Corporate Social Responsibility

Technology has made the world much smaller. Still, in many ways, humans remain very insular. What’s in front of us often receives most of our attention. As a result, where a news story occurs can… Continued

You’re not a real company unless you have an active CSR & sustainability campaign. At least that seems to be the new normal. The recent World Economic Forum pushed the green effort, though there were some cracks. To get set for PRNEWS’ CSR & Nonprofit awards in late March, we look at the ups and downs of CSR and why corporate social activism needs communicators who do it well.

More and more businesses are reacting to consumer demand to become environmentally aware. As a result, 2020 might go down as the year when CSR activities became table stakes for corporate America. Here are five quick ways communicators can help their companies get on board the CSR train.

Ethics has long been a hallmark of public relations. In this fourth and final installment of PRNEWS’ 2020 predictions, the theme of ethics seemed to dominate. Whether it be in technology, storytelling or writing, several of our prognosticators emphasized ethics’ importance in the coming year.

In the true spirit of this holiday, we are reminded that giving back need not only happen on Thanksgiving proper. Several companies have leaned into giving back before, and after, Turkey Day. Here are some examples of social good initiatives we can all be thankful for.

On November 4th, Apple announced a massive initiative intended to combat the housing crisis in California. The $2.5 billion plan not only marks a larger investment than Google’s previously announced $1 billion effort to combat the California housing crisis, but goes into much greater detail than Google’s initiative around how, exactly, those funds will be allocated. Apple’s ownership of its role in contributing to—and remedying—this crisis offers lessons for brands hoping to take on a social good program with substance.

Airbnb gives users a lot of freedom. It allows people to become entrepreneurs and host strangers in their homes. In addition, travelers can forgo expensive and occasionally bland hotels for the comforts of home, or the adventures of living as a local. But with freedom comes responsibility. After a tragic event occurred at one of its host properties, the company worked quickly to limit the PR damage.

JUUL Labs, the now ubiquitous e-cigarette manufacturer whose pocket-sized vaporizers work with its propriety pods of nicotine liquid, has found itself in a free fall over the past few months. In June, the company’s own city… Continued

ost consumers get a little boost when they learn the brands they support practice an element of social good. Corporate Social Responsibility, affectionately referred to in the communications world as CSR, provides an organization with the opportunity to give back and make a difference. As the entry deadline for the 2020 PRNEWS Nonprofit/CSR Awards looms, we take a look at several past winners who really leaned into the mission of creating change.

It’s been an tumultuous week in Menlo Park, California. Facebook once again dominated the news cycle with a widely-maligned public speech from Mark Zuckerberg. Next was a series of new policies intended to curb hostile foreign governments from once again weaponizing the social network to influence our 2020 elections. For communicators, this saga has proved to be many things—a lens into the distrust that engulfs marketing communications, a lesson on the power of self-regulation, and a reminder of what transparency does (and doesn’t) look like in action.