What is "Great Product, Great Cause?"

Being a social enterprise is no easy feat; you exist in the space between business and charity, constantly working to maintain the balance between commercial success and meaningful social change. This challenge sharpens whenever market pressures pull you in one direction or the other. At the heart of that balance is your value proposition, which drives everything about your business model. And as most of us know, a strong value proposition isn't about features - it's about outcomes.

This brings to mind a famous quote from Charles Revson, the American businessman, founder of Revlon and noted philanthropist:

"In the factory we make cosmetics; in the drugstore we sell hope."

For a social enterprise, the value proposition needs to work on two levels simultaneously. From a business perspective, the product or service must deliver real outcomes - a blend of quality, price, aesthetics and more. Customers make purchasing decisions based on expected value, weighing perceived benefits (such as taste) against perceived sacrifice (such as cost). From a social perspective, the outcome is meaningful change - and that change needs to be monitored, measured and managed.

So how does this apply to Harry Specters?

Our unique selling proposition is simple: great product, great cause. Our award-winning range of chocolates is a strong value offering - but what makes us truly unique is our cause: providing employment, free training and free work experience to young autistic people. This is our differential. Customers don't just buy a great product, they become part of the social change we're working to create. They are the catalysts. Building this balance of "great product, great cause" is central to everything Harry Specters does, and it's not easy to replicate - giving us a genuine and sustainable competitive advantage.

Many social enterprises struggle to maintain this balance. They pour their energy into the "great cause" and lose sight of the "great product." But the truth is, a great product is what powers a great cause - one drives the other.

We are, and always will be, a great product, great cause company: offering award-winning chocolates, creating an exceptional customer experience, and making people feel good about every purchase. To fellow business minds, we put it this way:

We make chocolates in our factory, but we sell customer experience and social responsibility.