Publicity at the heart of CSI Initiatives
Corporate Social Responsibility is an investment. It has strategic value because it builds on the perception that a company cares for the people in its field of operation. The company's business expertise, or capital, assists government on delivering its national development objectives. It assists NPO's (Non Profit Organisations) in depending less on single donor funding. It prioritises problems and solutions by funding initiatives that improve lives.
Hell of a good story if ever I've heard one!
South Africa has moved beyond the phase of transition. We are now in the era of development. And CSI is the story. A story which should be reflected in the pages of every national newspaper and on every television and radio news broadcast. Good works should be exposed to public scrutiny just as much as crime, corruption, violence and poor governance.
By reporting CSI initiatives and building a 'passion brand' companies will be offering South Africans what has so long been denied them in the mainstream media - perspective.
Furthermore, by linking corporate identity to a good cause, a business can only strengthen brand loyalty. This 'passion brand' building gives a business a relevant and material return on social investment, encouraging further CSI investment.
I agree with Sarah Campbell in "Bragging or Boosting" (Bizcommunity: 21 February 2006), that communicators need to become more involved with CSR.
About Chantal Rutter
Chantal Rutter has been a news journalist for the past 12 years and is a former news anchor, reporter and producer at etv. She has recently launched her own strategic communications consultancy in Cape Town: CSI Inflatable Press Office, a publicity office that only deals with CSR initiatives. Tel: +27 21 465-6878; email:
.
