Corporate Social Responsibility Examples: CSR in marketing

Summary

The transcript highlights the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for businesses, emphasizing how acting ethically benefits both the company and the community. By prioritizing environmental sustainability, diversity, and social justice, companies can build customer trust and drive positive change. The transcript discusses examples from well-known corporations like Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, and Google, showcasing their efforts to reduce environmental impact and support social causes. It also explores the increasing significance of CSR among millennials and Gen Z, who prioritize companies that contribute to societal and environmental improvements.

Takeaways

• 📝 Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is crucial for companies to build trust and increase profits by acting morally and ethically.
• 📞 Customers are more likely to support businesses that demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental issues.
• 📚 Businesses of all sizes can contribute positively to society, even through small acts like donating to local food banks.
• 💻 Common CSR practices include reducing carbon emissions, improving labor policies, participating in fair trade, and supporting diversity and equity.
• 💵 Investing with a social and environmental conscience involves community volunteering and conducting business in environmentally friendly ways.
• 📱 Millennials and Generation Z place high importance on businesses that contribute to societal improvement and are more likely to support such companies.
• 📲 Companies should transparently communicate their CSR efforts to consumers to build brand loyalty and trust.
• 📴 Changes in CSR practices will be influenced by activism across all generations, with a focus on condemning harassment and discrimination, and promoting diversity.
• 💲 Businesses are increasingly taking public stands on social media to support social issues and oppose policies that harm the environment and social justice.
• 💵 Data breaches highlight the need for companies to prioritize data privacy as part of their CSR strategies.
• 💵 Examples of effective CSR include Johnson & Johnson's use of green technology, Google's environmental efforts, Coca-Cola's commitment to environmental friendliness, and Ford's goals for fair pay and carbon neutrality.
• 💵 Companies like Netflix and Spotify are recognized for their social initiatives, such as offering extended paid parental leave and supporting social movements.
• 💲 Pfizer's response to disasters with medical aid and grants, and Wells Fargo's significant charitable giving, demonstrate strong CSR commitments.
• 💵 Toms' business model shift from direct giving to impact grants, and Bosch's achievement of climate-neutral facilities, showcase innovative CSR approaches.
• 💵 GE's focus on renewable energy and Starbucks' promotion of diversity and inclusion illustrate how companies can integrate CSR into their core business strategies.
• 💵 The Walt Disney Company and LEGO's commitments to environmental sustainability and community involvement set examples for responsible corporate citizenship.

Q & A

What is the primary benefit of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for businesses?

The primary benefit of CSR for businesses is earning more trust from customers and making more money by acting in a moral way.

How does customer support increase when a company demonstrates CSR?

Customer support increases when a company demonstrates CSR because customers feel they are making a difference by supporting a company that cares about the community.

What are some ways businesses can show they care about the environment?

Businesses can show they care about the environment by reducing carbon emissions, improving labor policies, participating in fair trade, promoting equity and diversity, and contributing to global causes.

How does CSR affect the perception of businesses among millennials and Generation Z?

CSR is highly valued by millennials and Generation Z, who believe businesses should invest in societal improvements and look for ways to facilitate such changes.

What is one example of CSR from the transcript involving environmental conservation?

Johnson & Johnson is an example of CSR in action, having worked to reduce environmental damage over the past 30 years, using wind power, and providing access to clean water.

How has Google demonstrated its commitment to CSR?

Google demonstrated its commitment to CSR by using energy-efficient data centers, investing over $1 billion in clean energy projects, and offering services like Gmail that help reduce environmental impact.

What is Coca-Cola's approach to environmental responsibility?

Coca-Cola values environmental responsibility by focusing on climate, packaging, agriculture, water conservation, and product quality, with a goal to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2030.

What are some of the social initiatives taken by Netflix and Spotify?

Netflix and Spotify support social movements like Black Lives Matter and Pride Month, and offer extensive paid parental leave to their employees.

How does Pfizer's CSR strategy address global health crises?

Pfizer addresses global health crises through product donations, grants, and facilitating access to medicine, as demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic with a $5 million Global Medical Grants program.

What is the one-for-one model implemented by Toms, and how has it evolved?

Toms implemented a one-for-one model by giving a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. The company has evolved this model by giving one-third of its income to local projects, including support for racial justice.

How is LEGO addressing environmental concerns in its packaging?

