Conscious Commerce

Reputation Dynamics: Conscious Commerce Blog Facelift for 2010

2010-01-18T09:56:00.010-05:00

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Happy New Year.

Reputation Dynamics: Conscious Commerce has a new look and redesign - now located at:

http://www.conscious-commerce.biz

We look forward to collaborations, continuing to share industry perspectives and best practices.

Please contact us for marketing, communications and corporate social responsibility advisory services support.

Sam Taylor

E: sam@reputation-dynamics.com

**

Corporate Responsibility Rides Out the Recession - Investment in People and Training Key for 2010

2009-12-21T10:53:00.016-05:00

Despite a difficult economic environment and companies cutting costs throughout their businesses, a surprising number of companies saw corporate responsibility as a priority and, in fact, are expanding their commitments.

According to a survey by Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship, corporate responsibility is here to stay, with half of companies surveyed believing it will 'become more critical to corporate reputation and business success.'

The US recovery is being influenced via a nationwide social, business and community rebuilding mobilization. Sustainability development and social responsibility is continuing to provide the foundation for infrastructure redevelopment, empowering employees, restoring trust and confidence in business.

The growth of ethical consumerism is also impacting reputation and stakeholder engagement, forcing companies to further align sustainable program development with business strategy and integration throughout their organizations.

In fact, according to a report issued by PricewaterhouseCoopers, more than half - 62 % - of consumers bought because they liked the social or political values of the company. Nearly half of Americans said protecting the environment should be given priority over economic growth….and comes in the midst of a recession.

To be sure, companies continue to evaluate their program costs, business priorities and many reduce sustainability investments. We are not out of the woods yet.

2010 Predictions from Founder of Reputation Dynamics, Sam Taylor:

According to a Climb the Green Ladder Survey, 80% say they are willing to take actions that support sustainability at work. Yet, only 1 in 10 say they have the training and knowledge they need to make their workplaces more sustainable.

Attract, retain and motivate talent by creating sustainability champions: Train your workforce to innovate and advance sustainability solutions. Education is a catalyst that produces the entrepreneurs, technologists, thinkers, knowledge workers, teachers, and leaders who collectively make it possible for economies and individuals to prosper – and – create our future generation of leaders.
Embrace the power of social media: Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies are transforming the work environment, business operations, delivery and transparency of corporate responsibility. Technological advancements offer tremendous opportunities to make a positive change in how companies approach business, economic and societal challenges.
Protect thy reputation: Continue to align social innovation and sustainable development with the business model, stakeholders and integral to reputation management.
Maximize monetary commitments: Forge deeper partnerships with non-profit social and environmental actors – NGOs, (UN Agencies, development agencies). Healthcare, poverty, education and workplace development are among top causes in need. Companies have a timely opportunity to collaborate with some new and innovative non-profit/NGOs who are in the trenches addressing key causes.
End poverty in Africa: Support a project called the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. These eight goals, which the UN hopes to achieve by 2015, include reducing extreme poverty by half, halting the spread of AIDS and ensuring universal primary education. More information - http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

In conclusion: Now is the time to invest in our people and communities to mitigate environmental impact and promote societal advancement. The case for companies to do this has never been more compelling.

In 2010, Reputation Dynamics can help you align corporate responsibility with reputation management and performance:

Strategic review and evaluation of your responsibility programs and impact
Design and implementation of sustainable programs aligned with business objectives - including diversity and workplace initiatives
Customized training programs to energize teams, develop a stronger employee culture and reinforce management's commitment
Experiential marketing and story telling
Develop grassroots education and community mobilization campaigns
Identity and form deeper partnerships with nonprofit/NGO organizations
Strategic briefing to your leadership and employees

Stay tuned for our blog facelift in 2010. Thanks for your support and your contributions to society.

By Sam Taylor.

***

Reputation Dynamics forms Partnership with Elevate Destinations to Offer World Cup Community Touring in South Africa

2009-12-03T12:22:00.017-05:00

Reputation Dynamics, in partnership with Elevate Destinations, is providing several customized community tour options to complement travelers' experiences at the South Africa World Cup. The touring will introduce travelers to some of the issues and challenges prevalent in South African communities, as well as introduce innovative non-profit organizations seeking to make a positive impact. Tours can be organized for a minimum of 1 or 2 days or longer.

Sample excursions include touring community projects in the historic Soweto area with former great soccer players such as Andre Arendse and Linda Buthelezi; a visit to the Boland Athletics Club, to meet with disadvantaged kids from the townships and farm areas around the Boland in Capetown; and a trip to Indigo Skate Park, situated in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in Durban – a rural area where skateboarding has brought hope to the community.

