What can be achieved with external CSR Communication?
Sustainabilty has never been so very present in the people’s minds as it is now. Not least because of the Corona pandemic, the war in Ukraine and its results for Europe and the rest of the world. Striking weather phenomena such as droughts and floods do the rest, giving issues such as resource scarcity, energy and global supply bottlenecks more significance.[1]
We all can observe a change in thinking – around us, but also in ourselves. The result: The meaning of corporate sustainability turns to be an increasingly important aspect, which is gaining significance in the economic policy cycle. And the same also accounts for external communication of sustainability efforts.
CSR pays off – not only from the entrepreneur’s point of view
Also the canon of values in our society has changed significantly: Taking charge of societal responsibility, fair working conditions and ecological production processes outline the assessment basis. Sustainability counts! And it is worth paying into it. In addition, due to several factors life has changed during the last years, causing customers to look more closely and ask themselves: Which product can I buy? Which company stands behind their product? What message does the company convey?
For example, 50 % of the surveyed people of a study by the LBBW Research[2] der Landesbank Baden-Württemberg said, that these criteria strongly influence their purchasing decision. Thus a sustainable corporate reputation is quite important and increases the competitive edge.
Therefore, there is a clear signal for the companies to meet the customers’ expectations. An effective and well-thought CSR strategy with a corresponding communication has a direct influence on future success – not only concerning internal structures – but also beyond. And what is even more interesting: Corresponding action can have an effect on the whole society.
What is successful CSR communication capable of?
The question that comes up: what can external CSR communication achieve? And the answer is: a lot! It is not only about the question how social and economic standards can be met in the company’s own distribution systems. Nor is it just about fair working conditions. It is also about establishing your own standards and thus setting up new paths and solutions. „Do something good and talk about it“– a very well-known German proverb – thought a bit further. Companies need to become aware of their responsibility and communicate this awareness in their positioning. But above all: they need to act accordingly!
A good opportunity to communicate the own CSR strategy fundamentally and target group-oriented are through one’s own channels. Especially social media. must be considered in every form of external communication. There is hardly any other way to communicate one’s own activities and messages in such a timely, powerful and fresh way.
The company’s commitment can be demonstrated immediately and during the ongoing process. Whether Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram – a corresponding online CSR strategy is a must. Because a good start is half the battle. Yet, especially in the fields of social media the laws and pitfalls should not be underestimated due to its inner dynamics and fast moving culture.
For this reason, one of the most important goals of good external CSR communication is: credibility! Regardless of which channel will be used, communication must be transparent, open, and comprehensible. Therefore, these three tips should always be taken into account:
- A corresponding internal CSR communication is fundamental, as employees play an essential role as the company‘s ambassadors. This requires authenticity and a spirited corporate culture.
- It needs a constructive self-reflection of the company with its products and production processes and their impact on society and the environment. In the second step this awareness of the problem should be communicated transparently.
- CSR is an emotional topic. And this is perfectly valid. Nevertheless, facts and figures are important – and they help to understand certain correlations. By means of data-driven PR CSR communication can be made credible. Clear figures make messages understandable, amid empty phrases and make the success of CSR measurable.
Content counts – empty phrases don‘t
Empty phrases are not able to compete on the market anymore. People ask for transparency. Therefore, the actual entrepreneurial actions and the communicated contents should match, because greenwashing can be quite omnipresent. And any resulting damage to the company's image is not so easy to repair in retrospect.
Yet, something that is even more important: companies and brands – especially global names – have a special corporate impact because of their role and reputation. Yet corporate social responsibility does not end at the front door of a company or its employees’ houses. In times of global networking corporate actions and decisions have a far-reaching impact on the environment, economic cycles, and sustainable supply chains. Just consider, for example, the economic policy influence of multinational companies such as Microsoft or BMW.
But also medium-sized companies can make a big difference overall. By communicating social responsibility, they can reach out towards their stakeholders and generate thought-provoked ideas. They are able to represent solutions, ideas, and immense changes towards sustainability. This way, they show that obstacles can be overcome and climate friendly processes are possible. By then, at the least, the external communication of corporate action has a significant impact, which cannot be ignored anymore.
[1] https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/nachhaltigkeit-strategien-internationales/folgen-der-ukraine-krise-fuer-die-nachhaltigkeits
[2] https://www.lbbw.de/artikelseite/maerkte-verstehen/warum-nachhaltige-unternehmen-erfolgreicher-sind_7az2nfam2_d.html
English (UK) 
Deutsch 