CSR AND BRANDS
Using CSR To Strengthen Company Performance
By Mari Harris
In the new , ultra-connected “ global village ” every global and local brand has stated its existence in every corner of the earth in diverse domains such as manufacturing , logistics , selling , and encouraging consumption . Therefore , stakeholders of each global brand are affected by the management of their competitors . Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) can be used as a competitive advantage for any brand - either global or local .
But what is this concept “ BRAND ”? Unsurprisingly there are many definitions , but let ’ s look at the one coined by the doyen of marketing , Philip Kotler : A brand is “ a name , term , sign , symbol ( or a combination of these ) that identifies the maker or seller of a product .”
But a brand is also more than this … the award-winning brand strategist Aarti Parmar successfully captured something of that almost indescribable quality of a brand : “ A brand is a created perception . It is those perceptions that form beliefs . What intentional beliefs are you forming ?”
A brand differentiates a product , service or company from its competitors , and it can help build a strong relationship between the product , service or company and its consumers or stakeholders . The marketing of a company or a corporation rests on these same principles . Corporate branding is focusing on how an organisation wishes to be seen and is achieved using logos , branding , design , marketing , communications - and Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ).
The new world
From a corporate perspective Covid-19 , climate change and the ability of technology to inform and empower individuals have had a major impact on companies . In a global pandemic it is expected of companies to demonstrate behaviours that are aligned to the needs of employees - and of society .
Ipsos ’ recent Reputation Council report stated that in future business strategy and societal expectations will be increasingly intertwined , “ Where traditional hierarchies and communication processes are giving way to a more inclusive , transparent and collaborative approach . Where the dividing line between external and internal
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CSR programmes need to focus on all four terrains of responsibility of businesses operating in the world today : the Ethical , Philanthropic , Environmental and Economic . The aim is to act , operate and sell products and brands to the advantage of the company , but also to take the advantage of consumers into account . communications is increasingly blurred and where the role of the corporate communicator as a strategic advisor has never been so important .” And CSR as an expression of these new developments has never been so important …
CSR in the new world
In gauging reputation standing of a company , the CSR dimension that we as Ipsos use captures an encircling definition of CSR in a company as being genuinely trying to live up to the principles they communicate , holding a positive impact on society through everyday business , caring about the planet and our environment , having a positive impact on the economy in the country and having a purpose that goes beyond the normal ambitions of the company .
In the past ( pre-Covid ) CSR was often only used to bring about and support a competitive advantage for a company or brand . However , for many institutions it was only a “ tick-box exercise ” and the Ethical and Philanthropic Responsibilities of CSR did not get much attention .
In the media , articles were published regularly about one or other big corporation which has invested in a local community or were working together with a community or country to effect some change - complete with pictures of the most important person in the company handing over the keys or turning on a tap . There was very little reported about the longer-term effect and sustainability of these undertakings on the communities and people that were the intended direct beneficiaries .
In this new volatile , uncertain , complex and ambiguous world , reality of a lingering
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