29 February 2008

What communicators can do to create a CSR buzz

Communications teams responsible for CSR in 53% of organizations, while 39% don’t have a CSR policy.
  
VMA North, part of VMA Group Search and Selection, earlier this month hosted a roundtable in the UK, bringing together 7 senior communicators to discuss the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within businesses.

Discussion focused on the expectations of stakeholders and customer trust or cynicism and also whether expectations of customers and stakeholders about CSR issues are rising due to increased awareness and choices available.

Striking the right promotional balance
Further debate arose over how CSR practitioners can retain and develop their energy, vision and creativity and talk of the future of CSR, and what types of communications would make a difference.

The agenda came to a close with thoughts on how far a business should go in overt CSR campaigns and the balance between "good business" and marketing. The attendees were as follows:

1. (Facilitator) Sandra Palmer, associate director VMA, corporate culture.
2. John Morris, head of corporate & community affairs, Birmingham International Airport.
3. Lindsay MacFarlane, head of corporate communications, Lancashire County Council.
4. Vicky Matthews, CSR manager, Alliance & Leicester.
5. Paul Willis, deputy MD, Ptarmigan.
6. Louise Bucknall, associate, Allman Communication.
7. Sandra McDowell, director, Connectpoint.

Creativity helps CSR campaigns
Attendees concluded that consumers are becoming more marketing-savvy, therefore CSR campaigns should be long-term and creative. A key outcome was the idea that moving into the future, effective CSR should incorporate partnering between the private and public sector.

Respondents’ top 5 rated CSR strategies:
1. Marks & Spencer;
2. The Co-Op;
3. Sky;
4. The Body Shop; and
5. Shell.

Heightened CSR awareness
The meeting followed recent research results from VMA Group, which unveiled the key attitudes of employees on the CSR activities of their businesses. 

Despite increased coverage of how CSR initiatives can make a real difference to an organization's attractiveness, VMA's results show that of the 200 people that answered the survey, 39% don’t have a CSR policy in place at their organizations. Further survey findings reveal:

• 69% of companies don’t have a dedicated CSR team – 52% of those said that CSR was instead integrated into all areas of their organization.
• 53% of respondents cited CSR as sitting within their organization’s communications function.
• 38% of employees have seen an increase in new business opportunities as a direct result of adopting of a CSR strategy.
• 39% of respondents highlighted that their organization doesn't follow a CSR model of practice.
• 43% of respondents agreed that there's a requirement for a regulatory approach to CSR.
• 49% of respondents state that there’s a shortage of CSR practitioners available.

Laura McDyre, consultant at VMA Group North, who conducted the survey amongst its clients and candidates, comments:

"The survey results have unveiled some revealing attitudes of employees on CSR and there is a clear need for companies to recognize CSR as a growing communications discipline and its genuine benefit to business. In today's climate creating a CSR strategy is pivotal to an organization's overall business growth."

Respondents’ comments on how their organization defines CSR:
• “Fundamental to how we do business”.
• “A commercial necessity”.
• “Contributing to the community and environment”.
• “Earning money through exercising conscience”.

What key skills do the survey respondents require in a CSR practitioner?

• “Communication, negotiation, strategic and PR skills".
• “Internal Communications”.
• “Genuine desire to make a difference to the community”.
• “Pragmatism balanced with idealism”.
• “Communications & Public Affairs skills”.

Communications appointments
VMA also recently announced a number of internal changes. Jenifer Matthewman has joined VMA Group's Internal Communications team.

Prior to joining VMA Group, Matthewman ran the internal communications function at UK charity Help the Hospices and was head of communications for Mind, a mental health charity. Her remit is to grow VMA's internal communications offering within the public sector and not-for-profit arenas.

Sophia Dowman has also joined the Internal Communications team, providing a dedicated intranet and editorial service working across major corporates and agencies.

Have your say
Do your company's CSR responsibilities lie with the communications department? Which function do you think should be responsible? If you don't have CSR initiatives in your organization, how do you think the communications team can make waves in this field?

Share your thoughts on these issues with other comms practitioners by joining the Internal Comms Hub members' group on the Communicators' Network.

Other recommendations:
How Rio Tinto communicates CSR messages to 36,000 employees worldwide

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