In order to establish a CSR strategy, you need to take different variables into account. The variables that you consider the act as cogs in your machine that determine CSR marketing.
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Corporate Social Responsibility: What is it?
Corporate social responsibility is a very broad concept that covers a multitude of business strategies, but the main idea is that a company should show how it can improve society to improve its public image and relations. Here are some tips that can help you develop a concrete CSR marketing strategy.
1.Start small:
Corporate Social Responsibility does not always mean an over-the-top environmental strategy that could exceed your company’s budget. Do not let your ambitions go out of bounds, overlooking the basic pillars of corporate responsibility, which is ensuring that your employees get proper pay and benefits. Start small, like enforcing a recycling policy in your office or hosting volunteer sessions for the less fortunate on an annual or monthly basis. You can also make a big difference by avoiding unethical practices such as Greenwashing.
2.Do not greenwash
Speaking of greenwashing, this is an unethical practice that you need to avoid at all costs. Many consider it to be unfair and unethical. Unfortunately, many companies still follow through on these plans to show to the public that they are environmentally friendly, despite doing something else behind the scenes.
What is greenwashing? Basically, it is when a company conveys to the public that they are environmentally friendly and adopt eco-friendly practices when making their products, but in reality, they have ulterior motives, and these techniques are only shown to the public to improve their image.
This unethical practice happens in companies throughout various industries, and a notable example of this is a reputable automobile company cheating on their emission tests. They claim that their cars are eco-friendly and produce lower emissions, but this is not the case. In fact, recent tests showed that their cars emitted forty times the allowed amount of pollutants!
That said, always adopt techniques and strategies that are fair. Remember that, in the end, your company’s image is everything, and you should only implement practices that reflect your business’s integrity.
3.Donate Responsibly
As we discussed earlier, Corporate Social Responsibility does not always mean having an over-the-top plan. Therefore, you should always keep your ambitions in check and donate to charities that are relevant and meaningful for your business.
You can choose from multiple charities, each of them aiming to improve a specific issue that is plaguing the earth, such as deforestation, global warming, poverty, etc. But we need to be careful where we donate as we want to develop our business’s integrity as well as convey to the public the relevant brand’s values. An example of this may be that a lumberjack mill or a forestry business may donate to charities looking to reduce deforestation. They should also donate to charities in towns where the company mainly does its work.
4.Enforce health and safety protocols
Before you can change the world, you need to implement these best practices in your workplace. An effective practice to improve your public image is to introduce a health and safety program in your workplace that ensures the mental and physical well-being of your employees. Doing so will not only improve your company’s standing in public, but this act of human rights responsibility will also make sure you are compliant with government legislation on health and safety.
You can implement various safety protocols in order to promote the health and wellness of your employees. An example of this may be that a condiment manufacturing company may make use of gloves, hairnets, and other sanitation products. They will likely do so to ensure proper hygiene throughout the entire manufacturing process.
In addition to health, safety is also a high priority that should be encouraged in every workplace. You can apply many practices to encourage a safe working environment, such as annual workshops, proper safety precautions while setting up some equipment in your workplace, and proper first aid training in case an unexpected medical situation occurs at work.
5.Encourage Employee involvement
There is a very famous saying, “teamwork makes the dream work,” and this applies to every situation, including this one. It is essential for all of your employees to be somewhat involved in the CSR process and be a part of the effort. This will drastically increase a company’s image amongst its audience and show that the company employees are just as passionate about change.
Always let your employees know what strategy you are implementing and encourage their participation in these discussions. This is because it would be interesting to have another perspective on a situation, and this may serve to be very valuable, as that one suggestion might be what you are looking for to eliminate a considerable roadblock.
Many strategies of CSR might involve holding volunteering programs and drives for the betterment of society, and these events would most definitely require employees to. That is another reason why it is crucial for you and your employees to be on the same page when applying these strategies. You can hold brainstorming sessions before putting your plan into action. Here, your employees can voice their concerns, and this will encourage teamwork as well as boost employee morale in the workplace.
Wrap-up
These are just some tips you can take note of when developing your Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. This may give you a proper idea of what to look out for when formulating a strategy of your own, but make sure to keep your finances and ambitions in check when doing so.
