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Corporate Responsibility: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Profit

Posted by Andrea Keating on May 31, 2013

What is Corporate Responsibility?

corporate responsibilityCorporate responsibility is defined by The Business Dictionary as “a company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates. Companies express this citizenship (1) through their waste and pollution reduction processes, (2) by contributing educational and social programs, and (3) by earning adequate returns on the employed resources.” Corporate responsibility is an aspect of a business that is not always the first thing people notice about a corporation but it’s extremely imperative to a business’s integrity and character.

Why use a corporate responsibility video?

There are numerous ways a corporation can tell its audience about what they do for the community and how they help the environment. Most companies exemplify their support services on their website or over advertising campaigns, but now they are also using video to show what they are doing to make the world a better place. Hiring a camera crew to film corporate responsibility videos, give a businesses audience illustrative insight on what they are doing in the community, with the environment, and the core values of the company.

The Importance of a Successful Corporate Responsibility Video:

Corporate responsibility is more than community interaction, and recycling. Having a successful corporate responsibility video is important because it displays a company’s moralistic ideals. A corporate responsibility video allows the audience to decide whether they want to be part of their campaign or not, whether that be through employment, non-profit involvement, or partnership, etc.

Corporate Trends:

It’s 2013 and corporate responsibility is becoming a global understanding, consumers are now more conscious of how their products are made and where they are coming from. Trendwatching.com tells us about the top 10 consumer trends taking over the world and the urgency for sustainability and environmental care. Another study on corporate responsibility was implemented through the 2010 Cone Study, this study is the nation’s longest Cause Branding benchmark, it explores consumer attitudes and expectations of company support for social and environmental issues.

Did you know?

    • 88% of Americans say it is acceptable for companies to involve a cause or issue in their marketing. This record number represents a 33% increase since Cone began measuring in 1993 (66%).
    • 85% of consumers have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about.
    • 90% of consumers want companies to tell them the ways they are supporting causes. Put another way: More than 278 million people in the U.S. want to know what a company is doing to benefit a cause.

How to Execute the Perfect Video:

Emily Valentine of TheBuzzBin states the Do’s and Don’ts of making a corporate responsibility video:

    • Do make sure your corporate responsibility strategy is based on sound research and tied to business objectives.
    • Do clearly articulate your program’s vision and mission, and make sure your approach is highly focused and differentiates you from your peers/competitors.
    • Do seek support of leadership and identify company leaders as spokespeople and “owners” for your corporate responsibility programs.
    • Do walk the walk before you talk the talk. Make sure your corporate culture supports your corporate responsibility efforts, and involve employees in programs as appropriate.
    • Don’t approach corporate responsibility as a media relations strategy.
    • Don’t inflate your efforts for dramatic effect.

Statistics/Demographics:

Research from Forbes stated:

    • “The Society for Human Resources Management compared companies that have strong sustainability programs with companies that have poor ones and found that in the former morale was 55% better, business process were 43% more efficient, public image was 43% stronger, and employee loyalty was 38% better.”
    • “83 percent of Americans want MORE of the products, services and retailers they use to support causes.”
    • “88% of millennials, or “echo boomers,” choose employers based on strong CSR values, and 86% would consider leaving if the companies’ CSR values no longer met their expectations.”

Top 10 Corporate Responsibility Video’s: Who is doing them right?

1. Chevron has an entire YouTube Channel devoted to their involvement with the community and environmental loyalty showing everything from expanding pediatric care in Africa, to partnering for economic and social progress in Liberia, to inspiring students during a science fair in the Bay area to be future scientists.

2. HSBC executed a video called “Earthwatch and HSBC” HSBC partnered with Earthwatch, an institute for environmental wellness, together they have worked around the world to deliver a better understanding and engage in environment and sustainability issues. This video shows how a company can partner with an already social responsible campaign and make a difference.

3. A video from GE shows the dynamics of their Citizen Report. The report shields GE’s international operations for the 2010 fiscal year and is designed around discussions of GE’s long-term value creation in addressing the world’s most insistent problems.

4. Patagonia’s take on corporate responsibility ensures Patagonia’s code of conduct within their factories, they talk about how Patagonia is socially and environmentally compliant and show how and what they do to make sure they are compliant by regular auditing, visiting farms, and enrollment in continuous improvement programs.

5. NIKE goes above and beyond by furthering their sustainability efforts by the introduction of a new method, the Environmental Apparel Design Tool. Their video shows how the tool helps designers make real time choices the decrease the environmental impact of their work.

6. Benevity, a firm that helps companies with their corporate responsibility campaigns, in their video they introduce some great concepts to anyone looking to achieve a noteworthy corporate responsible video.

7. Ben and Jerry’s fair tweet program is exemplified in their video, Ben and Jerry’s believe that everyone that has helped make their product what it is should get their “fair share of the pie.” Fairtrade is a global movement that guarantees small farmers in developing countries can compete and flourish in the global economy.

8. Maxwell House brew some good campaign gives the public a little optimism everyday with funny and inspirational video’s, just to make you smile.

9. Warby Parker, an eye glass company helps the less fortunate with a pair of glasses every time a consumer buys a pair Warby Parker donates a pair to someone in need.

10. Toyota introduced their ‘Ideas for Good’ campaign in their video; Toyota shared their innovations with the public and challenged them to reimagine uses for those technologies to benefit humanity. They collected ideas from all over and then developed prototypes of the ideas to aid the community.

Rate the Best Video!

Who do you think did the best job? Rate the video that spoke to you most effectively. Let us know your thoughts! Please comment below, we would love to hear your input!

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