Communication in Responsible Business

Communicating social and environmental business performance has become crucial to success for many businesses. Approximately 6,000 multinational businesses in over 130 countries have committed themselves to the UN Global Compact, the largest private sector business responsibility initiative. The sustainability-focused LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market segment was a 209 billion dollar opportunity in the US in 2005. This number is estimated to have doubled in 2010. Survey results show 79% of US Americans would switch brands based on information about its social and environmental performance, and 72% indicated they punished companies through not buying their product when disagreeing with corporate practices. Over 89% emphasize the importance of knowing about the values of a company when interacting with it as an employee, consumer or local community member. Eight in 10 people say a company's commitment to a social issue is important in deciding where to work. Communicating Business Responsibility offers an exhaustive toolbox of the most effective instruments for communicating social and environmental business performance. Chapter cases provide rich practice coverage and connect concepts and solutions for day-to-day business realities. The contents present an integrated marketing communication perspective, which allows the reader to organize communication tools into a coherent management framework for marketing, communication, public relations and sustainable business practitioners alike. Only the combination of cause-related and social marketing, strategic stakeholder assessment and internal and external communication, informal and formal sustainability can provide the appropriate marketing and communication mix necessary to communicate about grasping market opportunities, attracting and motivating employees, and boosting company reputation.