Dear Mr Srinivasan,
No matter what any marketer says - J First the Idea and then the Spin...
Yes, there is a certain quiet 'value' that organizations derive from participating in CSR activities that in the long run demonstrates that being socially inclined makes a difference to 'publics', which use its products/services. But that's not what makes CSR a brand building exercise or purely social service.
Let me explain based on what I have studied in the last year or slightly more with my 97 year old employer and which has resulted in the first CSR report compilation by self.
Family Business houses with their origins in early 1990s or even earlier when Young India was still learning to get up and walk, started their work in the social sector as philanthropy, tackling basic problems of roti, kapda aur makaan AND forward looking strategies like basic education to prepare youth for the task of a gowing nation - this they did for their immediate employee base and the extended community.
In the last many decades, that work done by founders has become the building block of more focussed programmes while pure philathrophy really has never stopped - it has remained as it shld remain - quiet and personal. Some of these companies are now publicly held and have major brands in their kitty. All the direct and indirect goodwill of past reflects in brands / names of these business houses BUT their community work was never started with brand building in mind.
CSR is therefore a new name given in the last decade or so to collectively denote the social sector work into one function. This makes it more manageable as the function grows organically internally and externally tackling far bigger issues than immediate community's welfare.
One such issue is the brand imprint / impact on society. A lot of programmes of FMCGs are based on this concept and also grouped/projected as CSR. Brand Imprint is the process to enable a full analysis of social, economic and environmental issues relevent to each brand and ensuring that findings go into Brand innovations and development strategies. A small example is the One balti paani TVC by Shabani Azmi for one of the product extensions of an MNC detergent powder.
Let me explain based on what I have studied in the last year or slightly more with my 97 year old employer and which has resulted in the first CSR report compilation by self.
Family Business houses with their origins in early 1990s or even earlier when Young India was still learning to get up and walk, started their work in the social sector as philanthropy, tackling basic problems of roti, kapda aur makaan AND forward looking strategies like basic education to prepare youth for the task of a gowing nation - this they did for their immediate employee base and the extended community.
In the last many decades, that work done by founders has become the building block of more focussed programmes while pure philathrophy really has never stopped - it has remained as it shld remain - quiet and personal. Some of these companies are now publicly held and have major brands in their kitty. All the direct and indirect goodwill of past reflects in brands / names of these business houses BUT their community work was never started with brand building in mind.
CSR is therefore a new name given in the last decade or so to collectively denote the social sector work into one function. This makes it more manageable as the function grows organically internally and externally tackling far bigger issues than immediate community's welfare.
One such issue is the brand imprint / impact on society. A lot of programmes of FMCGs are based on this concept and also grouped/projected as CSR. Brand Imprint is the process to enable a full analysis of social, economic and environmental issues relevent to each brand and ensuring that findings go into Brand innovations and development strategies. A small example is the One balti paani TVC by Shabani Azmi for one of the product extensions of an MNC detergent powder.
The basic idea being that Healthy business needs healthy societies and vice versa. Nobody can be a successful company in a failing society. Therefore Brands that address immediate concerns of citizens will be preferred by citizens as "consumers". Thus the whole focus on Building Brands for social change and tackling of the brand foot print which is left behind FMCGs.
Another example is Supply Chain management - there was a time when an outsourcing sports shoe maker could say - but those are not my workers! - well not anymore. If this area/ factory is in your supply chain, they are your workers. A small example is what one of my group companies Typhoo, UK does aspart of Ethical Trade - all suppliers are audited against a stringent Quality Assurance Programme. Through the Audit it rigourously checks employement terms/conditions/
Basically all the work done by so many humbles me. When I think about it as a brand and Communications person , I try to remember the hard good look at the real india from my newspaper days - clearly the millions of the aspiring poor present a huge opportunity for wealthy companies but most prudent ones realised early that it also required a brand new approach to business strategy and that's how they are going about doing their business of running business.
Maybe i can allude to a small story that was told at a Business Etiquette workshop at my office recetnly. Russi Modi was introduced to this new manager in TISCO during his time.The manager tried to be smart and said " Sir, i understand that to get as big as you in this organisation one must know how to play Golf"(as Mody was a avid golfer).Mody replied - "Never mind young man WHAT you play, all that matters is WHO you play with."
As for all the new CSR departments that are cropping up in new generation companies, they really need to study the existing models and create a vision and focus based on their stakeholder values and do work parallel to their core business. A few decades down the line the goodwill of the work started today will be evident. Now to come back to CSR as a brand building exercise - A multiplex chain taking so called differently abled children to see taarein zameen par free at their mumbai hall - is that CSR no matter what the cinema chain projects ??? - Your guess is as good as mine!
As for all the new CSR departments that are cropping up in new generation companies, they really need to study the existing models and create a vision and focus based on their stakeholder values and do work parallel to their core business. A few decades down the line the goodwill of the work started today will be evident. Now to come back to CSR as a brand building exercise - A multiplex chain taking so called differently abled children to see taarein zameen par free at their mumbai hall - is that CSR no matter what the cinema chain projects ??? - Your guess is as good as mine!
