Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibilty has long been talked about as a way to build trust and reputation. New data, however, finds that media coverage of CSR leaves a lot to be desired.

In the last three years, sustainability has moved from a little-understood term that seemed to be interchangeable with CSR (corporate social responsibility), green, eco, or environmental to an almost over-used word.

Selecting the right initiative that ultimately becomes the “face” of an organization’s CSR program is crucial. CSR experts from both the corporate and agency worlds share their strategies and best practices.

The Ethisphere Institute found in its annual survey that L’Oréal, Ford and General Mills are among the "world’s most ethical companies." The institute assessed over 3,000 organizations based on a range of metrics, such as corporate citizenship and governance, innovation and broader "industry leadership."

A new study from PR executive search and consulting firm Spring Associates reveals that base salaries for both corporate and agency PR professionals decreased by double digits in 2009.

Steve Randazzo predicts experiential event-led efforts will continue to be in demand, but for such campaigns to succeed, he says, integration with PR and marketing functions are key. Here are Randazzo’s key steps to enabling such collaboration.

Makovsky + Company president and CEO Ken Makovsky reveals PR management lessons learned from several recessions during his 30 years in the business.

Is your CSR program firmly in place in your organization? Are you beginning to involve important stakeholders such as clients, customers and employees in your CSR efforts? If your answer is “yes” to these questions, you might be ready to take CSR to the next level.

Even with the economy, CSR initiatives have not been on the wane: They are still adding value for companies of all sectors. Recently, PR News honored the CSR programs and the people who lead them at its CSR Awards luncheon held in Washington, D.C. on February 24. Learn about the winner of the community affairs category and the honorable mentions.

Kevin Moss’ keynote speech at the PR News CSR Awards challenges CSR executives to be involved in all business functions and use social networking to communicate transparency and authenticity. Such communication could help root out inconsistencies in applying values.