Talking about Citizenship

October 2007

A July 2007 story in the Chronicle of Philanthropy discussed new fears of "cause clutter" with the proliferation of collaborative, cause-branding campaigns by for-profit companies and their nonprofit partners. At a time when corporations and their constituencies increasingly value corporate citizenship, it can be hard to gain visibility for your efforts in a crowded marketplace. Add to that concerns about appearing opportunistic or disingenuous and you have a real public relations challenge on your hands.

The good news is that employees, customers, prospects, investors, and the general public want to hear your stories: The 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Study found that 88 percent of Americans want companies to tell them the way in which they are supporting causes, and that 87 percent say they are likely to switch from one brand to another (price and quality being about equal) if the other brand is associated with a good cause. Such market forces have resulted in a sharp spike in "cause-related" news, reported on by our mainstream media. Publications including Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times have all recently expanded coverage of philanthropy and CSR initiatives

A byproduct of increased awareness, however, is increased skepticism. Advertising Age’s highly critical piece on Project (RED) sparked a wave of debate about the nature of cause partnerships, examining the ratio of marketing resources spent to funds raised to fight AIDS. GAP came under the most fire for not disclosing the exact amounts of donations per item purchased. (The lesson: transparency is crucial.)

As companies take leadership roles in addressing social issues with nonprofit partners, talking about their contributions and experiences is one of the most effective ways to grow sustained interest and support for causes. Here are a few ways to maximize the value of your own corporate citizenship and cause-related efforts:

Integrate your "cause" messages into other aspects of communications. When speaking about eBay and the Omidyar Network, Pierre Omidyar tears down the boundaries between business and social mission. "The most exciting aspect [of eBay] is the economic self-empowerment that goes on that in turn has social impact…eBay was founded as a for-profit in order to make money. But along the way, the business model by definition had to have a social impact in order to be successful." (The World We Want by Peter Karoff.) If social responsibility and/or cause-related goals are a priority, the CEO, executive team, and media spokespeople should be as comfortable speaking about those objectives as they are about other business goals.

Recruit an external spokesperson. Consumers are skeptical of corporate motives and wary of "spin." As you develop a communications strategy around your community outreach or social responsibility program, ask yourself who is the most authentic voice to deliver the message. Is it a partner nonprofit or a beneficiary of the nonprofit program itself? A civic leader? A celebrity? For better or worse, a message often resonates as more authentic when delivered by a trusted third party.

Whirlpool Corporation has provided considerable support to Habitat for Humanity, with donations in excess of $34 million and more than 73,000 appliances for Habitat homes. It is well established that Whirlpool’s commitment to the cause has made a significant impact for both Habitat and the communities benefiting from its services. Yet when it came time to promote the relationship externally, Whirlpool brought in Reba McEntire as its spokesperson. While many of us lack the resources to recruit celebrity spokespeople, we do have networks from which to find outside voices of credibility.

Promote employee involvement. Online or off, networks are a crucial vehicle for communicating your message to the right people – particularly if you are concerned about "cause clutter" in the mainstream media. Employees can be your strongest ambassadors for cause-related efforts. Support employee efforts and offer opportunities for employees to become personally involved with the company’s causes. For example, a team of employees doing a charity ride, or participating in a community project, builds enthusiasm as well as visibility. When employees understand that giving back is a core value of the company, they will (directly and indirectly) communicate that to their personal networks – an invaluable method of "viral" brand-building.

Embrace the media. The ultimate third-party voice remains mass media. More consumers obtain their information from print, broadcast, and online news sources than from anywhere else. For this reason, media relations is a viable and powerful tool for telling CSR and cause-related stories.

There will always be a small percentage of naysayers who question your motives. The key to successfully communicating your good work through the media is to make sure your message does not focus on your organization ("Look at what we did."). Instead, be a vehicle for promoting a cause, or the work of a nonprofit and its benefit to the people it serves ("Look at what they did."). By helping to bring attention to key issues, you will build your reputation on much more than the words in a press release.

Rich Polt is the founder and president of Louder Than Words, a Boston-based PR agency serving foundations, nonprofits, and businesses that are philanthropically minded, community-driven, and socially responsible. Tricia McKenna is Senior Account Director.

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