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Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) is an initiative of an organisation to engage in
the development of the community where it operates. It is aimed at
providing social amenities for public good, delivering value, and
showing respect for the people and community.

An organisation
sees itself as socially responsible when it adds value to the lives of
the community and its people. When an organisation intends to support a
community in its quest for development, such organisation and its
brands are perceived in good light. Subsequently, the consumers will
have a positive view of a brand that is making concrete effort to make
the community a better place.

The question is why
are corporate organisations shirking their responsibilities in
engendering development in their communities of operation? The reason
is not farfetched, as some organisations reap profits and do not see
the need to give back to the society. In this clime, it has been
observed that several corporate organisations have not deemed it fit to
support developmental projects.

One sees no reason
why a little percentage of their profit is not set aside to make life
more meaningful to the people. It may be argued that this is the
responsibility of the government, but government cannot do it alone. A
little support from corporate organisations goes a long way in solving
myriads of problem people face.

CSR indeed adds
value to the company and its brands, as the consumers believe their
communal interest are given attention. It focuses on the social well
being of the society, and this builds brand affinity and loyalty
amongst the consumers. There is a link between CSR and brand
perception, as any brand that seeks public good is perceived positively.

It has become
important for corporate organisations to conduct their businesses in
such a manner that adequately addresses the needs of the consumers. CSR
should be part of a corporate strategy and should receive support from
the top level management. Corporate organisations should seek long term
partnership between them and the communities they operate in.

Social responsibility is paramount

Perception is very
important. This is because CSR plays a role in consumer behaviour, as
consumers are CSR-sensitive. There is an increasing influence of CSR on
consumers purchase behaviour. This becomes crucial, as consumers
perceive such brands as responsible brands.

Corporate
organisations should develop a holistic approach to CSR and also
evaluate their social relevance to the community. When such evaluation
takes place, organisations should measure their impact against the
overall brand reputation.

If there is a
yawning gap, then such organisations need to take the right measures to
be seen and perceived as “a supporter” of the people. It needs not be
emphasised again that CSR positions companies in the minds of consumers.

When an
organisation focuses on impactful initiatives, the community is bound
to be loyal to the brand. For instance, a company went up in flames,
but the community mobilised themselves and the fire was extinguished.
CSR plays a dominant role in building customer loyalty, and these are
the differentiating factors. The value of any coporate organisation and
its brand is based on consumers’ experience.

CSR is not just a
PR exercise, and neither is it just an image booster, but a singular
act that can transform the society and position the company as socially
responsible and relevant to the society. It is, indeed, a cohesive
strategy which aims to reach out to all, and create touch points to
make consumers have memorable experience.

It yields enormous
benefits to the brand when it identifies with the yearnings and
aspirations of the consumers. It indeed makes consumers create
indelible associations with brands, as they believe the brand promotes
their interest.

It is also apt to
state that CSR activities should not be initiated because the
organisation wants to discourage consumers from raising ethical
questions posed by their operations. This adversely affects the
perception of the organisation by the consumers. If any organisation
embarks on CSR based on hypocrisy and insincerity, such brands will
suffer perception crisis. It is important that corporate organisations
measure their responsiveness to the community, and also proactively
promote the public interest.

CSR is not only to leverage visible brand image, but also to connect with the consumers.