On 3/23/08, Prime Point Srinivasan <prpoint@gmail.com > wrote:
dear friendsLot of interesting information is being generated through this discussions. During 1990s, I had invited Mr Rusi Modi, former CMD of Tata Steel for an interaction session with members of Public Sector PR Forum. Probably, some of the members may remember that in 1990s Tata Steel used to make advertsement as "We also make Steel". Even today, that is one of the best advertisements in the past few decades. That was coined when Mr Rusi Modi was the CMD of Tata Steel.During Q&A session, I had asked Mr Modi to explain the significance of "We also make Steel". His answer was really wonderful and was carried as a big news on the next day in the media. I will share with you his answer.Mr Russi Modi told us that during that time, there was a big International Exhibition at Delhi. Prime Minister of India was supposed to inaugurate. Tata Steel also had put up a big stall there. Mr Russi Modi visited the stall four days prior to the inauguration to see the Stall, as it was attracting large International audience. Inside the stall, he found every display was on the steel production. Nothing was there about their social activities.Mr Russi Modi got disappointed. Tata Steel was known for its Social activities, Schools, etc. Russi Modi told the person incharge there why they did not display anything about these social activities. He said that he would return next day to check up again.the person incharge mistook his instructions. He replaced the entire display with their social activities. One day prior to Prime Minister's visit Russi Modi visited again the stall. To his surprise he found, all the displays were only on the social activities. Nothing was there about their mainline of steel production.Mr Russi Modi got angry. While coming out of the stall, he angrily told the person incharge, "display a board here - we also make steel" Mr Modi left.The person in charge faithfully made a board "We also make Steel" and displayed it at the exit gate of the stall. Next day, when the Prime Minister viisted the Stall, the PM was highly impressed with the display board "we also make steel". It appears, the entire media highlighted this. That sentence was subsequently used in their Advts.Mr Russi Modi, recalling this, explained this to Chennai professionals in response to my question, in his own usual style. As i said earlier, this was picked up by all the chennai media.I recollected this incident and i am sharing with yousrinivasanModeratorOn Sun, Mar 23, 2008 at 1:57 PM, YOGESH JOSHI <winyogi1@gmail.com > wrote:Dear All,There has been discussion going on for some time on CSR wherein much
is talked about the Social Side of Tatas. Having been with the house
of Tatas for the last 25years, an most of the time in the flagship of
the Tata Group Company, viz.; Tata Steel, here are my inputs on the
CSR subject.Background to the subject:Just prior to his death, Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata, the Founder of
the Tata Group, wrote a letter to his son Sir Dorab Tata. He was
wanting to build a Company producing Iron & Steel for the nation. He
said, the Pillar at New Delhi near Kutub Minar is the finest example
of having an excellent Iron & Steel Industry in India. Where did it
vanish? The Iron Pillar, most of you must have seen is a classic
example of the quality of Iron & Steel we used to produce. He wrote
"Iron & Steel Industry is essential for growth of Nation and that
whoever controls Iron Mines will have Gold Mines in their hands". His
vision has come true when we look at the role of Iron & Steel in
building Infrastructure in any country.CSR Concept:"What comes from Society must go back to Society. I don't want merely
a factory making Steel. Let there be Schools and Colleges, Parks and
Gardens, Recreation Centre, Temple, Church and a Mosque and Hospital
and Market place." He thus had a vision of setting up a township which
in form of Jamshedpur has come up.Tatas have put in a lot of money for CSR activities. In-fact, there is
something called Tata Steel Rural Development Society famously called
TSRDS that conducts social service programmes on large scale in
Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh etc. Same is the case of various group
companies. However the ideology behind conducting programmes is NOT to
gain mileage, but to really extend help and increase Standard of
Society we live in says the mission statement. I was actively involved
in one of their biggest projects called Millennium Programme - Journey
to Self-discovery in January, 2000 at Jamshedpur. Through this
programme, Tata Steel has invited 1500 college students from various
colleges that include medical, engineering, IIT, IIMs etc. One Student
each from one college was more or less the rule, thereby attempting
involvement of students across nation. The key factor was those
students who intend to serve and build our nation with Leadership and
visionary qualities.
Tata Steel invited 15 Big Personalities from 15 different profession
who can be considered as icons in their profession. Five Speakers each
on every day used to address students in the XLRI Campus Auditorium in
the programme and at noon students would have class room sessions with
these speakers. Students were given freedom to attend the class room
session as per their liking. In the evening there used to be a
performance by artists like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with his two sons
Amman Ali & Ayyan Ali, OR Sonal Mansing talking about Classical Form
of Dance by followed by her performance OR Noted Film Producer &
Director Sai Paranjape taking students through the journey of Indian
Cinema.Guests Speakers participated were the then Finance Minister Mr.
