ASIDE from boosting sales, Procter & Gamble has a lot
to focus on in Thailand - much of it involving education, clean drinking water
and the empowerment of women.
While the schemes in these spheres do not
directly increase sales, Raul Falcon, managing director of Procter & Gamble
Trading (Thailand), believes they benefit the company indirectly, as US-based
P&G and other multinationals have witnessed in other parts of the world.
"It's a growing trend, and not only in Europe. People are more aware of companies that are responsible," he said at a press conference last week.
Like other businesses in the Kingdom, P&G has faced challenges, including a fall in purchasing power that has driven down its sales growth.
As Thailand's economy is expected to expand by less than 3 per cent this year, P&G is delighted that its sales are still expanding, though at a single-digit rate compared to double-digit growth in the past.
Falcon attributes that to P&G's efforts to deliver products and services that are relevant to people.
Supporting this would be the company's CSR (corporate social responsibility) schemes.
"Being a good corporate citizen not only strengthens the equity of brands, but also the total company," he said when asked how CSR influences brand |loyalty.
In the past four years, three major schemes have been launched with partners such as local non-government groups and United Nations bodies.
Under P&G's education-oriented project, more than 100 teachers have been trained by local NGOs to provide learning classes to the underprivileged, as well as to those with disabilities.
To date, about 1,000 students benefit from the scheme.
Under its drinking-water scheme - a global programme of the multinational - it has donated 30 million litres of water through the Thai Red Cross Society and others.
Meanwhile, the third scheme, its SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) training programme, targets equipping women with new business ideas.
Having non-business partners is one great benefit of the initiatives, Falcon highlighted, as P&G has in return received closer support from them.
Meanwhile, P&G employees, encouraged to volunteer and take part in the schemes, are inspired by the company's commitment to improve what the company is committed to become, he stressed.
"We look forward to improving and touching life in many aspects. CSR is not a business undertaking, but it's the responsibility that helps strengthen business partnership," the managing director noted.
Moreover, he is pleased that the company's three CSR pillars support the UN's recently unveiled 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Built upon the UN's Millennium Development Goals, SDGs seek to tackle the underlying causes of inequality, marginalisation and poverty.
Communications award
Last week, P&G also received the UN's "Peoples' Voices Award 2015" in the category "Best Communications Campaign" for its partnership role in the "My World Survey" in Thailand since 2013.
From the 69,000 votes cast, Thais highlighted 'education quality' as the biggest challenge facing the country.
At the event, Luc Stevens, the UN resident coordinator and UNDP representative in Thailand, acknowledged that the United Nations Development Programme's campaigns in Thailand had secured support mainly from multinational companies, thanks to cooperation with their parent companies in other parts of the world.
Yet, the UNDP is striving to win support from large local companies to address issues that could hinder the Kingdom's economic, social and political prospects, he explained.
For now, P&G is committed to working with the UN in addressing the issues that it can. "We look forward to continuing our work on this. This has been a good run, and there are a lot more things to do," said Falcon.
"It's a growing trend, and not only in Europe. People are more aware of companies that are responsible," he said at a press conference last week.
Like other businesses in the Kingdom, P&G has faced challenges, including a fall in purchasing power that has driven down its sales growth.
As Thailand's economy is expected to expand by less than 3 per cent this year, P&G is delighted that its sales are still expanding, though at a single-digit rate compared to double-digit growth in the past.
Falcon attributes that to P&G's efforts to deliver products and services that are relevant to people.
Supporting this would be the company's CSR (corporate social responsibility) schemes.
"Being a good corporate citizen not only strengthens the equity of brands, but also the total company," he said when asked how CSR influences brand |loyalty.
In the past four years, three major schemes have been launched with partners such as local non-government groups and United Nations bodies.
Under P&G's education-oriented project, more than 100 teachers have been trained by local NGOs to provide learning classes to the underprivileged, as well as to those with disabilities.
To date, about 1,000 students benefit from the scheme.
Under its drinking-water scheme - a global programme of the multinational - it has donated 30 million litres of water through the Thai Red Cross Society and others.
Meanwhile, the third scheme, its SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) training programme, targets equipping women with new business ideas.
Having non-business partners is one great benefit of the initiatives, Falcon highlighted, as P&G has in return received closer support from them.
Meanwhile, P&G employees, encouraged to volunteer and take part in the schemes, are inspired by the company's commitment to improve what the company is committed to become, he stressed.
"We look forward to improving and touching life in many aspects. CSR is not a business undertaking, but it's the responsibility that helps strengthen business partnership," the managing director noted.
Moreover, he is pleased that the company's three CSR pillars support the UN's recently unveiled 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Built upon the UN's Millennium Development Goals, SDGs seek to tackle the underlying causes of inequality, marginalisation and poverty.
Communications award
Last week, P&G also received the UN's "Peoples' Voices Award 2015" in the category "Best Communications Campaign" for its partnership role in the "My World Survey" in Thailand since 2013.
From the 69,000 votes cast, Thais highlighted 'education quality' as the biggest challenge facing the country.
At the event, Luc Stevens, the UN resident coordinator and UNDP representative in Thailand, acknowledged that the United Nations Development Programme's campaigns in Thailand had secured support mainly from multinational companies, thanks to cooperation with their parent companies in other parts of the world.
Yet, the UNDP is striving to win support from large local companies to address issues that could hinder the Kingdom's economic, social and political prospects, he explained.
For now, P&G is committed to working with the UN in addressing the issues that it can. "We look forward to continuing our work on this. This has been a good run, and there are a lot more things to do," said Falcon.
-The Nation
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