Corporate Social Responsibility

PRNEWS lost an important member of its family this time last year when Melissa Hoffmann, content director since early August 2018, passed away suddenly in Manhattan. The PRNEWS staff remember her as a passionate and compassionate editor and person. A recurring theme with PR pros and others who reminisced about Melissa was her enthusiasm for people and PR. We reprint an appreciation originally published last year at this time.

A dynamic Social Shake-Up panel including Catherine Hernandez-Blades, SVP, chief ESG and communications officer at AFLAC, Nadia Khamis, director of corporate engagement for Planned Parenthood, Elianne Ramos, chief communications officer at LatinoJustice, and moderator Dwayna Haley, SVP and practice director, brand innovation and impact at Porter Novelli, discussed the necessity and nuances of tackling social justice issues, and creating messaging behind it.

In honor of PR Ethics Month, we are talking to PR organizations that set standards and guidelines for the industry. Earlier this month PRNEWS featured the views of PRSA chair T. Garland Stansell, who wrote about communicators doing the right thing. In today’s post, we spoke with PR Council president Kim Sample about Ethics Month and the Council’s ethics work.  

The American Gaming Association (AGA) unveiled a PSA campaign with NASCAR to provide fans with information on safe betting practices. NASCAR is the first sports league partner for the Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly PSA effort. The two organizations will create co-branded content with the “Know When To Pit” slogan, encouraging responsible betting. 

Technology can make a real difference when it comes to corporate social responsibility. This week Apple announced the launch of its COVID-19 Exposure Notification Express with its iOS 13.7 system update. Google’s Android will follow later this month, as the two tech giants teamed up in May to support contact-tracing efforts.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) works best when local communities benefit. The key is knowing how to best reach communities in need. Some of the smallest organizations are making great strides using digital tools.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Corley Kenna, director, global communications and PR, at Patagonia. We discussed Time to Vote, a bipartisan effort of 600 companies that pledges to ensure their employees have a work schedule that allows them time to vote.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Business Roundtable’s Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation. Corporate communication veteran Adam Snyder believes the 181 companies that signed the statement have yet to effect significant changes. He offers three ways they can start.

More evidence that consumers want brands to take stands on social and political issues and act on the pledges they make. Moreover, 42 percent of consumers say they will buy from competitors if brands don’t stay true to their word, according to a new Sprout Social survey. In a related story, the Business Roundtable celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Statement of the Purpose of the Corporation. The 181 signatories pledged to remake their companies to serve society as a whole as opposed to shareholders only.

Weber Shandwick did a very good thing last week. It released diversity data for its senior levels. The data were dismal and the agency said as much. It also made the correct point that benchmarks are needed before you can make improvements. Though the agency needs to offer detail about how it will improve, Weber has taken a bold first step.