Why Companies Care: CSR Pays Off
A strong Corporate Social Responsibility program is paramount to promoting a brand with external stakeholders.
Stakeholders such as investors, consumers, and media influencers.
In this vein, many companies associate with a cause, charity, or movement to signal to their customers they are giving back and pushing change.
There are two types of companies that buy into the idea of CSR: the Actives and the Passives.
There’s opportunity in positioning a company to become more than a vocal advocate — more than a passive supporter. When a company walks the talk, they’ve become active engagers.
Take TOMS for instance. People go out and purchase a pair of TOMS because they not only enjoy the shoes, but also because they know every pair they purchased is matched by the company and donated to a child in need.
This is CSR at its simplest and finest.
You already knew this I’m sure, so I want to show you a few more sterling examples from companies of all shapes, sizes, products, and missions:
Salty Beards — based in Ventura, CA and launched in 2012, Salty Beards is first and foremost a surf media blog-site. However, their e-commerce store is turning heads with its dedication to clothing the local homeless population. Pushed through social media accounts such as Reef and Surfer Magazine, Salty Beards is making a difference for a group they care about the most.
Mary Kay, Inc. — one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of makeup and skincare, Mary Kay, Inc. based in Dallas, TX has been on the cutting edge of corporate social responsibility since its founding in 1963. As one of the most active corporations speaking out against domestic violence, Mary Kay has donated over $50 million to end domestic violence, sheltered more than 30,000 children suffering from abusive relationships, and assisted nearly 200,000 women through a safe and confidential “text-to-help” program. Further, they have partnered with the Alpha Chi Omega national sorority to educate millions of young adults on healthy relationships.
Warby Parker — founded in 2010 with the sole purpose of offering affordable eyewear to people of all social classes, Warby Parker has transformed not just the way people see, but also the way people see the world. Nearly one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses, which means that 15% of the world’s population cannot effectively learn or work. Warby Parker has teamed-up with a non-profit called VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.
LEGO –the Danish company founded in 1932 has a special place in many lives. Nearly all adults can think back to their childhood days playing with the miniature plastic bricks on their living room floor, but nearly everyone moves on at some point (some less than others). LEGO has committed to modernize their product lines by pledging to find and implement green alternatives to current oil-based raw materials by 2030. Their CSR looks much different than the other examples above, but plays in important role in showing the consumer base focusing on the future is a top priority of the company.
What does your CSR look like?
Your CSR scope shouldn’t limit your ability to become and stay Active.
CSR will require an investment of your time and money — resources that you can’t afford to waste. You should be passionate about the idea and have a real drive to contribute funding from your bottom-line — the same bottom-line that you’ve worked so hard to establish. Choose something that means as much to your community and your consumers as it does to you. How is it relevant to your product? Your values? You’ve said it from day one, your company will make a difference.
Now get out there and make good on your talk.
