By Ailish Smith, account director, PSG Plus
A corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy has far reaching implications for both business and society and is now a common part of business conduct for many organisations. However, it enjoys such a wide definition that almost anything can be positioned as CSR.
For some organisations CSR means meeting legal or regulatory obligations. For others, it is an ethos that drives every business activity and for some companies CSR is based simply around charitable giving.
The benefits of implementing an effective CSR programme are abundant. According to a recent survey by the World Federation of Advertisers, 60% of consumers surveyed claimed to be looking for brands with a sense of purpose. A strong CSR plan will influence customers and create opportunities for a business to market itself based on the concepts and tactics employed.
It undoubtedly builds morale internally and encourages employees to get involved and take pride in being part of a giving back exercise. It has also been proven to assist in attracting quality staff. A core benefit stemming from a smart CSR strategy is also deeper community engagement for the organisation and reputational benefits from being seen as a progressive organisation dedicated to improving things beyond the bottom line.
Undoubtedly, the scale and reach of the organisation is a major success factor for any CSR programme. However the common success factors observed in CSR programmes regardless of scale and sector include a strategy built around a single compelling cause; one that is driven from the ground up rather than top-down and one that has relevance to the organisation and its audiences.
There are a range of key factors managers need to be aware of when developing a CSR strategy including:
1. Link to the company’s core values
The core values of the company should guide the alignment with a cause. In order to create social value, businesses should seek to create social strategies where they can contribute to the solution. This means taking an in depth look at what the company stands for and where its core strengths lie. Then think carefully about how best these could be applied to improve a situation or cause.
In addition to linking to the core values of the company, the CSR strategy should also reflect a connection with the service the company offers. For example a food science company might use its skills to help focus on a health and nutrition strategy.
2. Secure senior management buy in
Support from senior leaders is vital to the success of a CSR strategy. Ultimately, the implementation should be driven from all levels of the organisation but senior staff must lead by example and show their commitment to making CSR part of the company’s ethos.
3. Engage and empower staff
Create the CSR strategy in conjunction with employees and take the time to understand their personal passions and interests. It is also important to empower employees to be part of the solution. The best way to do this is to create an internal CSR team who are responsible for the strategy’s implementation. There is no doubt that CSR can act as a powerful retention tool as well as attracting potential recruits to an organisation.
4. Communicate
Ailish Smith, PSG Plus
Companies are often hesitant to communicate their CSR efforts to their customers and stakeholders feeling torn between doing good and seeking to appear to be doing good. If these audiences don’t know about what’s being done, how can they learn about the company’s responsible business practices?
It’s okay to tell your audiences what you’re doing in terms of CSR. You just need to be strategic about it. If the CSR activity is a long-term commitment, then communicating this should be part of the plan. It’s about more than a press release and a photo. It should involve social media, events and senior level support through interactions with media on a corporate level.
5. Measurement
The efficacy of the strategy can only be assessed by putting measurement tools in place from the outset. Once the goal for the strategy is set, key performance indicators should be established to monitor and manage the rollout of the plan.
It is important to bear in mind that once a business is perceived to be understanding and show that it cares, trust is built. This trust is essential to the success and sustainability of a business.
Ailish Smith is an account director in corporate PR agency, PSG Plus. She leads the design and implementation of CSR campaigns for clients across multiple sectors.