Community engagement, known to some as corporate social
responsibility, is not only the right thing to do, but it can also provide an
enduring shared benefit for all involved. But acting with good intentions is
quite different from doing the right thing in a way that truly benefits your
business and its shareholders, employees and most importantly, society.
The business practice of giving back has grown, and
for good reason. A recent
report from research
firm Nielsen found that 55 per cent of consumers say they are willing to pay
extra for products and services from companies that are committed to positive
social and environmental impact. Having a strong guiding principle is the
foundation to a successful community engagement program for both small
businesses and complex organizations. Having it be mutually beneficial for all
stakeholders is what ensures its longevity and continued impact. Community
engagement also factors into attracting and retaining talent as more and more
people highlight this as a reason to work for or stay with a company.
There can be a
strategic opportunity in how companies design, implement and operate a
meaningful community engagement program. Since 2012, Mars Canada and our
associates have executed community engagement with our Ben’s Beginners program,
which is part of a global movement to bring families together in the kitchen
and teach kids how to cook.
At the time, we looked
at current brand initiatives and saw an opportunity to extend a contest,
encouraging families to cook together, into something larger that benefitted
the community. This fit in with a bigger belief, which was that it was
important to educate families on the value of cooking as a means to establish
healthy lifelong eating habits for future generations. With this clear
objective in mind, we developed and continue to operate a program that our
partners, associates and community can all stand behind.
So you want to give back. Now
what?
A community engagement
initiative should be a sustained investment that works hand-in-glove with the
overall business strategy and the company’s own values with an aim to drive
talent attraction and retention. It should also address an identifiable,
relevant and unmet need. Talk to your employees to find out what their
expectations are for a community engagement program, since they’ll be a big
part of executing it. From there you’ll need to set a mandate, establish goals,
create space in your budget, and identify a leader within your organization to
oversee planning, implementation and ongoing success.
While there is no shortage of worthy causes, the trick
is finding one that is not only the right fit for your brand, but also for your
employees who work daily on the brand. One way of doing this is to look at your
mission statement and make sure the cause you pick aligns with those goals. For
example, Mars Canada is in the food business, so with Ben’s Beginners, it made
sense to choose a cause that was a strong fit with our Food Purpose – Better Food Today. A Better
World Tomorrow.
On the other hand, do
not select a cause that is too broad, which may make it difficult to connect
back to the purpose of your business.
Partnerships 101
Ensure there is
alignment with any prospective partner on mission, vision and values. Beyond
finding a main partner, consider whether other business partners – suppliers
and customers alike – could play a role in either supporting the initiative or
generating awareness.
Keep lines of
communication open. This is especially important when it comes to partnerships
because although you all share the same mission, you come from different
backgrounds and approach challenges with different perspectives. At the
beginning tour a potential partner’s organization to get a clear sense of their
values and the way they operate. And while it might sound obvious, always meet
in person before making big decisions. As a leader, your involvement shouldn’t
be viewed as project–based but as an ongoing multi-year commitment.
Managing time and resources
Limited resources are
a reality of doing business. When starting out, make the commitment that this
is an area you are going to invest in. Globally across Mars, our associates are
offered 16 paid hours of volunteer service annually. As long as you have a
strong tie back to shared values, the investment should be easy to justify.
Commit only the
resources you can and make realistic promises that can be fulfilled. Larger
organizations may have the resources to take on ambitious agendas, while
smaller companies may want to consider community engagement initiatives more
proportional to the size of their business. For Mars, our goal is to help kids
around the world establish healthy lifelong eating habits through Ben’s
Beginners. While this is an appropriate goal for a business with a global
footprint, it is important to remember you can make an impact on any scale and
with any budget.
Getting employees involved
Employees want to have
opportunities to give back, and employee involvement is vital to creating a
successful community engagement program. According to Nielsen report roughly
half already engage in volunteer work or donate to organizations engaged in
social and environmental programs. Keep this in mind, as employees will be the
heart and soul of your program. Money is no substitute for the relationships
between your employees, your brand and your beneficiaries.
To ensure buy-in to
your program, it needs to come from the top. Make it a priority for the senior
leaders within the business. This is a great opportunity to lead by example! A
sure way to fail is to make a declaration around a cause when you’re not
willing to walk the talk yourself. Enable your employees to be the face of the
program by providing them with the time and space to use their skills in a
meaningful way, such as providing them with the opportunity to volunteer during
work hours.
Measuring success
Success can be
measured in a number of ways depending on the goals you have set out to
achieve. Most importantly, the results of your efforts will come through in
conversations with your employees and community partners, both of which are
ideal sources for qualitative and quantitative feedback. When it comes to your
business, you may also be able to observe quantitative data such as sales
growth and for larger businesses, brand impressions and brand sentiment.
To ensure ongoing
success, meet regularly with community partners and evaluate your strategy,
which will help you identify issues and make adjustments if needed. This also
provides an opportunity to spot synergies that can be beneficial to your
business. Additionally, it can provide an opportunity for your employees to sit
on community boards and have visible leadership in the community.
Remember, key
learnings from social engagement programs do not have to live in a bubble
separate from the work you do in your organization. They are also a great way
to promote the development of leadership and teamwork skills, and an
opportunity to build a positive reputation for your brand, ensuring that
everybody – your business, your customers and their communities – wins.
David Dusangh is general
manager for Mars Canada’s food segment, which includes the Uncle Ben’s and Seeds of Change brands.
-The
Globe & Mail
No comments:
Post a Comment