10% of tour costs will be donated to local communities and non-profits.

Key non-profit partners for this initiative are: The Sports Trust, which has sponsored more than 200 projects throughout South Africa and has mounted a campaign to distribute 20,000 soccer shoes before the World Cup, to disadvantaged children who cannot participate in the sport for lack of footwear; the Ubuntu Institute, a non-profit organization in South Africa founded by Cedza Dlamini (Nelson Mandela's grandson), which looks at the role of culture, heritage and indigenous knowledge systems in achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa; and Uthando South Africa, which supports a broad range of grass roots, community-based projects with substantial and enduring value to the most destitute and marginalized communities in South Africa.

Founded in 2005, Elevate Destinations is a leading global sustainable travel company offering customized adventures to travelers' seeking to explore and impact the environmental, socio-cultural and economic conditions of the places they visit. Key markets include Africa, India, Latin America and South East Asia.

Further information:

E: sam@elevatedestinations.com - 212 979 6092.

http://www.elevatedestinations.com/

Survey to Explore Keys to Winning Employee Engagement Programs | GreenBiz.com

2009-11-21T14:43:00.009-05:00

Survey to Explore Keys to Winning Employee Engagement Programs GreenBiz.com

Employee Sustainability Education Impacts the Bottom-line.

Interesting survey to take and the deadline is November 30th. Supports the current trend that sustainability initiatives need to be engaged with, and championed by, employees within organizations. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives no longer just resides within executive and senior management teams - need to be integrated throughout the organization and supply chain.

Employee Mobilization is Key: For and not-for-profit organizations need to continue to harness the power of employees, gauge their opinions about green concerns, embrace them in grass-roots community mobilization and campaigns, as well as ensure proper integration with social community networking platforms.

Sam Taylor

Reputation Dynamics forms Partnership with Climb the Green Ladder: Sustainability Training Critical for Retaining Talent and Competitive Edge

2009-11-08T12:35:00.014-05:00

Reputation Dynamics, in partnership with Climb the Green Ladder, provides training sessions for corporations and non-profits to learn all about sustainability and social change, the business imperative, as well as how to develop and champion stakeholder-driven programs. The program also features a special emerging market session on social change development in Africa.

"Social change, sustainability and 'Going Green' is the evolution of an accepted management paradigm and a key component for safeguarding reputation and competitive business edge - despite an economic slowdown," said Samantha Taylor, Reputation Dynamics founder and president. "Many organizations have enjoyed substantial benefits from their programs, while others are still postponing development."

Seventy-eight percent (78%) believe the value of a job candidate's environmental and sustainability knowledge will increase in importance as a hiring factor within five years. (The Engaged Organization: March 2009).

"Engaging employees with sustainability opportunities has become a critical factor, despite lay-offs, as organizations continue to struggle with attracting and retaining talent for the long term," added Samantha.

Companies continue to be under the gun to implement effective sustainability and social change initiatives to address society's widespread challenges including healthcare, poverty, environmental issues and workplace development - all in conjunction with greater stakeholder mobilization and driving profit.

Sustainability spans a variety of social, economic and environmental activities by organizations that demonstrate their commitment to society on a local or global level, responsible business operations, grass-roots education initiatives and accountability of charitable contributions. These policies and programs can be designed to complement and enhance a company's business strategy, mission, cultural values and workforce development initiatives.

Customized, collaborative sessions, led by Samantha Taylor and associate partner - Shari Aaron (author of Climb the Green Ladder: Wiley), will address trends, best practices and approaches for effectively aligning 'Doing Good in Society' with business, stakeholder and community needs.

A typical agenda includes the following components:

Role and impact of sustainability, social change and green marketing
Top global concerns
Impact on brand, reputation and performance
Making the business case
The new relationship dynamics between the for-profit and non-profit sectors
Integration within the organization - connecting the dots with the CMO, HR and employees
Positioning and messaging for impact
Experiential marketing and campaign development
Emerging market spotlight - Africa
Evaluation and results benchmarking

Please contact Sam Taylor for further details about the program, cost and registration:

sam@reputation-dynamics.com - (212) 979 6092.

