Crafting Social Impact: The Design-Driven Partnerships Shaping the Future of Corporate Supply Chains
In today’s business landscape, social benefit suppliers–especially those offering design services–are emerging as powerful partners for corporations seeking to embed social impact, innovation, and inclusivity into their supply chains. These collaborations not only deliver high-quality creative solutions but also generate meaningful social change by empowering marginalised communities, including people with disabilities, artisans, and underserved entrepreneurs.
This blog explores several inspiring case studies where social enterprises providing design services have successfully engaged with leading corporations in Europe and the USA. These examples illustrate how social procurement can drive business value while advancing social missions, offering a blueprint for companies aiming to integrate social benefit suppliers into their design and creative ecosystems.
Case Study 1:
West Elm & Allpa – Crafting Social Impact Through Artisan Design
Background:
West Elm, a prominent American home goods retailer, is committed to ethical sourcing and social responsibility. To deepen its social impact, West Elm partnered with Allpa, a social enterprise that collaborates with artisan communities in Peru.
Collaboration:
Allpa works directly with over 700 families of artisans, many living in remote areas with limited economic opportunities. The partnership focused on co-designing a collection of traditional ceramics, wooden mirror frames, home accents, and alpaca wool accessories that blend authentic craftsmanship with contemporary design aesthetics, appealing to West Elm’s customers.
Social Impact:
Economic Empowerment: The partnership provided artisans with stable, fair-trade income, enabling access to home loans, education, and improved living standards.
Cultural Preservation: By valuing traditional techniques, the collaboration helped preserve indigenous crafts and cultural heritage.
Scale and Growth: The relationship evolved into a purchase order valued at approximately $2 million, demonstrating commercial viability alongside social impact.
Business Benefits:
West Elm enhanced its brand reputation and customer loyalty by offering unique, socially responsible products. The story behind the collection resonated with ethically conscious consumers, strengthening West Elm’s market differentiation.
Case Study 2:
Unilever & Yunus Social Business – Inclusive Design and Innovation
Background:
Unilever, a global consumer goods giant, has been a pioneer in integrating social enterprises into its supply chain to drive sustainability and social inclusion. Through partnerships facilitated by Yunus Social Business, Unilever engaged social enterprises providing design and product development services.
Collaboration:
Yunus Social Business connects Unilever with social enterprises that specialise in inclusive design, often employing people with disabilities or marginalized groups. These enterprises contribute innovative packaging solutions, product design, and marketing materials tailored to underserved markets.
Social Impact:
Job Creation: Empowering disabled and marginalised entrepreneurs through meaningful employment and business opportunities.
Market Inclusion: Designing products that meet the needs of low-income or underserved consumers, expanding Unilever’s reach.
Capacity Building: Unilever supports these social enterprises with mentoring, technical assistance, and access to capital.
Business Benefits:
Unilever gains access to innovative design solutions that enhance product appeal and market penetration while fulfilling its ESG commitments. The collaborations also strengthen Unilever’s reputation as a socially responsible corporate leader.
Case Study 3:
The Body Shop & Community Trade Program – Ethical Sourcing and Design
Background:
The Body Shop has long been recognised for its ethical sourcing and community trade initiatives. Its Community Trade Program partners with social enterprises and cooperatives worldwide, many of which provide design input for product packaging and branding.
Collaboration:
The Body Shop works with social enterprises that integrate traditional design elements and sustainable materials into product packaging and promotional materials. These enterprises often employ women, indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities.
Social Impact:
Empowerment: Providing fair wages and safe working conditions to marginalised groups.
Sustainability: Using eco-friendly materials and traditional knowledge to reduce environmental impact.
Cultural Respect: Incorporating authentic cultural designs that celebrate community heritage.
Business Benefits:
The Body Shop enhances product differentiation and customer engagement by showcasing authentic stories and sustainable design. The program also aligns with consumer demand for transparency and ethical products.
Case Study 4:
Deloitte & Social Enterprises in Design Consulting
Background:
Deloitte, a global professional services firm, actively integrates social enterprises into its supply chain, including those offering design consulting and creative services.
Collaboration:
Deloitte partners with social enterprises that provide graphic design, digital content creation, and branding services. Many of these enterprises employ people with disabilities or focus on social inclusion.
Social Impact:
Inclusive Employment: Creating meaningful jobs for people with disabilities.
Capacity Building: Providing business development support to strengthen social enterprises.
Community Engagement: Enhancing social enterprises’ ability to scale and impact their communities.
Business Benefits:
Deloitte benefits from high-quality, innovative design services while advancing its supplier diversity goals. These partnerships also enhance Deloitte’s reputation among clients and employees who value corporate social responsibility.
Key Success Factors Across These Case Studies
Mutual Value Creation: Successful partnerships balance social impact with business objectives, ensuring both parties benefit sustainably.
Capacity Building: Corporations invest in mentoring, training, and financial support to help social enterprises meet corporate standards and scale.
Authentic Storytelling: Leveraging the social impact narrative enhances brand reputation and customer loyalty.
Long-Term Commitment: Building trust and ongoing collaboration fosters innovation and continuous improvement.
Inclusive Procurement Policies: Clear frameworks and targets enable social enterprises to compete fairly in corporate supply chains.
Conclusion: Designing a Better Future Together
These case studies demonstrate that social benefit suppliers of design services are not only capable of delivering creative excellence but also of driving meaningful social change. By partnering with social enterprises, corporations can enrich their supply chains with diversity, innovation, and purpose-creating products and services that resonate with today’s socially conscious consumers.
For companies looking to deepen their social procurement efforts, these examples offer valuable lessons on how to engage, support, and grow social enterprises as strategic design partners. The result is a win-win scenario: businesses achieve their ESG and supplier diversity goals, while social enterprises empower communities and transform lives through design.
By embracing social benefit suppliers in design, corporations can truly innovate with impact-crafting a future where business success and social good go hand in hand.
Sources: internet resources
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Design Studio MZ+MM makes Social Procurement conveyable.
Design Studio MZ+MM is a social enterprise (SEE Mark No. SEE 0114) based in Hong Kong, providing various types of graphic design services. Currently, the team is composed of hearing-impaired and hearing designers who practice disability inclusion, which is the primary reason for promoting "diversity, equity and inclusion" in corporate organizations. We support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDGs: 10 “Reduced Inequalities” and 17 “Promote Partnerships for the Goals”.
In addition to providing job opportunities for diverse talents, this social enterprise also helps corporate clients implement advanced governance concepts. We also firmly believe that Design Studio MZ+MM is still the only social procurement solution practitioner and provider in Hong Kong, providing professional design services in the true sense of social procurement and adding multiple levels of added social value. To learn more about the vision and mission of this social enterprise, please click this link to jump to the Social Impact page.
