Despite the fact that I am not allowed to bring my coffee into this next session, I am pleasantly surprised by the change of pace setting from a panel discussion to an enormous PowerPoint projected on the wall and our speaker walking around the front of the room instead of sitting in her chair. Kellie McElhaney, Founding Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Responsible Business, is leading a session on branding and communicating corporate social responsibility. Here are a few key takeaways of the session:
One message to all: Create an integrated communications strategy!
CSR messages should be repeated everywhere: annual report, every speech, employee communication, CEO speeches, sales strategy, PR messages, company product branding. It should be one message – not a series of messages for different stakeholders.
Internet trumps all as most credible communication channel.
Kellie’s research confirms the fact that consumers view website information about CSR as the most credible. Employee ambassadors are the second most credible source. Magazines, radio, tv etc rank much lower.
We always care first and foremost about what’s happening in our back yard.
No surprise here. Corporate, sometimes global CSR strategies will be most effective when developed with a localized approach.
There are 7 principles for branding and communicating CSR:
1) Know thyself
2) Get a Good Fit
3) Be Consistent
4) Simplify
5) Work from the Inside Out
6) Know Your Customer
7) Tell Your Story: stories trump facts 10 times out of 10, period.
To hear more of Kellie’s thoughts on the subject of CSR, pick up a copy of her new book, Just Good Business: The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand.