CSR: Be responsible without bragging

Today even more voices have been raised and loudly demand from companies to pay greater attention to CSR and to behave as good corporate citizens. Corporate social responsibility is about sustainability and corporate integrity and for that reason it should be a core component of the corporate strategy. Gaining people’s trust protects corporate reputation and trusted companies are more likely to survive a potential crisis. However CSR shouldn’t be used as a public relations or marketing tool, because in that case it might backfire. Quite a few companies have been accused of ‘green-washing’ after promoting their CSR activities to enhance and exaggerate their ethical virtues. If companies want CSR to be effective in the long-term, then they shouldn’t brag about being decent.

Some might wonder then what is the point of being a good corporate citizen if no one knows about it? PR practitioners are at this point the key to help companies communicate the changes in an organisation’s policies concerning ethical issues that surround the business, in an effective way. Making people aware of a company’s CSR policies and implemented activities is necessary and completely acceptable; however it should be done without exaggerations and bragging, otherwise being responsible will be critisised and perceived as being driven by self-serving motives. It is true that CSR activities most of the times take time to show actual results, but letting these actions talk for themselves can be more appealing to peoples’ minds. The public will think positively about you and they will be the unbiased messengers of your business. Besides ‘word of mouth’ publicity is even more valuable in these situations.