What can you #doDifferent?

Well, now more than ever you as the consumer can use your choice to make a real difference.

You can choose to #doDifferent - to choose brands that do things differently, and to use the power of your choice to change the world. So here are four brands you can choose to support; companies which are about more than just the bottom line, and which enable change with every purchase you make.

DIFFERENT LIFE

First up is the most unlikely of candidates, which comes in the form of a life insurance company. Now I hear you, life insurance is one of those things you know you should get, and hopefully never need to use. Let’s be honest, it’s the ultimate grudge purchase. But while you look after your world, you could be improving someone else’s. So how can life insurance help you #doDifferent?

Enter Different Life - underwritten by Covéa Life Insurance - a company which allows you to donate one of your payments every year to a charity of your choice. The company started in South Africa five years ago and in that time has donated over R15.1M (around £645,000) across several charities. They’ve recently expanded to the UK, supporting Children of Hope and the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, with more charities in the pipeline. And unlike most businesses which donate profits, Different Life has committed to donating 8% of revenue, so the charities receive reliable, consistent, and greater donations.

So if you’re thinking about life insurance, you can check out DifferentLife.co.uk here, to get a quote and #doDifferent.

MAYAMIKO

Now whether or not you consider yourself a fashionista, what you wear has an undeniable transformative power. Find the right outfit, and you’ll look incredible. Find the right outfit which is also ethical, sustainable, and lifts people out of poverty? You’ll feel pretty incredible too.

Mayamiko is a company which will give you your fashion fix – their African artisanal inspiration makes for some truly beautiful pieces – while keeping ethical trading and sustainability at their core. But that’s just one facet of what they do. They’re partnered with Mayamiko Trust which helps disadvantaged people in Malawi - from providing training and education, to providing reusable sanitary kits.

So if you want to fix the world whilst fixing your wardrobe, Mayamiko are definitely worth looking into. You can find them here.

REMARKABLE

If you’re anything like me, you still go old school when taking notes. There’s something incredibly cathartic about getting your thoughts on the page, and it’s a welcome break from screen time! So it’s great to discover a notebook that allows you to put pen to paper, but which also makes a difference with every one bought.

Remarkable are the OG eco-stationary brand, pioneering the process of recycling waste materials into everyday products. Get a notebook from them and you’ll be giving a second life to coffee cups. And who knows, maybe one of those coffee cups belonged to a famous author? Perhaps even the master of horror himself Stephen King? Perhaps this notebook, through osmosis, will indeed give you his writing powers…?

Well, probably not, but you will be stopping waste from going into landfill - which is a truly horrifying prospect. You’ll have a product not only with a past, but a new purpose. So as a list maker, note scribbler, and general doodler, I’ll use the power of my choice to support this brand - why not check them out and do the same?

Visit Remarkable here.

MANUMIT COFFEE

Coffee is, of course, a delightful beverage. More importantly, it may be the only thing that makes human company bearable before 10am (surprisingly, the author is not in fact a morning person). But while coffee may improve your life, it may not be improving the lives of others. Sadly, the coffee industry remains a hotbed of exploitation and human rights abuse. So if you want guilt-free coffee it’s worth choosing a brand that is actively tackling these issues, and they don’t come much better than Manumit Coffee.

Manumit Coffee helps to rebuild the lives of survivors of modern slavery on three levels. The coffee beans are sourced from ethical, slavery-free suppliers; survivors are trained and employed as coffee roasters; and all profits are invested in local and international anti-slavery projects. Not only that, but their coffee is absolutely delicious (and amazing with barista-style oat milk).

So if you don’t want your morning cup of Joe to leave a bitter taste in your mouth, you can support the incredible good work going on at Manumit Coffee with your purchase.

To purchase from Manumit Coffee, click here.

Sometimes trying to do the right thing all the time can feel overwhelming. But not everything has to be big gestures. You can make a difference with every purchase you make; however big or small, it is still a step in the right direction. So from looking after your loved ones with life insurance, to finding that perfect cup of coffee, you can empower yourself and others with the brands you choose. I’ve gone through some brands I admire, but you don’t have to look far to find a wealth of incredible companies making a positive mark that you can support.