Consumers Aren't Fooled When CSR Is Packaged as Purpose
Posted in: Uncategorized
Purpose is not corporate social responsibility. But you wouldn’t know it these days as many companies, in their rush to embrace purpose, erroneously do so by cutting checks to charities unrelated to their business interests. In short, they simply rename CSR, and that’s not purpose. These organizations aren’t doing themselves any favors nor are they fooling today’s consumer, who demands that brands go beyond selling goods and services and stand for something.
Truly purpose-based brands don’t need to focus on what’s been classically called CSR. Their purpose is so deeply ingrained in their culture and business practices that their behaviors both build business and help others while occurring naturally and authentically.
Take Walgreens. Through its “Get a Shot, Give a Shot” program, which provides life-saving vaccinations to children in need globally every time it administers a flu shot, the drugstore chain transformed a commodity product into a powerful purpose-driven movement that simultaneously built its business and helped others.
Post a Comment