***

http://www.climbthegreenladder.com/

Live from The Corporate Council on Africa - Perspectives on Aligning Social Responsibility for Africa

2009-10-09T14:38:00.008-05:00

Joining hosts Ian & Tonya Fitzpatrick, hosts of Travel'n On Radio, from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center convenes experts in African and US business:

Marc Cavaliere, Executive Vice President of South African Airways

Sam Taylor, Founder and President of Reputation Dynamics

Thad Simons, President and CEO of Novus International

Keith Bruce, President of SportsMark

Peter Greenberg, CBS Travel Editor

For more information about this week's program and to listen click on following link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/TravelnOnRadio/2009/09/30/LIVE-from-the-US-Africa-Business-Summit

The U.S.-Africa Business Summit attracted more than 1,500 leaders from the private and public sectors in the U.S. and Africa including U.S. and African heads of state and their cabinet ministers, along with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and heads of international organizations. In addition to a special speech made by Hillary Clinton and an agribusiness plenary, participants had the opportunity attend more than 50 industry-specific sessions including infrastructure, natural resources, health, financing, power, social responsibility and experiential tourism.

The Corporate Council on Africa - LIVE from the US-Africa Business Summit in DC

2009-10-04T15:53:00.007-05:00

Joining host Sandy Dhuyvetter this week from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center TravelTalkRADIO brings experts in African and US business:

Samantha Taylor, Founder of Reputation Dynamics
Barbara Hochstellar, Airport Designer
Yusuf Reja, Founder and CEO of ZebraJobs.com
Obinna Ekezie, President of Wakanow.com
Tim McCoy, VP Member Services of The Corporate Council on Africa
George Aboagye, CEO Ghana Investment Promotion Center

For more information about this week's program and to listen click on following link:
http://www.traveltalkradio.com/TTR_760kfmb.html

The U.S.-Africa Business Summit attracted more than 1,500 leaders from the private and public sectors in the U.S. and Africa including U.S. and African heads of state and their cabinet ministers, along with CEOs of fortune 500 companies, and heads of international organizations. In addition to a special speech made by Hillary Clinton and an agribusiness plenary, participants had the opportunity attend more than 50 industry-specific sessions including infrastructure, natural resources, health, financing, power, social responsibility and experiential tourism.

Stay tuned for Sam Taylor's report back on the conference and implications for corporate social responsibility in Africa.

****

CORPORATE COUNCIL ON AFRICA’S U.S.-AFRICA BUSINESS SUMMIT

2009-09-10T15:04:00.011-05:00

Aligning ‘Doing Good in Society’ with Business and Experiential Tourism

Reputation Dynamics Founder Sam Taylor will be moderating a panel on ‘Business and Experiential Tourism’ in conjunction with the 7th Biennial U.S.– Africa Business Summit: Realizing the Investment Power of Africa, to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., September 29 – October 1, 2009.

The African continent continues to show potential as a leading foreign direct investment destination for American businesses, despite the economic downturn nations around the globe are currently experiencing.

According to the IMF, Africa is still expected to maintain a positive growth rate of 3.4% for 2009, an impressive achievement for the continent. The continent is seeing increasingly higher levels of investment in industries such as infrastructure, financing, tourism, agribusiness, health, and energy.

About the Summit: The U.S.-Africa Business Summit is expected to attract more than 1,500 leaders from the private and public sectors in the U.S. and Africa. The summit has a stellar track record of bringing together U.S. and African heads of state and their cabinet ministers, along with CEOs of fortune 500 companies, and heads of international organizations. In addition to an agribusiness plenary, participants will have the opportunity to attend more than 50 industry-specific sessions and workshops on other promising sectors in Africa, including infrastructure, natural resources, health, financing, power, social responsibility and tourism.

Business and Experiential Tourism Panel Details
Thursday, October 1, 2009 - 10.30-12.00

Moderator - Sam Taylor, Founder of Reputation Dynamics

Panelists:

Elizabeth (Liz) Culkin - Vice President, ASTA
Leslee Hall - Botswana Tourism Board, Partner Concepts
Karen Hoffman - Tanzania Tourism Board, The Bradford Group
Dennis Pinto - Managing Director, Micato Safaris

According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), ‘sun-and-sand-tourism’ has now matured as a market and its growth is projected to remain flat. In contrast, experiential tourism, encompassing eco-, volunteer, heritage, cultural, and adventure tourism is expected to grow three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole. Beginning in the 1990s, this sector has grown up to 34% per year and could grow to 25% of the world’s travel market within six years, taking value of the sector to $473.6 billion a year. The workshop will cover the opportunities for participation, investment and growth potential for the continent.

About The Corporate Council on Africa: Established in 1993, The Corporate Council on Africa is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 180 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.

