The document discusses how social media has become an important tool for corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. It notes that transparency around how companies operate is important for earning consumer trust. Social media allows for easier engagement on social and environmental issues. While some companies have failed at using social media for CSR, others have succeeded by tapping customers to support CSR programs through platforms like LinkedIn and PepsiCo donations. The document concludes that social media can be a powerful way to communicate CSR efforts when used authentically and transparently to engage customers and communities.

1. Suzanne Delaney,
Head of Digital
Ogilvy & Mather
The Power of Social
Media for CSR
Corporate social responsibility – CSR – is one
of the biggest buzzwords around right now.
In an age in which environmental and social
issues are top of mind for many consumers,
businesses can no longer sit in a bubble as
consumers pay increasingly more attention to
how organisations operate, where and how they
source their materials and produce their goods
and services. Transparency and honesty should
be a fundamental part of a companies DNA and
paramount to earning the public’s trust.
Technology has brought about global
connectivity and enabled advocacy and
awareness for social situations that were once
obscure. The use of digital and social channels
in daily working routines has changed our
access to corporate information and simplified
engagement on environmental, social and
governance issues as any person can directly
reach the biggest brands in the world in seconds
with a simple tweet or post. It’s not always about
making positive strides with the public, either.
Forbes reports that more employees care about
their companies’ morals. Executives say they’ve
seen both workers and customers voice the
opinion that they want to work with companies
they respect.
As more companies are taking to Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube and blogs to talk about
corporate social responsibility than ever before,
not all of them are getting it right, in fact there
have been some spectacular fails . Obvious
examples are BP’s experience during the
Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico,
Unilever’s Dove brand getting ambushed by
Greenpeace, and, the #McStories fiasco.
However, the rewards are great if you do get
it right. Major brands are finally starting to tap
their customers to create a support network for
their CSR initiatves. There are programmes like
Sponsored by
LinkedIN for Good, the corporate social media
giant’s CSR programme and their new initiative
a Volunteer Marketplace, allowing LinkedIn
users to search for volunteer opportunities to
fill much needed roles. PepsiCo, through The
Pepsi Refresh Project, opted to donate $20
million in lieu of a Super Bowl ad and allows
the public to vote on their top picks. One
company who pioneered using social media
to communicate its sustainability/CSR efforts
is Kraft food: it donates six meals to hungry
families whenever a consumer joins Kraft’s
Facebook page, having resulted in a huge
increase in Facebook following.
Closer to home we find worthy initiatives
like Arthur Guinness projects and Vodafone
Young Social Innovators with its aim to engage
100,000 young social innovators by 2015 by
leveraging its people, superior technology and
engaging brand; Kelloggs Field of Dreams and
Lucozade Sport working at community level to
develop sporting facilities and Adtruism raising
money for a charity of your choice through
directing a portion of your website advertising
revenue to a charity of your choice. All clever
and effective initiatives.
Social media and sustainability are a
particularly powerful combination given
that both are rooted in the principles of
authenticity, transparency, collaboration
and community. Once you understand what
consumers value about your brand, you re
on your way to making them love you, stand
up for you when there’s a mess and join the
conversation. Any ideas for your brand?