Do CSR policies appeal to the public?
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a major focus area for organisations as they look to offer a unique point of difference. The need to spread this message to the public is also becoming a key responsibility of communications professionals as businesses look to convey the range of social activities they undertake. However, the question still…
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a major focus area for organisations as they look to offer a unique point of difference. The need to spread this message to the public is also becoming a key responsibility of communications professionals as businesses look to convey the range of social activities they undertake.
However, the question still remains over whether or not these initiatives actually resonate with the public and build stronger brand awareness.
This question was recently addressed in research from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The study aimed to understand whether individuals were really motivated by social responsibility efforts, specifically whether they purchased ethically sourced products.
According to the research, buyers who were motivated to purchase these were in a minority, with 42 per cent buying because of ethical reasons. The remaining 58 per cent were either indifferent or actively opposed to ethical product offerings.
While these findings suggest that many individuals aren’t interested in CSR efforts like ethical sourcing, the study highlighted the importance of communication for maximising positive uptake. For example, the 24 per cent of ambivalent consumers reported they didn’t know enough about what an ethical purchase meant and what impact this was really having, even though they agreed with the concept in principle.
Even the remaining 34 per cent who have a negative perception of ethical product sourcing stated one of the reasons for this is their lack of knowledge about what is actually involved in this process.
For communication professionals working in this sphere, being able to explain the value of CSR initiatives is going to be essential to reach this sizable group of people who are confused or ambivalent. In particular, the research suggested that rather than solely focus on altruistic-based positioning, companies need to develop a comprehensive and multi-pronged communication strategy to engage with the public.
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