Sustainability, Purpose, Citizenship, CSR, Shared Value – Carol Cone from @EdelmanPR #CSR

August 17, 2012

In her recent article for The Huffington Post, Carol Cone explored the “bell curve” pattern of Purpose-adoption, with a focus on the role of CEOs. Excerpts below– to read the full article, click here. 5 years in purpose

…business models to deliver a triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

Next the early majority: companies that saw the benefit of social engagement for differentiation, relevance, and employee morale. They heard of the various terms — sustainability, cause marketing, purpose, and citizenship — and saw that engagement with social/environmental issues could put wind at their backs; inspire colleagues through product, policy, and market innovation; and even in some cases heal sullied business reputations. These companies included Avon, Walmart, Nike, P & G, Pepsico, and Tesco.

As “markets” mature, we now enter the vast middle of the bell curve, where the majority of companies touch upon this business strategy, knowing they must, but with diffuse commitments. These companies have been to the conferences, likely have CSR or citizenship reports, have done some cause marketing and employee volunteerism, even advertised initiatives, and have vibrant Facebook pages. They have high expectations, but results similar to those experienced by early adopters, and even the early majority, elude them. Why?

Read on by Carol Cone at
http://purpose.edelman.com/sustainability-purpose-citizenship-csr-shared-value-dont-get-stuck-on-the-name-continue-the-journey

Haase Comment:
I like a lot of the dialogue Carol Cone has start in the last decade greening supply chains.
But, do these sound like “sustainable companies” or consumer markets trying to balance the “green with green”?
Can companies driven by global consumer spending be used in the same sentence as “sustainable and green”?

I believe they can if the ultimate goal is to give back more than enough to balance the harm done.
And we all have to start somewhere, somehow, sometime.

If nothing more, it is a good healthy start with a long road to sustainability ahead.