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Most businesses undertake some corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in some form. In the modern day, as expected.

According to a Harvard Business School report, 70% of consumers believe companies should make the world a better place, and 77% say they are motivated to purchase from companies that commit to societal causes. 

The same report shows that, just like consumers, employees are also concerned about CSR, with 95% believing that businesses should show efforts to benefit external stakeholders like the communities in which they operate. 

If you run a business, doing some CSR is clearly essential. However, just doing CSR won’t be enough. You’ll also need to be able to communicate the value created by your CSR. In this article, we’ll explore how to create a CSR communications strategy for your business.

Let’s get started! 

Why CSR Communication Matters

According to Michael Nemeroff, Co-founder and CEO of RushOrderTees, a CSR communications strategy is crucial. In his words, “Authentic CSR leads to better relationships with customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. CSR alone is not enough, however. Business leaders must also be intentional about communicating the positive impact of their CSR efforts.”

Another business leader, John Grant, Founder and CEO of Premier Bidets, concurs, arguing that “While the benefits of CSR are clear, these benefits will only materialize if stakeholders can see the impact of their CSR. This makes an effective CSR communication strategy almost as important as the CSR itself.”

A Starbucks Case Study: A Framework for CSR Communications Success 

Starbucks provides one of the best examples of how to execute meaningful CSR. The thrust of its CSR efforts include: 

  • Commitment to Fair Trade Coffee: Starbucks makes a significant commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical trade practices by sourcing 100% responsibly grown and traded coffee even though it is costlier than other sources of coffee.
  • Enhancing Accessibility: Starbucks has made efforts to create a welcoming environment for customers with disabilities. One of the ways they do this is by creating lower counters that allow people in wheelchairs to access them more easily.
  • Employee Benefits for Part-Time Workers: Employees working at least 20 hours a week qualify for health insurance, stock options, and retirement contributions.
  • Support for Early Education: In 2010, Starbucks partnered with Jumpstart, a program promoting early childhood education.

The company makes sure to engage with the public to demonstrate these initiatives with an annual Global Impact Report that tracks progress and challenges. CSR reporting offers a detailed and transparent view of your CSR philosophy and impact and is considered a best practice for effective CSR communications.

Starbucks also uses platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to offer frequent public updates on its sustainability and social initiatives.

In doing so, it relies heavily on the power of storytelling to connect with its audience, sharing stories about the coffee farmers it works with globally. These stories often include interviews or features about individual farmers’ experiences, emphasizing sustainability and economic development.

The result of these efforts is an extremely strong brand that has inspired an incredibly loyal customer base in an extremely competitive market.

Building a Public Relations-Focused CSR Communication Strategy

Here’s how you can emulate Starbucks’ CSR strategy to effectively communicate your business’s commitment to providing value to the community:

Step 1: Define CSR goals and craft messages aligned with your brand mission.

According to Samo Polegek an Owner at The Most Iconic Art, “The main goal of all CSR is to provide authentic value to the community. However, the way this is implemented should be unique to your business and the communities you serve. CSR efforts should always be aligned with the mission of your business.” 

This is a principle that Starbucks exemplifies with its periodically revised Mission and Promise statement. From 2023, this statement has read: 

Our Mission
With every cup, with every conversation, with every community – we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.
Our Promise
The mutual success we collectively commit to:
Our partner promise: Bridge to a better future
Our customer promise: Uplift the everyday
Our farmer promise: Ensure the future of coffee for all
Our community promise: Contribute positively
Our environmental promise: Give more than we take
Our shareholder promise: Generate long-term returns

It’s easy to see how Starbucks’s CSR initiatives align with this statement. For example, Starbucks’s adoption of Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) standards promotes ethical sourcing and sustainable farming methods.

Step 2: Understand your audience and select appropriate communication channels.

Communication is only effective if it reaches the intended audience and is understood in the way it was intended. Understanding your audience allows you to choose the right channels and use language that they’ll easily understand.

Derek Suckling, Founder at Shade Systems, explains, “Understanding your audience should be the center of all corporate strategy, including CSR initiatives. When a company understands its audience, it is better able to craft CSR initiatives that are relevant to that audience. That’s where the long-lasting connections are built.”

Step 3: Share compelling storytelling content, including employee and beneficiary stories.

Instead of simply pushing out facts and figures, story-based PR focuses on sharing stories that stakeholders can easily connect with. Focus on the impact of your initiatives and the positive change you are creating. Be clear about how these initiatives are impacting real people.

Roman Zrazhevskiy, Founder & CEO at MIRA Safety, reiterates this advice, stating, “The first rule of CSR communications is to keep it real. Sharing real stories of the impact your initiatives have had is a great way to create an emotional connection with your stakeholders. Typically, this leads to much stronger buy-in and loyalty over time.”

Step 4: Announce key initiatives through press releases and media outreach.

Jonathan Feniak, General Counsel at LLC Attorney, shares, “Press releases and media outreach can help raise awareness of your CSR initiatives among a wider audience, including customers, investors, employees, and the general public. You can also use social media platforms to further engage with your audience.”

Identifying and targeting relevant media outlets that match your industry and target audience is crucial for maximizing the reach and impact of your messaging, ensuring it reaches the right audience.

Final Word

Having a strong CSR communication strategy is a great way to keep your key stakeholders locked in. In creating and executing your CSR communications strategy, remember that stories are more engaging and memorable than dry facts. Focusing on the human impact of CSR initiatives. If your business is new to CSR, here are some entry-level CSR ideas to help you get started.

Catherine Schwartz

Catherine Schwartz

Catherine Schwartz is a marketing and e-commerce content creator who helps brands grow their revenue and take their businesses to new heights.