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Today's marketplace seems to have a pretty good grip on what creates a positive brand image in the consumer's mind. Guidance from influencers abounds; social media campaigns are targeted toward gaining loyal followers based on aligned values and common goals; and solopreneurs have the power and freedom to sculpt their missions and measures at will.
But what about on a wider scale? What can SMBs, SMEs, and large companies do globally across their enterprises to earn a seat at the social responsibility table and happily partake in the rewards that come with a well-respected brand image?
Part of my job as CEO of my own public relations firm is advising my corporate clients how to not only enhance their corporate social responsibility (CSR) standing, but then publicize and promote it so the public is aware of their efforts. I've narrowed down the key categories of CSR to five and have some tips to share on how you can make progress and impact in each area.
1. Adopt sustainable practices
The first measure you can take to heighten your PR image with a socially conscious audience is to shift to sustainable practices that benefit the health of our planet and its populace. The goal here is to reduce your environmental footprint, and you can do so in a number of ways:
- Energy efficiency: Utilize renewable energy sources and put in place energy-efficient processes and systems. Efforts in this area can be as large as installing solar panels and as small as adding a water cooler to your premises or a water filtration device to your break room's tap to eliminate plastic water bottles on everyone's desk.
- Waste reduction: To minimize waste, you can recycle materials, purchase recycled products for your supply room, and update your packing materials (like using recycled paper or biodegradable peanuts for shipping instead of bubble wrap or Styrofoam).
- Sustainable sourcing: It's ideal if companies can make their supply chains more sustainable by such means as contracting with vendors and suppliers with eco-friendly methods, using Fair Trade Certified products, and purchasing goods from local sources and sustainable farms.
2. Invest in community development
The next step you can take is to evidence your commitment to the communities in which you operate by engaging with those communities and participating in accomplishing their objectives. Community development can look like:
- Implementing local employment initiatives: Prioritize hiring locally, which provides jobs and lends economic support at the local level, where your business is based. This is particularly impactful in areas with high unemployment rates.
- Supporting local businesses: When you partner with your neighboring businesses in any way applicable to your industry, you both stimulate the local economy and become a valuable member of the community.
- Contributing to community projects: You can make a genuine difference and create a meaningful ripple effect by taking part in community development initiatives, such as building new schools, beautifying parks, and helping establish or fund healthcare facilities and social services that benefit the local citizenry.
3. Endorse diversity and inclusion
DEI policies have become a sensitive topic of discussion, but the concepts of "diversity," "equity," and "inclusion" in and of themselves are, in my opinion, above reproach and eminently desirable goals in any professional setting. Measures you can take in this regard are based more on common sense than mandated policy and go a long way toward establishing a fair and equitable workplace.
- Integrate diversity into all processes: Formally promote diversity in your hiring, promotion, and leadership succession procedures. This demonstrates management's commitment to an inclusive environment and providing equal opportunities to everyone in it.
- Establish ERGs: Employees just don't expect to be appreciated and heard these days, they deserve to be. Employee Resource Groups are a great way to show your support for traditionally underrepresented groups who may not feel as visible and valued as others in your company. It doesn't cost you a thing to form an ERG as a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, but it can pay off big-time when all your employees feel respected and included.
- Incorporate inclusive marketing: Is the world really comprised of the quintessential family of four (all impossibly beautiful, of course) frolicking in a meadow with their adorable puppy? Break out of the constraints of obsolete visuals and stereotypical messaging by breathing fresh — and real — life into your marketing assets by featuring all kinds of faces, places, and lifestyles on your website, collateral, and social media feeds. Your client base (a wider one, at that) will take notice and take action to support you.
4. Engage in philanthropy
Another action businesses can take to enhance their CSR is finding causes they believe in and then supporting them actively. Yes, you'll elevate your PR brand image, but you'll also be bettering society in ways of your choosing. Effective strategies include:
- Donating to charities: Altruism isn't trendy, it's timeless. Research reputable charities that align with your company's values so you can sponsor missions that hold true meaning for you and feel good about where your money is going. "Corporate greed" turns to "corporate goodwill" when profits are shared.
- Encouraging employee volunteerism: When you make allowances for your staff to reap the fulfillment of volunteer work — either through paid volunteer days or organizing company-wide volunteer events — it's not only a fantastic exercise in team-building and morale-boosting, but it underscores the humanitarian reputation you want to build.
- Creating cause-related campaigns: Affiliating your products or services with your chosen causes is a particularly effective approach to strengthening your brand image. For example, pledging to donate a portion of your proceeds can drive sales while also spotlighting a worthy charitable or community-based organization.
5. Establish ethical practices and a transparent business model
Lastly, I advise my clients to be as transparent as possible in all their dealings (by posting their policies on their website, for instance) and to enact those dealings ethically and judiciously.
- Clear communication: First and foremost, ethical practices require clear and open communication about who a company collaborates with, whether and by whom it's subsidized, its employee policies, and its business model. Publicly available sustainability or social responsibility reports are preferable but not required.
- Fair business practices: It is paramount to maintain high ethical standards in all business transactions, such as ensuring fair labor practices and maintaining anti-corruption measures. This speaks to a company's perceived honesty and trustworthiness.
- Accountability: Companies come across as reliable and relatable when they're willing to hold themselves accountable for their actions. Admit to your mistakes, take corrective actions when you can, and resolve issues to the best of your ability. The public has proven to be entirely understanding and forgiving when businesses slip up sometimes, just like people do.
It's a two-way street
Corporate social responsibility can't be ignored in the modern work environment. And while it may require some reforms and flexibility on the part of company leadership, all measures taken in the name of CSR can only help your brand equity and industry standing.
If you do your part by adapting to and adopting what's expected in the current workplace, your external or internal PR team will be in a much better position to do theirs on your behalf, equipped with all the information and good news they need to publicize your efforts loud and proud. And there's no shame in doing so; in fact, letting the public know of your proactive and positive CSR advancements shows your commitment to contributing to a socially conscious marketplace and deserves recognition.
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