Creating Positive Brand Image Through Corporate Social Responsibility

By M. Isi Eromosele

“A surefire way to creating positive brand image lies in building connections with society through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.”

Corporate Social Responsibility creates a landing place in the minds of the target consumers. It not only caters to the brand equity awareness among the consumers but also leads to a positive brand image in the minds of the potential consumers.

A vast majority of consumers would switch to a brand associated with the good cause. A new concept of co-donation has been triggered by some major companies in which they are giving donations that involve consumers by letting them co-donate or co-decide what kind of social responsibilities will be carried out, as happened with Pepsi Refresh.

Other examples of brands following the co-donation trends include Ikea, which donates a solar lamp to UNICEF every time it sells Sunnan low energy lamp with solar panels.

An increasing majority of global private companies embrace corporate social responsibility not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it strengthens their brands.

The percentage of brand value represented by corporate social responsibility is trending upward while all other identifiable contributors to corporate brand value, which includes advertising, market cap, and the industry in which a company competes appear to be declining.

Consumers increasingly expect global companies to make a broader contribution to society. Prior studies concluded that consumers’ purchase decisions are positively influenced by socially responsible initiatives implemented by companies. In a recent survey, 79% of consumers would switch to a brand associated with a good cause.

Co-donation and cause related marketing help promote competition, which in turn leads to corporate innovation. This is essential for developing sustainable products and promoting sustainable consumption around the world. For brands, it is an excellent way to show they care, taking the lead with innovative “give back” schemes.

In the past, Procter and Gamble teamed up with UNICEF to introduce Nutristar, a powdered drinking product that addressed micronutrient malnutrition in some populations and by acquiring the PuR brand to bring low-cost water purification technologies to consumers in developing markets.

The company also promoted better hygiene in at-risk communities and in return had the benefit of forming new markets for its products like soap and toothpastes.

Exposure to any type of well-conceived promotional initiative for a brand leads to more positive feelings and judgments about the brand in a consumer’s mind. A promotional initiative emphasizing a brand’s affiliation with a social cause has a high degree of affinity. How much a given initiative will help or hurt a given brand will depend on the characteristics of its target markets.

A high degree of affinity can enhance the effectiveness of a brand’s promotional initiative that increases the likelihood of consumers treating the initiative as an important and positively weighted attribute of the brand. However, when a promotional initiative does not mention an affiliation, consumers may weight a brand’s style of marketing as a negative attribute.

Consumers would weigh the style of marketing as positive with those types of affiliations that have alignment with a cause like cancer research, environmental protection or disaster relief. Moreover, a social-cause affiliation could also have a “halo effect” on how a brand is seen on other attributes, such as trustworthiness or quality. 

Those initiatives in which the logic behind the brand’s affiliation can be easily recognized by most consumers typically produce a more positive effect on consumer brand judgments and feelings than initiatives with weaker fit.

The management of socially responsible behavior is important because of its impact on the perception of the brand image. Enriching a brand with ethical and social questions increases its value. These associations influence the consumer in their assessment of its products and increased brand loyalty.

Companies that have made Corporate Social Responsibility a central part of their businesses are reaping the benefits, such as improved brand image. It works best for those companies in which social responsibility is a core company value and informs all aspects of the business.

Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives are not only about philanthropy but translating these ideas into practical business strategies. Corporate Social Responsibility driven efforts does not only relate to donating money but it talks about integrating social and ethical practices into business strategies that help the consumer in creating a positive brand image.

With the increase in corporate social responsibility awareness, some companies promote a very elementary understanding of corporate governance and ethical standards. Another important aspect of corporate social responsibility is that it channels funds of

socially responsible investors into promoting corporate social responsibility among investors.

The content of corporate social responsibility creates an emotional connection with consumers and builds connections between the brand, its corporate social responsibility initiatives and the viewers. Promoting brand image with the help of corporate social responsibility initiatives encourages positive comments and ultimately has a positive effect on the brand, because the company is being transparent about its external communications and internal practices which show alignment.

The benefits of using Corporate Social Responsibility in branded content are endless; foremost, it helps to build a brand’s reputation and is a point of differentiation. 

M. Isi Eromosele is the President | Chief Executive Officer | Executive Creative Director of Oseme Group - Oseme Creative | Oseme Consulting | Oseme Finance

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