How companies portray themselves and act on the social scene can have a real impact on their success. Practicing social responsibility contributes to company branding by showing consumers what the company values, believes, and supports. Indeed, company values are becoming an evermore important factor in consumers’ decision to patronize a business. So how does your company practice greater social responsibility?
Develop Company Values
Company values can help customers identify what businesses align with their individual values. This can attract new consumers to patronize a business. Company values can help increase customer retention rates. They also provide a foundation that businesses can use to guide their decisions regarding how the act. If you need to develop your company’s values, consider how you want your company to be perceived by others. What do you want them to say about your business? Try to draw up company values that reflect that.
Put Real Resources on the Table
One of the more powerful things companies can do to prove their social responsibility is to put their money where their mouth is. Offering up real resources shows that a business is willing to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. This can mean donations of time, money, or other resources to a variety of causes. You could donate company resources to charities, run a fundraiser for a cause, or have staff or management participate in service projects around the community. Whatever you choose, it should have some meaning and make a difference in society, whether at a local community or more global level.
Use Sustainable Business Practices
Sustainable business practices help protect the environment, reflecting the company’s commitment to caring for society by protecting the environment it lives in. Sustainable business practices can include things like using sustainable sourcing for manufacturing goods and products, using renewable energy sources, recycling, and looking for ways to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. If your goods use packaging, you can also work to make sure you use responsible packaging materials. This is a good thing for a business to work towards, especially if one of the company values covers environmental responsibility.
These are all great ways to start developing and demonstrating your company’s social responsibility. While these are just small changes you can implement, they can make a big impact. You might find that the rewards go beyond the bottom line and improve your company’s image and culture. It’s a win for everyone.
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