Currently, 85 percent of all U.S. private sector investment in Africa comes from CCA members.

For more information and to register for the 7th Biennial U.S.–Africa Business Summit, visit: www.africacncl.org.

***

CMO Club Roundtable: Smarter Approaches to Cause Marketing

2009-08-20T10:14:00.004-05:00

Cause Marketing CMO CLUB Roundtable Podcast with Bruce Burtch, CEO - The Cause Marketing Catalyst, Lee Fox, Founder - KooDooZ, and Sam Taylor, Founder - Reputation Dynamics.

Three cause marketing experts share insights in a roundtable conversation hosted by Pete Krainik, Founder - The CMO CLUB.

Topics include:

CMO worthy definition of cause marketing
Best resources for measurement
Risks and rewards for non-profits and brands
Importance of "brand-fit" between for-profit, not-for-profit, and cause
How cause marketing affects consumer perceptions
Emerging causes
Closing recommendations for CMOs

Link to Podcast: http://www.thecmoclub.blogspot.com/

Cause Marketing Podcast - MP3 File

For more information about The CMO Club - http://www.thecmoclub.com/

Repairing Reputations with Cause-related Marketing - Creating Positive Change for Financial Institutions

2009-08-05T12:02:00.011-05:00

Teleseminar: Wednesday, August 26, 1–2:30 p.m. EDT

Public Relations Society of America - Financial Communications

Register now

Developing cause-related marketing initiatives is important for a financial institution seeking to increase brand awareness and regain trust.

Consumers are aware of organizations that support global concerns such as poverty, and increasingly influencing their buying decisions. Effectively integrating cause marketing can also help companies repair damaged reputations by donating resources and volunteer support to non-profit/NGO organizations. With current economic conditions, sponsorships of fundraising events are more important than ever and they are willing to negotiate these costs, as well as return on investment. Cause-related marketing is expected to reach $1.57 billion this year.

Why should a financial services firm use cause marketing to improve its reputation with its various stakeholders?

By getting involved in charitable causes and mobilizing employees, the company makes a positive impact in the communities it conducts business. This will translate into positive brand impact and strengthen stakeholder relationships such as shareholders, board of directors, employees, public officials and the general public.

You will learn:

About corporate social responsibility and trends
How to choose the right cause or nonprofit organization
How to increase employee involvement
How to leverage your sponsorship
Best practices and approaches in cause marketing

PANELISTS:

Samantha Taylor - founder and principal, Reputation Dynamics
Steve Bumgarner - co-founder and co-principal, Capture Public Relations and Marketing
Dan Marks - chief marketing officer, First Horizon Bank

MODERATOR:

Keith Tolbert - marketing specialist, First Community Bank

TELESEMINAR: Wednesday, August 26, 1 — 2:30 p.m. EDT

PRSA Financial Communications Section Member $85
Member $190 / Non-Member $290

APR Accreditation Maintenance Credits Approved: 1.0

Click here to register!

On Campus from Broadway Theatre Project - Musical Theatre Arts Training Program

2009-07-30T11:15:00.010-05:00

I am in my fourth year, on-site, supporting the Broadway Theatre Project's intensive musical theatre arts education program for high school and college kids. Today marks an exciting milestone in the history of BTP - the start of its first Festival where the parents of the students will be able to attend workshops and learn about the critical skills needed to succeed in the professional world of entertainment.

185 apprentices from 28 states, as well as Canada and American Samoa, will be performing in the Festival from July 30-August 1.

Numbers in the four festival performances have been directed and choreographed by members of the BTP faculty including Artistic Director Debra McWaters, So You Think You Can Dance - Ryan Kasprzak, Radio City Rockette - Kelly King, among others. Performances also include world premieres of workshops by Broadway Music Director David Loud and Broadway Composer Frank Wildhorn.

Frank Wildhorn’s number is from the upcoming show Bonnie & Clyde, which heads to La Jolla Playhouse in California and will then make its way to Broadway. Wildhorn also wrote the musical Wonderland, which had its world premiere workshop during the 2007 session of Broadway Theatre Project. David Loud’s numbers are from an upcoming concert of Kander and Ebb music called First You Dream that is heading to the Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C. this September.

Founded in 1991, Broadway Theatre Project is a prestigious musical theatre arts education program. For further information and to support this impressive program - http://www.broadwaytheatreproject.com/.

Sam

***

RECESSION PROOF: Keeping Sustainability Development on Track

2009-07-21T14:06:00.009-05:00

The trend continues to build momentum. Despite the state of our world economy, corporate social responsibility (CSR) increasingly dominates news headlines.