LEGO plans to spend $400 million to improve its environmental efforts, aiming to eliminate single-use plastic packaging and switch to sustainable packaging by 2025.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Impact

The first paragraph discusses the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its benefits for businesses and communities. It highlights how companies acting morally can earn customer trust and increase profits. The narrative emphasizes the importance of community involvement and environmental awareness, such as celebrating Environment Day and advocating for social change. It also touches on the significant influence large corporations can have on global issues like hunger, health, and climate change. The paragraph provides examples of CSR practices, including reducing carbon emissions, improving labor policies, fair trade, and supporting charitable causes. It points out the growing importance of CSR to younger generations, like millennials and Gen Z, who expect businesses to contribute positively to society. The paragraph concludes with examples of companies like Johnson & Johnson, Google, and Coca-Cola that have implemented successful CSR initiatives.

05:02

🚀 CSR Initiatives and Goals

The second paragraph continues the discussion on CSR by focusing on specific goals and initiatives set by various companies. It begins with a quote emphasizing the industry-wide impact of CSR solutions. The paragraph then details Ford's commitment to carbon neutrality and wage equity, Netflix and Spotify's social initiatives including paid parental leave and support for social movements, Pfizer's disaster response plans and medical grants, Wells Fargo's charitable donations, and Toms' community projects. It also mentions Bosch's environmental standards, GE's focus on clean technology through the Ecomagination Challenge, Starbucks' diversity and inclusion efforts, New Belgium Brewing's environmental goals, Disney's local community support during the Covid-19 pandemic, and LEGO's plans to reduce plastic packaging and increase sustainable products.

10:42

🌱 Environmental Commitments and Social Initiatives

The third paragraph delves into the environmental commitments and social initiatives of companies. It discusses how companies are setting ambitious goals to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainability. The narrative includes LEGO's $400 million investment in environmentally friendly packaging and their aim to eliminate single-use plastic by 2025. It also highlights the LEGO Group's CEO's statement on the importance of acting quickly to protect the environment for future generations. The paragraph underscores the role of businesses in addressing climate change and social issues, as exemplified by the companies' various CSR efforts.

Keywords

💡Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR refers to the initiatives taken by companies to assess and take responsibility for the impact of their operations on environmental and social wellbeing. It is a concept where companies integrate community engagement and sustainable practices into their business model. In the video, CSR is discussed as a way for companies to earn more trust and make more money by acting morally and caring about the community.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources, the harnessing of which does not exhaust the supply. It's a key aspect of CSR as it helps companies reduce their carbon footprint. Johnson & Johnson, for example, aims to get all of its energy from renewable sources by 2025, demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability.

💡Carbon Footprint

The carbon footprint represents the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product. Reducing carbon footprint is a common CSR goal, as seen with Coca-Cola aiming to cut its carbon footprint by 25% by 2030.

💡Environmental Policy

Environmental policies are guidelines and actions taken by companies to minimize their negative impact on the environment. The script mentions companies improving labor policy and taking part in fair trade, equity, and diversity as part of their environmental policies.

💡Millennials and Generation Z

Millennials and Generation Z are demographic cohorts that are particularly interested in the social and environmental impact of the companies they support. The video emphasizes that these generations are more likely to support businesses that invest in societal improvement and are transparent about their CSR efforts.

💡Data Privacy

Data privacy is the ability of individuals to have control over their personally identifiable information. The video mentions that with increasing data breaches, regulations to protect data privacy are becoming a part of CSR trends.

💡Social Movements

Social movements are large groups of people who come together to promote, alter, or resist changes in society. Netflix and Spotify, as mentioned in the script, support social movements like Black Lives Matter and Pride Month, showing their commitment to social responsibility.

💡Sustainable Packaging

Sustainable packaging aims to reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials. LEGO's plan to stop using single-use plastic packaging and switch to sustainable alternatives by 2025 is an example of this concept in action.

💡Climate Neutrality

Climate neutrality refers to achieving a state in which the net amount of greenhouse gas emissions is balanced by an equivalent amount being absorbed or offset. The script mentions Bosch's goal to become a climate-neutral company.

💡Fair Trade

Fair trade is a system of trading that is based on dialogue, transparency, and respect that seeks to create greater equity in international trade. It is one of the CSR practices mentioned in the video, where companies ensure equitable trade practices.

