A communication proposal based on a CSR audit as part of Master of Science in Global Strategic Communications

1. By: Julia Henao R
CSR NARRATIVE
STRATEGY
.
Image via Whole Foods Market 2016 Annual Report
Julia Henao R
COMM 433
April 26, 2018

2. CSR and communication
• For a successful CSR differentiation, potential customers must be fully aware of CSR
characteristics; otherwise, they will purchase a similar product without such attributes
(Siegel, 2001, p.121).
• Communicating CSR attributes can be useful to build or sustain a reputation for
quality, reliability, or honesty all attributes that are important but difficult to determine
by search alone (Siegel, 2001, p.121).
• Authentic communication can break through the corporate hyperbole –being true to
who you are and unleashing a genuine voice of leadership can positively enhance the
company narrative (Global RepTrak, 2018, p. 61).
THE ISSUE
From 2009 to 2014 Whole Foods Market was named one of America’s most reputable
companies for corporate social responsibility by the Reputation Institute (RepTrak,
2015).

3. WHY IS IT WORTH DOING?
• Today, consumers want to support
brands that stand for something
positive for society.
• “Beyond general familiarity
companies need to create depth
of understanding of what they
stand for because it can create a
reputation lift” (Global RepTrak,
2018, p. 19).

4. METHOD: CSR RepTrak Scorecard
• According to the 2015 US Retail RepTrak, across
the seven dimensions of reputation, 43% to 60% of
consumers are uncertain what the companies are
doing.
• The highest rate is in CSR dimensions: Workplace,
Governance, Citizenship (RepTrak, 2015, p. 28)
which it means key stakeholders are not aware of
company’s performance regarding CSR.
• Action and communication are critical to
converting neutral consumers. Half of the world is
still open to being convinced: 51% (Global RepTrak,
2018, p. 17).

5. RESULTSRESULTS
Image via Whole Foods Market 2011 Annual Report

6. RESULTS

7. RESULTS
The company has a positive outcome regarding environmental stewardship due to its wide
range of activities, such as:
• 25 stores and facilities supplementing traditional power with solar power, producing and
save more than 2.2 million kilowatt hours over 20 years and resulting in more than 1,650
tons of CO2 emissions avoided.
• Whole Foods Market (WFM) and 365 Everyday Value brands’ bottled body products,
vitamins and supplements are in bottles made from at least 50% recycled plastic.
• The company is in the process of replacing traditional plastic and paper prepared-food
containers with compostable fiber packaging made from renewable resources such as
bagasse (made from sugar cane pulp and wood fibers).

8. RESULTS Whole Food’s environmental publications on its social media channels:

9. • Global RepTrak (2018) suggests, social media can make a difference. According to
2018’s report, a relatively small percentage of people can have a major impact:
CSR-IDENTITY-BASED CORPORATE IMAGE
• The benefits of establishing a perceived CSR-identity-based corporate image are
argued to be many: enhanced brand differentiation, competitive advantage, and
customer loyalty and other positive post-purchase outcomes (Pomering and Johnson,
2009, p. 3).
• A meta-analysis by Orlitzky (2003) has found that CSR can deliver superior financial
performance, primarily through reputation effects.

10. WHAT ABOUT GOVERNANCE?
This is where Whole Foods needs to work more due to previous accusations related to massive
overcharging, issue that occurred in 2015 and it caused a great damaged to the company’s
image.

11. DISCUSSION
• Whole Foods is still in the media, but not for news about citizenship initiatives; which
is incoherent because it is not aligned to one of its core values: “We practice and
advance environmental stewardship.”
• It is imperative the company goes from a private conversation about its
environmental milestones to a more proactive CSR narrative. A story in its own words
that allows enhancing its “CSR-identity-based corporate image” (Pomering and
Johnson, 2009).
• Corporate stakeholders, the media, including social media, NGO watchdogs, and
governmental regulators have all been putting increased pressure on companies to
assume corporate environmental responsibility (CER) (Matejek and Gössling, 2014, p.
572).

12. EMBEDDING THE CSR NARRATIVE IN MULTIPLE MEDIA
Management speeches:
• “The effectiveness of a corporate story will also
improve if the story is told and retold by top managers
in the company in their style and with their
interpretations” Van Riel and Fombrun (2017).
• There is an increasing demand for a “Leadership voice”
that turns into a CEO with a conscience (Global
RepTrak, 2018, p. 37).

14. EMBEDDING THE CSR NARRATIVE IN MULTIPLE MEDIA
Social Media channels
• Whole Foods is growing its investment in global marketing to increase efficiency and
effectiveness of its programming.
• “We continue to develop our reach across all channels -paid, owned and earned- with a
focus on accelerating our social media presence” (Annual Report, 2016, p. 16).
• Currently, the brand has 15 million fans and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

15. EMBEDDING THE CSR NARRATIVE IN MULTIPLE MEDIA
It is time to start a conversation about CSR initiatives, citizenship, and environmental
stewardship in an organic way; giving value content that generates engagement, and it
can be attached to Whole Foods CSR efforts.

16. Image via http://blogs.davita.com/kidney-diet-tips/kidney-diet-meal-planning-made-easy/
Q&A