Yashwant Sinha, Zee Supremo Subhash Chandra, Dr. R. A. Mashelkar,
famous scientist who fought case of patent of "Haldi" Mr. Karia Munda,
Hon'ble MP from Jharkhand, Geet Sethi, Mallika Sarabhai, Vijay
Tendulkar, Medha Patkar and a few more. Tata Steel never gave dosages
of patriotism but tried to charge these students with the same
feeling and creating a desire in their mind that you are future of
India and you can be tomorrows Dr. Mashelkar OR like these icons.ResultTSRDS was wanting to set-up a 40bed Community Development Centre in
one of the most backward areas of then Bihar and has appealed these
students to contribute two years of their lives after they finish
their studies may it be MBA or even MS in some cases. TSRDS thereby
created a concept of Social Worker Manager and was prepared to pay the
Corporate Salaries. They also felt that even if they get positive
response from 40students, they are happy and achieved the target.
In-stead, they got an overwhelming response from over 600students
prepared to give two years of their life.This is yet another classic example of CSR. Tata Steel thereby created
an urge in students fraternity that you are future leaders of this
nation. There was lot of media stories of this concept, however, TATAS
have NEVER done beating their drums. CSR should be like that. I know
some business houses who deed CSR activities of some lakhs, but tried
to fetch media coverage worth crores which was im-proportionate to the
activities undertaken by them. This should NOT be the attitude in CSR.Tata Steel has exemplified a great case study in the CSR activities by
undertaking the aforesaid programme.Yogesh Joshi
- Hide quoted text -
On 3/23/08, CJ Singh <corepr@gmail.com > wrote:
> CSR to my mind is a part of the "social responsibility" that every
> individual and every organisation has. It is being touted as
> something add-on to the role an organisation is already playing. It
> is being considered as a PR tool. CSR is a part of any profession
> or organisational set up since whatever a product or service one is
> rendering, it has much greater social aspect to it. Until and unless
> that aspect of the social impact of one's action is understood, no
> organisation worth its name can be true to its calling.
> Every thing we do today impacts the society. If we are trying to cut
> corners and produce defective goods that may harm someone, the
> organisation's values and priorities are totally misplaced if it
> seeks to induct CSR as image building exercise.
> The case of Tata's Jamshedpur is a case in point. Whatever Tatas did
> was not part of an exercise to build their image. It was thought to
> be a part of their corporate value system that they must provide the
> best service, the best ambiance that meets the need ofthe society.
> Today corporates would take up a so-called CSR activity in fits and
> start, by holding a health camp, or adopting a village.
> CSR is all inclusive and all-encompassing activity and part of the
> corporate ethos that must be understood and adapted by every
> organisation.
>
> CJ Singh
> CorePR
>
> --- In Image_Management@yahoogroups. , Yushau Shuaibcom
> <yashuaib1@...> wrote:
> >
> > Corporate Social Responsibility, Yes call it CSR, is a systematic
> way of giving back to the society by corporate organisations in
> appreciation of their mutual understanding and to further
> consolidate their relationship. In secret, it is another form of
> branding to register the name of the organisation in the minds of
> its host community through provisions of social services as cost a
> effective mechanism from costly advertorials.
> >
> > CSR must be well planned because an awful outcome, which could
> be miscontrued, may boomerang at the organiser.
> >
> > YAShuaib
> >
> > devilsdread <mallika2020@...> wrote:
> >
> > CSR often starts off as a brand building exercise. In a global
> > business scenario, this adds to the credibility of an organisation.
> > The brand building angle helps to get internal buy-in.
> > However, once the buzz is created, most corporates often see
> > the value addition in establishing a CSR policy.
> >
> > From the good samaritan image to clear cut processes and systems
> > for CSR becomes the roadmap, invariably. Especially for emerging
> > economies like India and China, setting up new environmentally
> > friendly systems is a lot easier and cheaper. Whereas in developed
> > economies revamping old systems to new environmental compliance
> > standards becomes an expensive proposition. It makes a lot more
> sense
> > for developed economies to source or move towards environment
> > friendly systems of developing economies. The business angle is
> there.
> >
> > It is not possible to keep 'branding' oneself with CSR. If not
> backed
> > up by clear cut CSR strategies, the game would be up.
> > As CSR evolves, sustainability becomes the goal.
> >
> > Mallika
> >
> > --- In Image_Management@yahoogroups. , "Prime Point Srinivasan"com
> > <prpoint@> wrote:
> > >
> > > dear friends
> > >
> > > We propose to have our April issue of ezine with the
> > theme 'Corporate Social
> > > Responsiblity' (CSR). Presently CSR has become the new buzzword
> > amongst
> > > the Corporates.
> > >
> > > Many Corporates have now started creating new departments for
> > CSR. Even
> > > Public Relations Agencies have started opening up CSR wings
> within
> > their own
> > > Agencies.
> > >
> > > I want members to share their views on the following:
> > >
> > > (1) how far this CSR concept is taken seriously by the
> Corporates?
> > > (2) Do the Corporates use this CSR as their Brand building
> > exercise? If
> > > so, is it acceptable or not?
> > > (3) How the Corporates can implment CSR effectively?
> > >
> > > Some of the good views will be published in our April issue.
> > >
> > > srinivasan
> > > Moderator
--
Best Regards
Renu Kakkar
............
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