💡Equity and Inclusion

Equity and inclusion refer to the concepts of fairness and equal opportunity for all people, regardless of their backgrounds. Ford's focus on wage equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion audits are examples of promoting equity and inclusion within the company.

Highlights

Companies can earn more trust and make more money by acting in a moral way through CSR.

Customers support businesses that care about the community, leading to increased sales and loyalty.

Corporate social responsibility helps build customer trust by caring about social issues.

CSR can have a significant impact on global issues like hunger, health, and climate change.

Small businesses can make a big difference by contributing to local causes.

Common examples of CSR include reducing carbon emissions, improving labor policies, and supporting fair trade.

Investing with a social and environmental conscience involves community volunteering and eco-friendly business practices.

Millennials and Generation Z prioritize businesses that invest in societal improvement.

Transparency in a company's good deeds is important for attracting millennial consumers.

Corporate social responsibility is increasingly influenced by the activism of all generations, including millennials.

Johnson & Johnson exemplifies CSR through its use of green technology and commitment to environmental sustainability.

Google is recognized for its high CSR score due to energy-efficient data centers and investment in clean energy projects.

Coca-Cola is committed to environmental sustainability with goals to reduce carbon footprint and promote recycling.

Ford has ambitious CSR goals, including achieving carbon neutrality and ensuring fair wages.

Netflix and Spotify support employee rights and social movements, offering extensive paid parental leave.

Pfizer responds to disasters with a comprehensive plan that includes product donations, grants, and access to medicine.

Wells Fargo contributes a significant portion of its profits to charitable causes, supporting various non-profits.

Toms has transitioned from a one-for-one model to giving one-third of its income to local projects for greater impact.

Bosch aims to be climate-neutral and reduce its environmental impact through various sustainability initiatives.

GE focuses on renewable energy and clean technology, aiming to generate significant revenue from eco-friendly products.

Starbucks promotes diversity and inclusion, setting hiring goals for veterans and underrepresented groups.

The Walt Disney Company sets ambitious environmental goals and actively engages its employees in community involvement.

LEGO Group commits significant investment to sustainable packaging and eco-friendly product development.

Transcripts

Through corporate social responsibility,  companies of all sizes can make a difference for  

the better (CSR). When businesses decide to act  in a moral way, they not only earn more trust from  

their customers, but they also make more money.  Customers think they are making a difference  

when they buy something or use a service from  a company that cares about the community. The  

more a company cares about the community and its  customers, the more support it gets from them.  

Corporate social responsibility helps build  customer trust by caring about things like  

Environment Day, bringing attention to  them, and pushing for social change.  

Even if a lot of businesses help, the  actions of big international companies  

can have a big effect on things like hunger,  health, global warming, and climate change.  

There are different kinds of social responsibility  for a business. Even the smallest business can  

make a big difference in the world by giving  a small amount to the local food bank.  

Here are some of the most common examples of CSR:  putting out less carbon improving labor policy,  

taking part in fair trade, equity, and diversity,  and giving to good causes around the world  

Investing with a social and environmental  conscience means doing things like volunteering  

in the community and doing business online  in ways that are good for the environment.  

Businesses that care about the world around them  are much more important to millennials and people  

from Generation Z. They think that businesses  should invest in making society better and look  

for ways to help make those changes happen. People  should be able to see how a company is trying to  

make the world a better place by letting them know  about its good deeds. It's important to learn how  

to market to millennials because this will affect  the choices they make as consumers. It's important  

to show that you've tried. Millennials also like  to do things like give money to charity and work  

for free. More and more businesses are starting  to realize how their socially and environmentally  

responsible actions affect how consumers see  them. This makes it more likely that businesses  

will start their own projects. Changes in the  way corporate social responsibility is done  

Changes in CSR patterns will be affected  by the activism of all generations,  

including millennials. Because of the #MeToo  movement, businesses should continue to condemn  

harassment and discrimination in the workplace  in public. Diversity in the workplace will also  

continue to grow to include people of different  races, genders, cultures, sexual orientations,  

and physical and mental disabilities. A  lot of brands are getting more outspoken  

on social media and showing their support for  important social issues in a way that works.  

Also, businesses will speak out against policy  changes that hurt the environment and social  

injustice. More and more data breaches put  personal information at risk, and regulations  

to protect data privacy in a changing world  may also start to show up in CSR trends.  