This shift toward greater social consciousness represents an important milestone in our history. It is aligning the interests of business and the public, as organizations and communities collaborate on 'Doing Good in Society'.

However, some major gaps still exist which need to be addressed. Trust and confidence in business is still at an all time low, as well as fragmented approaches being adopted toward properly integrating the CSR mandate with reputation management and performance.

Shame on You Financial Institutions

The recent bail-outs of several prominent financial services institutions have further compromised Americans’ confidence.

According to a recent survey by Harrison Group, 63% of wealthy Americans say they have lost faith in financial institutions.

Banks, mortgage companies and credit unions are being forced to do what’s right by revamping their pay/bonus structures, risk management systems, compliance and transparency policies - just to name a few.

While the financial crisis is forcing policy-makers to rethink an overhaul of (and in some cases, return to) market regulation and oversight to benefit the U.S. economy and mitigate risk, organizations continue to cut costs and are laying people off.

They are thinking short- and not long- term.

New ‘Era of Responsibility’ - Culture Shift for America

In parallel, Obama’s leadership comes at a time of change, hope and opportunity for America which can be further embraced via sustainability opportunities. This has further elevated the status of social consciousness within corporations and among the larger communities of stakeholders.This, in turn, will cause significant change in the business and policy environment requiring enhanced leadership from government, legislators, consumers and businesses. President Obama recently announced doling out roughly a half trillion dollars to include ‘green’ projects, from home weatherization to renewable energy.

Advancing community’s interests is becoming ingrained in our purchasing decisions as consumers are demanding that their favorite brands exercise a social consciousness that reflects their own. They are also being held accountable for their contributions to society and impact.

Wal-Mart: Role of Environmental Activist

Announced in The New York Times this week, Wal-Mart Stores affirms its mission to determine the social and environmental impact of every item it puts on its shelves including recruiting scholars, suppliers and environmental groups to help create an indexing system.

World Issues Cannot be Ignored

Water conservation, poverty, access to affordable health care, climate change and environmental issues continue to dominate top global concerns.

‘Checkbook’ philanthropy is a thing of the past, within in-kind products, services and expertise representing more than 60 percent of today’s corporate contributions. Cause alignment and philanthropy are increasingly being linked to value in the sustainability evolution.

However, more than 1.5 million nonprofits now are competing for scarce resources and attention from the public and private donors in the United States. Non-profit organizations are being forced to change the way they do business and address challenges such as leadership, vision and purpose differentiation.

Organizations must continue to embrace long-term sustainability and create more innovative strategies to protect business, improve stakeholder relationships and deeper community mobilization.

Some key long-term benefits for the CSR investment include:

Regaining trust with customers, suppliers and business partners
Reputation management and performance
Opportunities to align and form stronger partnerships with fiscally healthy nonprofit/NGO organizations developing interesting community-driven initiatives in emerging markets around the world
Motivating employees and attracting talent
With advertising and sponsorships down, opportunities to create longer-term cause-related marketing programs that include grass-roots community education and awareness campaigns
An opportunity to be holistic and less ‘silos’ by integrating programs and aligning throughout business and the supply chain
Embracing Web 2.0 to mobilize and build stronger stakeholder relationships and community building initiatives

In Conclusion..

Our current economic crisis underscores the importance of building a truly sustainable economy for the long term – this not only requires leadership from government, but from for, not-for-profit organizations/NGOs, academia and consumers.

Social innovation, sustainable development, trust and transparency are the new currency for tomorrow’s companies success and effectively riding out this recession.

By Sam Taylor

NOT FOR PROFITS NEED YOU NOW - Narrowing the Divide Between our For and Not for Profit Companies-

2009-05-28T23:10:00.004-05:00

In addition to the impact of the economy on for profit companies, the financial health of our nations non profit groups are rapidly deteriorating.

According to a survey of some 900 non profit leaders conducted by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, only 12 percent of those organizations expect to end the year with an operating surplus, compared with 40 percent who ended their most recent fiscal years with money on hand.

More than half of the respondents stated they need assistance communicating their financial difficulties to their boards and donors, underscoring a growing trend in the non profit world that government and the public ‘at large’ do not fully understand the important role they play addressing causes in need. This presents further challenges for stakeholder connections, mobilization and support to get ‘back on track.’

