CSR gives brands a boost
Consumers believe that corporate citizenship activities are genuinely beneficial and expect corporations to actively contribute to society’s well- being.
These are some of the findings of a recent study on corporate citizenship conducted by Kadence Singapore and commissioned by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Along with the expectation for corporations to lead community engagement efforts, consumers are taking it upon themselves to find out and be aware of these efforts.
Consumers across the Asia Pacific indicated that it was important for them to be engaged with a corporation’s citizenship efforts, and this was especially so for Indonesia (90 percent) and the Philippines (88 percent).
Testament to its citizenship efforts, Samsung led both spontaneous and prompted association for brands involved in CSR activities.
Close to three in 10 respondents ( 29 percent) spontaneously named Samsung as a brand actively involved in CSR, a significant twofold lead over the next brand (a consumer technology brand).
Brand perception was also found to be elevated upon knowledge of a brand’s community engagement efforts. Four in five respondents (80 percent) indicated that being aware of Samsung’s corporate citizenship programs would lead to a significantly more positive impression of the brand.
“While it has long been acknowledged that community outreach has an impact on brand awareness and perception, our study reaffirms that consumers still view these activities as integral elements towards a responsible corporate citizen,” said Irene Ng, vice president, corporate marketing, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and Oceania.
“It is heartening to know that consumers recognize the genuine benefit these programs have on communities and we look forward to improving the quality of life through our scalable and sustainable Citizenship programs across the region,” Ng added.
Samsung serves
Respondents of the survey also shared areas in which they hoped to
see Samsung involvement in, with the categories of “Community Development”, “Education”, and “Volunteering” emerging as the top three themes.
The findings reaffirm Samsung’s continued citizenship efforts in the region.
Samsung believes that education is the seed of innovation, and is committed to improving communities through providing smarter learning environments.
With close to half of the respondents (46 percent) indicating their interest in seeing more educational enhancement programs enabled by virtual reality and wearable technology, Samsung continues to refine its existing initiatives to further enhance student performance and learning experiences based on what communities need and want.
Across Southeast Asia and Oceania, Samsung has established more than 160 Smart Schools and Libraries and 20 Samsung Tech Institutes to bridge the digital divide, enable students to take a smarter approach to education and nurture talent across the region.
By collaborating with government bodies and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the Samsung Smart Schools and Libraries harness technology to create immersive learning opportunities for the students, through tailored edu- cation programs, as well as enrichment and infotainment content.
In the Philippines, Samsung has a total of 14 Smart Classrooms in select partner campuses, with plans to expand to other areas in the country moving forward.
Key issues
Beyond education, Samsung also recognizes the need to tackle other key issues in the region.
The Samsung SONO Schools in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines support hospitals and medical facilities as a technology partner, providing equipment such as ultrasound systems, electronic boards and large-format displays.
In partnership with local medical associations and institutions, the SONO Schools also feature customized training curricula for medical students, with a focus on ultrasound diagnosis, obstetrics and gynecology.
Aspiring to enhance the meaningful engagement with local communities, Samsung has also launched its flagship regional citizenship program, Culture.Connect.
The initiative celebrates the distinct aspects of the culture and heritage of each market, across a variety of cultural passion points—including historical landmarks and landscapes, as well as art and culture.