Reputation Gurus

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) — the idea that a company needs to act ethically and responsibly and give back to the communities in which it operates – has been around for decades.

However, I’ve always been suspicious of companies that seem to embark upon CSR for PR reasons.  I know that sounds odd coming from a PR practitioner, but doing it specifically to get kudos from others seems a bit off to me — it lacks authenticity.

That’s why I’m so intrigued by the newest trend in CSR — whereby companies are engaging in responsible practices that also make their business stronger, more profitable, provide a better product, etc.  Some may say that this trend isn’t new at all — think Ben & Jerry’s or 7th Generation.  But, those are examples of companies who were enlightened from the beginning — companies that built responsibility into their business model and built it from the ground up.

The new trend:  Some companies that did not start out with responsibility in mind have evolved to begin incorporating it into their business models.  GE is leading the way in turning a profit on its environmental initiatives.  Likewise, Nike (a client of GCI’s) is making athletic equipment that’s stronger/higher performance and sustainable.  AIG is looking at microinsurance in emerging markets, picking up on the successful work that Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has pioneered.

These are the companies on the cutting edge of CSR today — and others should follow suit.