Companies Doing the Right Thing 1. Johnson  & Johnson's use of green technology  

Johnson & Johnson, one of the first big drug  companies, is a great example of CSR in action.  

Over the past 30 years, they have worked hard to  reduce the damage they do to the environment. Its  

programs do things like use wind power and  give people in different parts of the world  

access to clean water. By buying a privately  owned energy company in the Texas Panhandle,  

the business was able to reduce pollution  and offer a cheap, environmentally friendly  

alternative to electricity. With the goal  of getting all of its energy from renewable  

sources by 2025, the company is still looking  into ways to get energy from renewable sources.  

2. Problems with people: Google Google is  trusted in part because of its well-known CEO,  

Sundar Pichai, and also because it takes care  of the environment. He says what he thinks about  

things in society. Google also got the highest  CSR 2018 score from the Reputation Institute.  

This was mostly because their data centers use  50% less energy than those of other companies  

around the world. Also, they have put more than  $1 billion into projects that use clean energy,  

and they offer services like Gmail that help other  companies reduce their impact on the environment.  

3. Coca's commitment to the environment Coca-Cola  is a company that puts a lot of value on being  

environmentally friendly. Climate, packaging,  agriculture, water conservation, and product  

quality are all important factors. Their slogan  is "a world without waste," and they work to make  

sure there is enough water by collecting and  recycling every bottle, using 100% recyclable  

packaging, and replacing all the water used to  make their drinks with water from the environment.  

By the year 2030, they want to cut  their carbon footprint by 25%. In 2021,  

Coca-Cola made its first bottle of soda  out of plastic that came from plants.  

"Our goal is to make solutions that will last for  the whole industry. We hope that more companies  

will join us so that we can all move forward”.  4. The company Ford Ford has big goals for CSR,  

like making sure everyone gets paid fairly and  not making any carbon emissions. Their stated  

goal is to "make a better world where everyone  is free to move and pursue their own goals."  

"We're committed to carbon neutrality," said  Bob Holycross, Ford's vice president and chief  

sustainability, environment, and safety officer.  " It's the right choice for Ford, the environment,  

and our customers. At the moment, 95% of our  carbon emissions come from our operations,  

cars, and suppliers, and we are working hard  and with hope to change all of these things.  

Strangely, the business is also putting  a lot of emphasis on wage equity. To  

make things fair for all employees, they are  putting in place a global salaried pay ratio  

(that takes gender into account) and doing  an audit of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

5 and 6: Worker rights at Netflix and Spotify From  a social point of view, companies like Netflix and  

Spotify help their employees and their families.  Netflix offers 52 weeks of paid parental leave to  

both birth parents and non-birth parents (which  includes adopted children). This can be done at  

any time, during the child's first year of life  or at another time that works for them. This is  

different from other big tech companies, where it  takes an average of 18 weeks. You can get similar  

benefits from Spotify, but only for 24 weeks of  paid vacation. The business thinks that the start  

of this campaign led to a rise in job applications  from outside the company that hasn't gone away.  

Through their social media channels, Netflix  and Spotify support social movements like  

Black Lives Matter, Pride Month, and taking  care of the environment. Netflix is a good  

example of how to use social media to reach  niche and minority groups and appeal to them.  

7. Access to health care: Pfizer When a disaster  happens, people need medical help right away.  

Pfizer has a three-part plan to help in these  situations: donations of products, grants,  

and ways to get to the medicine. Grants have  been given to countries like Haiti because of  

Hurricane Matthew and the ongoing refugee crisis  in Europe and the Middle East. This money is given  

to NGOs so that it can reach as many people  as possible. During the Covid -19 pandemic,  

Pfizer gave $5 million through its Global Medical  Grants program to help improve the identification,  

diagnosis, care, and management of patients.  Hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities  

were also given grants to help them keep a better  eye on Covid -19 patients and treat them better.  

In 2022, Pfizer was named one of the most  moral businesses in the world by the magazine  

Ethisphere. Wells Fargo gives money to charities.  Wells Fargo gives up to 1.5% of its profits to  

charitable causes each year. This money goes to  help more than 14,500 nonprofits, such as food  

banks and incubators for new businesses in plant  science and renewable energy. The business gave  

$6.25 million to help the United States and other  countries fight the Covid -19 epidemic. The CDC  

Foundation will get $1 million, the International  Medical Corps will get $250,000 to help with its  

work in 30 countries, and $5 million will be  given to local efforts to meet community needs.  

