Believing in what is right and standing up for it has always been a commendable trait. Whether it is voicing out against injustices, advocating for social reform or helping out your local community, being proactive is what creates an impactful civic leader. Nowadays, the same can be applied to companies. Socially conscious customers want to support establishments that are making efforts to improve the world. These types of initiatives are known as corporate social responsibility, or sometimes known as CSR.
A business’ CSR strategy should be effortlessly interwoven into their marketing strategies. By doing so, consumers are made well-aware of the establishment’s values from the very start of their customer journey. It is vital to today’s audience to know a organization’s CSR efforts from the start.
An increasing number of U.S. consumers are taking into consideration these values when shopping. A recent study shows that 87% of Americans will choose a product simply because it promotes values and beliefs that are in tune with their own. However, consumers are not the only ones that want to know. In fact, 73% of investors are affected by a company’s CSR strategy.
At the very core of it all, social responsibility practices are intended to help society. Nonetheless, there are still additional advantages to carrying out a CSR strategy. It attracts future employees who value a positive work culture, makes the company more profitable via its charitable practices and betters the relationship between business and consumer.
So, how can a business promote their CSR goal, its social impact outcomes and investments? It’s vital to start by gauging the standpoint of the intended audience. Gather data on what this targeted demographic values and expects from the brands they support. It can be the key to creating a smart marketing strategy. The next step would be to make the company’s stances well known. One can accomplish in numerous ways, but the common goal is to involve the audience by promoting the CSR mission.
One effective, yet common method that businesses have utilized is start the change from within. By partnering the efforts of their human resources and marketing teams, companies are creating internal changes that employees care about. For example, some are bettering their practices regarding diversity, equity and inclusion as part of their CSR mission, and then assessing their track record on social impact to guarantee internal company practices and policies follow social impact strategies.
Another effective tactic is using company leaders to create shareable and relevant content for targeted demographics. From short videos and blog posts to interacting with consumers through social media, these thought leaders are providing an authentic voice to the brand while maintaining the focus on the company’s social responsibility and its efforts. This type of self-promotion, however it is done, is vital in developing a connection with the consumer. However, the content must be honest and true in order to work.
For further information on how to align CSR and marketing strategies, look over the following infographic created by Points of Lights, a CSR company.