Corporate Responsibility

A lot of people see CSR – rightfully- as giving back. My own thoughts are not far from this tangent. Fruits of labor are all about reaping what you sow – and with CSR, the harvest is turning out to be plentiful. In this post, I explore the exciting potential that CSR has begun to demonstrate in terms of sound brand strategy.

Following the 2008 global financial meltdown, financial experts have increasingly highlighted the need to incorporate sustainability, ethics and human rights into the financial system for long-term stability.

If you type the words “Amazon sustainability” into Google, the first thing that comes up in the search is a link to books about sustainability that the online retail giant sells.

The year I turned 26, scientists measured atmospheric concentrations of Carbon at 400 ppm for the first time in recorded history. According to former NASA scientist James Hansen, “If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted…CO2 will need to be reduced [to] at most 350 ppm.” So the story translates: the arctic is melting. Seas are rising. Disease. Drought. Wildfires. Resource Wars. All while our human family is projected to expand to 9 billion over the next couple of decades.

Since the crises of 2008, the global financial system has shaken many societies, causing job losses, homelessness, sluggish economies, overhangs of unrepayable debt with central banks trying stimulative exercises to substitute for failing fiscal policies and political will.

“If we know cocoa is being produced on plantations in West Africa using slave labor and then being imported into the US, we still have to allow it in because the US cannot produce enough cocoa to meet the US demand.”

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been in the news this week for reasons beyond breaking box office records. Due to an accident on-set in 2014 that resulted in a broken leg for Harrison Ford, charges have been filed against the film's production company.

Film production companies and executives need to be aware of EHS issues and know when to call in for backup. Stakes are high, with a great deal of money and publicity on the line, not to mention the safety of the cast and crew.

Over 2 million children still work in the West African cocoa industry.

In recent years, there has been much discussion of alternative energy moving into the mainstream. While it hasn’t yet shed the “alternative” label, alternative energy’s shift to the mainstream is largely complete and likely irreversible.

The Super Bowl has become a strong platform for companies to showcase their cause efforts, and this year was no different. On the heels of the Super Bowl 50 Committee's "Play Your Part" initiative, a number of brands chose to lead with social issues, shining a spotlight on just how far CSR has come as a core business and marketing strategy.