a feel of a company's values and this I believe is key for any non-profit or individual thinking of partnering with a company to create social change.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

[Lilian]

The Corporate Social Mind examines what companies need to look at when designing the corporate social responsibility (CSR). The authors advocate not just social programmes but having it social mentality engraved in their identity. Companies in the US and Europe are doing this being strategic in their approaches and use of assets, listening to the needs of their stakeholders and building synergies.

This would be a great book for co-workers to go through together because each chapter has assessments for brainstorming.

P.S. Received an advanced copy via NetGalley

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book but I didn't find it that helpful to my situation. I was looking for something more about how to change corporate culture on the inside of the corporation, and I didn't understand that this wasn't it. I did a lot of skimming just to get through it, but I should have abandoned the book once I realized it wasn't going to help.

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!