Sunday 17 November 2013

The Significance Of Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility

By Sebastian Troup


Deciding on which company to transact with was relatively easy in the past. Because there were not so many brands available, you can decide which company to conduct business with by selecting the establishment more convenient for you or the one who has been around for quite some time now. But with the changes in technology that eliminated the transportation and communication boundaries, people have begun to see how new companies can compete against preceding businesses. Picking a company has become tedious all of a sudden.

For businesses, the continued changes in the world have made it even more challenging for them to separate themselves from their competitors. The thought is very achievable however. One differentiating element that has been found effective with time is corporate social responsibility. Consumers appreciate more businesses that contribute in making a difference to the lives of others.

Hence, cause marketing - the promotion of corporate philanthropy and volunteering programs - has become a valuable means of reaching and engaging customers the world over. But why does cause marketing matter to your customers?

Unfortunately, many people cling to old stereotypes about the ultra-rich barons of big business who strive to make more and more money off the "little guy", with no concern for his well-being. Equally sad are the few but disturbing examples of business leaders whose unethical and illegal behavior add fuel to that fire. This "us-and-them" mentality leads many average consumers to mistrust big corporations and to assume companies are only in business to make money.

As a business, one way of dispelling this kind of thinking is by actively promoting your volunteering campaigns and other humanistic activities that helps the less fortunate. When done properly, giant corporations won't appear selfish and greedy.

There is a good number out of your current customers that are interested in supporting a charity but many not have the financial capabilities to do so. Plenty of them may even have families and close friends who will be helped greatly by the charity so they look for other means to show their support.

Your company's philanthropic program is a way of empowering your customers by acting as a medium for them to help others. When you inform them that part of your profits are being shared to a good cause they also want to support, they see every transaction done with you as a way to give back while still getting something they need. This gives them a good excuse to choose your company over other businesses.

A good cause marketing strategy allows people to be informed about the cause that you support that they may not have known. A charity that does a very important work can be greatly helped even with just through the help of your promotional campaigns.

In so doing, you broaden the horizons of your customers, opening their eyes to opportunities to do good that they may not have come across on their own. There is a strong sense of gratitude created when the right person meets the right cause, and your company can be the catalyst for that meeting.

That way, the focus is on the cause, not the company. The cause gets the support they need, the customer feels good about their purchase, your company gains a loyal customer, and everybody wins.




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