9. Projects that help the community: Toms Toms  gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for  

every pair of shoes they sell. This has led to  about 100 million pairs of shoes being given to  

children in need. These profits have helped the  blind by giving them glasses and medical care,  

giving them "safe" drinking water, and setting  up businesses in less-developed countries to  

create jobs. 10. Bosch, a climate-neutral company  Bosch set high standards for the environment  

by focusing on reducing their impact on the  environment through climate action, water use,  

and a circular economy. As of now, 400 of its  facilities are climate neutral, so it looks  

like this goal has been met and paved the way for  other multinational companies to do the same. Now,  

the company wants to cut its emissions by 15% in  both the upstream (buying goods and services) and  

downstream (using products) sectors by 2030. Since  non-governmental organizations said that Toms was  

making people too dependent on shoes and hurting  local shoe industries, the company has rethought  

its business model. Instead of giving away shoes,  the company now gives one-third of its income to  

local projects. This includes groups like Black  Lives Matter and the Covid -19 Giving Fund that  

work for racial justice. We found that giving  people shoes, glasses, and clean water for  

more than a decade was a great start—the right  start—to making big changes. But our community  

will be able to do a lot more if we decide to give  out impact grants. We're giving away 1/3 of what  

we make instead of buying shoes. In other words,  we give away $1 for every $3 we make, which is the  

most a business can give away and still stay in  business. - The Toms Impact Report for 2019–2020.  

11. Clean technology made by GE Since  Ecomagination was introduced more than  

ten years ago, General Electric has been  focusing on renewable energy with the goal  

of doubling down on clean technology and making  $20 billion from eco-friendly products. As part  

of its "Ecomagination Challenge," which started  last year, GE gave each of five people $100,000  

to help them develop ideas like an inflatable wind  turbine, an intelligent water meter, a cybersecure  

network architecture, and technologies that  protect against short circuits and power outages.  

Starbucks promotes diversity and inclusion at  work. Starbucks wanted to hire more people from  

different backgrounds and give people in certain  groups more chances. It has promised to hire  

25,000 US military veterans and their spouses  by 2025 as part of its efforts to be socially  

responsible. The company reached this goal six  years earlier than expected and now hires 5,000  

veterans and their spouses each year. Starbucks  set up a mentorship program to help black,  

indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) get in  touch with top leaders and work together on issues  

of racial and social fairness. The chain wants to  have 40% BIPOC workers in retail and production  

and 30% BIPOC workers in corporate roles by 2025.  13. The company New Belgium Brewing This brewery  

cares about the environment and is owned by all of  its employees through a stock ownership plan. By  

2030, the brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado,  wants all of its beers to be carbon neutral.  

It uses solar panels and wastewater to make  electricity. Also, for every barrel it sells,  

it gives $1 to help promote its charitable work,  principles, and goals. Katie Wallace, who is in  

charge of CSR, says, "We think that social and  environmental well-being are closely linked."  

14. Local communities: In its 2020 CSR report,  The Walt Disney Company set goals for lowering its  

carbon footprint, such as zero net greenhouse  gas emissions, zero waste, and a promise to  

save water. They are actively following strict  international labor laws in order to protect the  

rights and safety of their workers. They also try  to get their employees involved in the community  

by doing the same things. When the Covid -19  outbreak forced Disney to close its parks,  

the company focused its CSR efforts on the local  area. They gave $27 million for donations of food,  

personal protective equipment (PPE) from abandoned  parks, and cleaning up the set. They also asked  

their staff to do virtual volunteering. 15. LEGO  packaging Lego will spend $400 million over the  

next three years, with a focus on improving its  efforts to be more environmentally friendly.  

As a modern superbrand, their main  goal is to stop putting its bricks  

in single-use plastic packaging and switch  to sustainable packaging by 2025. In 2021,  

they will test paper bags in boxes with the help  of the Forest Stewardship Council. Also, they are  

spending money on more products that are good for  the environment and don't make trash or carbon.  

CEO of the LEGO Group Niels B. Christiansen  said, "We can't lose sight of the basic  

problems that the next generation will face." We  must act quickly to protect the environment and  

the next generation. We are inspired by the many  children who have asked for more immediate action  

on climate change because we are a company  that looks to children as our role models.