Combining brand, social responsibility

CORPORATE social responsibility (CSR) goes hand in hand with a smart brand strategy.

Consumers vote with their wallets, supporting companies that demonstrate concern for employee welfare, community development, environmental sustainability and human rights.

We live in a customer-centric and highly connected world where consumers not only want to feel good about their purchase, they make use of social media to share the story behind the purchase.

Consumer sentiment can make or break a business. Having a positive social purpose and a core message that resonates with your audience can be the key business differentiator.

Five steps to CSR success:

Pick the right partner SMEs are not equipped to manage every aspect of a CSR programme on their own. Let the experts help!

Choose a partner that naturally aligns with your company’s core mission and services.

For example, if you run a small optometry practice, you may not be able to fund a “buy a pair, give a pair” programme but you can still support vision initiatives.

Structure for sustainability

Look for ways to blend financial support with volunteering or in-kind contributions. Consider how your customers can be involved, for example sponsoring a “day of giving” where they, clients, and employees can work together on a volunteer project aligned with your CSR.

Support community education Looking to make an immediate impact on your local community? School or university scholarships are one of the most popular CSR choices that directly influences the recipients’ lives.

Don’t shy away from personal causes When a cause is near and dear to your heart, your passion for this cause will shine through, inspiring colleagues as well as customers and clients.

For SMEs, choosing personal causes closely aligned with the community will also inspire community-wide involvement.

Monitor customer impact

In addition to monitoring the success of your CSR programme, you’ll also want to understand how customers and clients perceive them.

While it’s unlikely that customers will approach you directly about your CSR, if they feel strongly about it one way or another they probably will discuss it on social media. I like Brand24 and Follow for monitoring social media chatter.

You can use these platforms to set alerts for online mentions and specific keywords related to your CSR.

There’s no need to rush head first into a huge CSR programme. Start slowly and grow with time.

Whether your company is a small or a major corporation, choose a CSR programme that realistically reflects your brand and is integrated with your core mission for long-term, sustainable growth.