Consumer Perception Becoming Business Reality

When you think of a sustainable business, what first comes to mind?  More importantly, what do you think of when someone mentions a non-sustainable business?  Do you think of industries, specific companies, or specific business actions?  Too often these business perceptions become reality, and in today’s environment, the wrong perception can prove costly.

With the growth in global eco awareness, companies are experiencing firsthand the full impact of shifting ‘green’ consumer expectations and the overall perception of business.  In the past businesses may have focused exclusively on economic performance; however, many companies are realizing the real impacts of sustainable action. 

Because not all businesses and individuals are at the same level of sustainability understanding or implementation, the characteristics often used to create comparisons can lead to different conclusions.  For this reason, our sustainability consulting tends to evaluate an organization less on levels of implementation and more on the quality of the business sustainability direction. 

We view leading organizations, at any level of business sustainability understanding or level of implementation, as those looking to engrain sustainability concepts across all aspects of the business and with key business stakeholders.  These companies:

•    Define a clear relationship between sustainability, brand and reputation.

•    Promote consumer engagement in product development and innovation.

•    Establish close relationships with aligned business partners to create efficient environmentally conscious and ethically responsible supply chains.

•    Create transparent governance structures that facilitate effective stakeholder  engagement and reporting.

At Taiga Company, our professional consulting provides information and resources to promote a positive perception of any company through a clear direction and demonstrated action.  We work with clients interested in integrating stakeholder engagement and transparency  into specific business sustainability programs.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

New Anti-Corruption Guidance Raises Bar for Company Reporting | 3BL Media

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) (Berlin, 9 December 2009) – As calls for corporate accountability increase, Transparency International (TI) and the United Nations Global Compact today published reporting guidance for companies committed to combating corruption.

Public reporting sends a strong signal to employees, investors and consumers, that a company is serious about clean business. The guidance, developed in the framework of the Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, equips business with a practical means to report on anti-corruption policies and actions comprehensively and effectively.

“Following the financial crisis the spotlight is on companies to prove they are responsible, accountable corporate citizens,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair, Transparency International, and Global Compact Board Member. “The Reporting Guidance helps companies to convincingly demonstrate they are fully assessing and addressing corruption risks.”

“Making a commitment to anti-corruption is only the first step,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact. “The true challenge lies in implementation as well as meaningful and transparent disclosure. This much-needed guidance will be of significant help to companies seeking to assess and improve their anti-corruption performance.” 

Recent TI research reveals that many leading companies make high-level, strategic commitments to prevent corruption but still have a long way to go in reporting how these commitments are integrated into their policies and activities. The new guidance aims to fill this current gap in reporting and is designed to fit the needs of all companies, from small enterprises to multi-national businesses, regardless of sector.

The guidance is the most succinct, practical guide currently available to what anti-corruption aspects companies should report on. It sets the standard for thousands of Global Compact signatories, while its use will be beneficial well beyond this network.

“The reporting guidance sets a new benchmark for reporting on anti-corruption,” said Labelle. “By following the reporting guidance, companies stand to strengthen internal anti-corruption systems through transparency, enhance their external reputation and allow progress to be measured.”

At the invitation of the Global Compact, TI chaired a taskforce consisting of businesses, NGOs and anti-corruption experts to develop the guidelines, which were successfully field tested by 19 organisations around the world. Every organisation reported that the guidelines will help them in implementing anti-corruption practices.

“This Guidance is the result of a global, multi-stakeholder endeavour to support companies in their efforts on anti-corruption reporting in the Global Compact Communication on Progress and beyond”, said Sven Biermann of Accenture, co-chair of the taskforce. “It promotes the strong benefits of reporting and provides structured and comprehensive guidance.”

Following this first introduction, the Global Compact Office will, over the coming months, work with participants and Local Networks around the world to advance adoption of the guidance into standard reporting practice. The Reporting Guidance will also be presented at the upcoming Global Compact Leaders Summit, to be held on 24-25 June 2010 in New York.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.

The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, with over 7,000 participants in more than 135 countries. www.unglobalcompact.org

To download the Reporting Guidance click here.

The ‘Real-Time’ Of Social Media

Few things have changed faster than the way we communicate. Coupled with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or green movement, there has been an explosion of information available about how and what companies and organizations are doing to improve society and the environment.

During the past year, at least three major events have influenced how communications relate to CSR:

1) The new administration in Washington is focused on volunteerism, green-collar jobs, alternative energy and other CSR issues.

2) Bernie Madoff and the “collapse” of Wall Street spotlighted (once again) the need for greater transparency and corporate governance.

3) Consumers are demanding information about what the companies from which we buy our goods and services are doing to have a positive impact on society, improve the environment, and in general “save the world.” Companies are finally starting to be held accountable and responsible for the impact and influence they can have to affect change, and they realize the need to communicate it. From a media and PR perspective, this presents both opportunities and challenges.

Any company can issue a press release talking about all the good they’re doing, and consequently greenwashing — and a lack of authenticity has become almost epidemic. It seems every brand wants to capture the green consumer.

The media challenge: To communicate effectively in ways that a growing, “green-focused” audience, consisting of varied demographics, is responsive to and can trust. Authenticity must absolutely be obvious. The age-old, traditional press release isn’t what it used to be. Yes, there’s still a place for it in modern communications, but it’s become widely accepted that its impact is diminished.

Enter blogs and bloggers, videos, podcasts, and various commentaries … all new and different ways to reach an audience no longer receptive to traditional methods such as press releases. Combine this with issues that people are passionate about, that affect their lives and their children’s lives, such as corporate responsibility and sustainability … and that’s the mix that must be communicated. To address that, successful organizations have begun to realize that the value of delivering their messages, consistently in all different media formats, engages a passionate audience.

A paradigm shift has occurred, and we have evolved into new vehicles that embrace social media and technology. Leading organizations have finally realized that the idea of dragging viewers to a Web site to read carefully formulated, single point-of-view, “we really don’t mean to engage with you on this” pronouncements is over.

The obvious answer, as how to reach and influence the most people around a topic or issue, (get the news out, if you will) is to engage them using a media format to which they are most receptive. So, give it to them. And, do so where they’re already spending Web time; online communities, social networks, video channels, iTunes, blog sites and so on.

Forget about the destination Web site. Game over. Every day there are communities of individuals organizing around issues they are passionate about, hungry for information and knowledge about these issues. Whether it’s corporate responsibility, socially responsible investing, human rights, fair trade, the environment or transparency, people have a greater opportunity to engage on each of these issues through new media.

As media professionals, we must help our clients reach and engage with these communities, where they live. And we need to do this using every media format at our disposal to influence and be influenced by the professionals, the consumers and the media points that interact with their brands.

When it comes to issues as important as CSR and green business, leveraging new media to effect change is a must.

 

Prior to founding 3BL Media, Greg Schneider was the COO of a news distribution service focused on corporate responsibility. In recognition of the obvious evolution of communications technologies and the expanding global interest in CSR and sustainability, Greg, along with some friends and colleagues left their jobs to start 3BL Media. Reach him here.