Post by account_disabled on Mar 6, 2024 4:25:20 GMT -5
Due to a poor understanding of the Mayan calendar, many swore that the world was ending today. If you are reading this column, we are sure that was not the case. Too bad if you jammed up your credit cards thinking otherwise. Now, speaking of topics that are a little less superfluous but perhaps just as defining, I think that the end of the year is a good time to express reflections, and what better way to do it than today about the future of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability , concepts that are still confused considering them as synonyms. Let's talk first about CSR , a movement that emerged less than twenty years ago and that promised in its genesis to be a new link between companies and society, between corporate practices and the environment, a movement that was born full of hope after protests to events such as the Exxon Valdez spill or Naomi Klein 's harsh criticism of big brands in her immortal NO LOGO . However, something happened over the years. CSR at some point stopped being authentic for many companies who distorted it into simple socialwash or greenwash ; That is, trying to appear "good" but in reality continuing to be the same organizations with the same old practices.
In many cases it stopped being a voluntary Phone Number List strategy for improvement and engagement with stakeholders and was only a pseudomarketing and PR tactic, reinforced by the appearance of awards, recognitions and rankings that only promote a poor conception of it. CSR done just to boast is the worst enemy of CSR , because to be, you don't just have to appear . It is vital to clarify that NOT ALL companies that committed to CSR have fallen into this game but unfortunately, many have; even more than we would like to admit, even making the term lose credibility in society itself, which, let's be frank, has not rewarded or punished companies according to their behavior, as was supposed to happen. I will not cite cases but the year that ends was rich in examples. I don't think that specifically this type of responsibility has much of a future. Responsibility that lives for marketing will die for marketing. Now, let's talk a little about sustainability . Sustainable is not synonymous with "ecologically acceptable" as a large part of society thinks, not because of it but because of poor communication of the term. Sustainable, in practical terms, is an adjective that means viable in the social, environmental and economic senses (currently there is a struggle to make cultural another sense but for today let's say that it is included in the social part).
In this framework, there could be sustainable companies, however the adjective can also be used for cities, products, organizations, services, etc. In this logic, what is sustainable is the future , and what is not, sooner or later will disappear. As we can see, sustainability and social responsibility are not the same. Ideally, CSR should be the way to try to reach a sustainable state, without this happening in a definitive, static or absolute way because in reality these concepts are constantly evolving. Many companies are adopting sustainability not as an add-on, not so that society can see "how good they are", but truly making it a fundamental part of their strategy and they are already reaping fruits. Coca-Cola , BMW , Nike , TOMS , Natura , Timberland , Patagonia , PUMA , CEMEX , Heineken , IKEA , Starbucks are good examples. Personally, I think that little by little, there will be more “Sustainability Councils and Directions” and less “Social Responsibility”; I also believe that the profitability of best practices will come much more from eco-efficiencies, the value chain, social license and trading and less from recognition or boycotts that consumers may make of a brand or organization.
In many cases it stopped being a voluntary Phone Number List strategy for improvement and engagement with stakeholders and was only a pseudomarketing and PR tactic, reinforced by the appearance of awards, recognitions and rankings that only promote a poor conception of it. CSR done just to boast is the worst enemy of CSR , because to be, you don't just have to appear . It is vital to clarify that NOT ALL companies that committed to CSR have fallen into this game but unfortunately, many have; even more than we would like to admit, even making the term lose credibility in society itself, which, let's be frank, has not rewarded or punished companies according to their behavior, as was supposed to happen. I will not cite cases but the year that ends was rich in examples. I don't think that specifically this type of responsibility has much of a future. Responsibility that lives for marketing will die for marketing. Now, let's talk a little about sustainability . Sustainable is not synonymous with "ecologically acceptable" as a large part of society thinks, not because of it but because of poor communication of the term. Sustainable, in practical terms, is an adjective that means viable in the social, environmental and economic senses (currently there is a struggle to make cultural another sense but for today let's say that it is included in the social part).
In this framework, there could be sustainable companies, however the adjective can also be used for cities, products, organizations, services, etc. In this logic, what is sustainable is the future , and what is not, sooner or later will disappear. As we can see, sustainability and social responsibility are not the same. Ideally, CSR should be the way to try to reach a sustainable state, without this happening in a definitive, static or absolute way because in reality these concepts are constantly evolving. Many companies are adopting sustainability not as an add-on, not so that society can see "how good they are", but truly making it a fundamental part of their strategy and they are already reaping fruits. Coca-Cola , BMW , Nike , TOMS , Natura , Timberland , Patagonia , PUMA , CEMEX , Heineken , IKEA , Starbucks are good examples. Personally, I think that little by little, there will be more “Sustainability Councils and Directions” and less “Social Responsibility”; I also believe that the profitability of best practices will come much more from eco-efficiencies, the value chain, social license and trading and less from recognition or boycotts that consumers may make of a brand or organization.