Corporate Social Responsibility

It seems standard practice that companies must act, or at least speak, on social and political issues. In addition, it’s generally held that CEOs, often the face of a company, have a duty to take stands on issues. The deeper you go, though, all this appears more complicated.

You’d think environment, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues might suffer during the pandemic, when survival takes priority. Yet Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ new SVP and lead of its Better Impact consultancy Cathy Resler says ESG is thriving. The global crisis, she says, led people to look at their values. This collective gut-check allowed some companies to re-think how they act, including on ESG issues.

In today’s polarized climate, companies and CEOs take a risk when they speak out on political and social issues. On the other hand, remaining silent can be just as dangerous. Here are several tactics PR pros can employ as they help companies navigate these difficult situations.

John Saunders, president and CEO of FleishmanHillard, believes organizations are stronger now than before COVID-19 because of the ascension of corporate values; the visible action taken on critical issues; and an unprecedented perception of the importance of communication

Earth Day may have come and gone, but businesses like Pandora and Eleven Madison Park are taking what used to be a once-a-year acknowledgement and committing to sustainability in their day-to-day activities. 

Marketing and communication professionals gathered virtually Tuesday to celebrate the winners and honorable mentions for the PRNEWS CSR & Diversity Awards, which mark excellence across people, teams and campaigns. Here are this year’s winners.

Making sustainability part of your company’s culture and communications can seem daunting. Right or wrong, some consumers are demanding organizations promote sustainable practices. On Earth Day, we offer ideas and tips that can help get you started.

As we get ready to celebrate PR’s role in CSR, we spoke with several finalists of the PRNEWS CSR Awards about how the pandemic and the economic and social reckonings of 2020 influenced their organizations. Fortunately, this moment has bolstered CSR at many companies and organizations, they told us.

With the arrival on April 22 of Earth Day, our History column looks at the largely unknown role several PR pros played in developing awareness for environmental CSR.

Companies sometimes struggle to connect CSR with their corporate values. The story below illustrates an innovative way a pharmaceutical translated its interest in offering patients creative solutions into a CSR effort.