The non profit/NGO sector and heritage has been at disadvantage to the for profit sector due to society’s perceptions about growth restraints and use of dollars beyond anything other than directly to program and services expenditures. Meanwhile, the for profit sector is permitted to use all the tools of capitalism to advance the sale of its products and services to consumers, need for track record of earnings and increased revenues.

Paradigm Shift.

Not for profits are being forced to change the way they operate, eliminate silos and conduct business due to the growth of social responsibility and changing dynamics of philanthropic giving. Mere ‘check book’ philanthropy will no longer suffice, with 60 percent of corporate contributions now attributed to the donation of products, services, counsel and staff volunteering.

Now, our suffering charities need some tools of capitalism to survive and continue to fight for societies causes most in need such as poverty, health care and human rights. On a broader strategic platform:

They need more strategic, integrated partnerships and policies to establish a social safety net for the world’s most vulnerable people. In addition to food and nutrition support for drought-ridden populations and displaced people, there is the urgent need for growing more food in food-deficit regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti and Afghanistan.
Bridge the gaps in life-saving health care that address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
Advocate for long term sustainability by directing global public investments to renewable energy, energy efficiency and combating climate change.

In turn, corporations have the volunteers, resources, geographical scope, products and services to help them. Yet, a divide continues to prevail in the relationship between the for and not for profit/NGO sectors that needs to be addressed to support their mutual interests for ‘Doing Good in Society,’ impact and success.

Meanwhile, we are still bombarded with fund raisers, donor appeals and volunteer opportunities – and – we have scaled back on our giving, become more skeptical, want more accountability and demonstrated results for our contributions.

And, we need to be better educated about causes in need and selections to make.

Not for profits, not only need the money, but need our time and more strategic, longer-term partnerships.

Following are some guiding principles for both for and not for profit organizations to establish stronger and more sustainable partnerships:

Not for profits:

The new rules of the ‘Ask’: Understand the corporation’s social and environmental vision and mission. Aside from the $$, assess product and services contributions, as well as developing educational initiatives and co-branding opportunities.
‘Story telling’: Do a better job at forging deeper connections with key stakeholders by telling stories, showing the work and ‘harsh’ realities of causes in need.
Brand relevance: It is really important to differentiate especially when donations are down and fight for limited dollars at an all time high. Further clarify, articulate and justify your mission, on and offline.
Stakeholder empowerment: Make donors and volunteers feel inspired about the mission, programs and beneficiaries. Reward them with acknowledgement and impact of their contributions.
Web 2.0: Embrace the tools and technologies to build media and social communities. Need I say again, the Obama campaign raised the bar on social and community mobilization.

For profits:

Selecting the cause: Poll and understand what causes mean the most to your company and key stakeholders in the context of the business value proposition – especially employees and customers – and what they want you to advocate for on their behalf.
Choosing the non-profit: Review the CEO, management, board, operations, vision, impact and resource needs of their programs and services – in addition to and beyond the $$ contribution.
‘Show and Tell’: Research and understand the cause, visit and/or see the project, programs/services, staff and clients.
Mobilizing the community: Volunteering is on the rise and to be encouraged among employees. Ensure staff are educated, provide ‘on site’ support and percentage allocation – individual social responsibility is increasingly being assessed as part of job performance.
Sustainable program development: With sponsorships down, develop longer-term cause-related marketing opportunities that include grass-roots community education and awareness campaigns.
Don’t take all the credit. Non profit/NGO partners should be included and acknowledged in the partnership, along with progress and demonstrated results.

For and non profit/NGO’s have a unique opportunity to commit and be braver establishing compelling new partnerships that we need to pull us through this crisis, have a fairer, more transparent and sustainable future.

Sam Taylor

Sources: Nonprofit Finance Fund.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS THE NEW CURRENCY OF TOMORROW

2009-02-24T21:33:00.006-05:00

--The tragic events and incompetence of the last eight years of Bush Administration will drive a new direction--

“A major course correction will prevail under the new leadership of Barack Obama with sustainable development providing the foundation for hope, change and opportunity for our future generations,” according to Sam Taylor, Founder of Reputation Dynamics.

The reckless financial deregulation and fragmentation of our economic infrastructure has undermined Americans’ confidence and trust which has impacted ‘business as usual,’ role and sense of community - as we once knew it.

A major part of the US recovery will be driven via a nationwide social, business and community rebuilding mobilization. Sustainable development and social responsibility will provide the basis for infrastructure redevelopment upon which to reinvigorate economic development and confidence.
The financial crisis and resultant impact on reputation and business performance, is forcing companies to further embrace sustainable program development and integration throughout their organizations.
While addressing climate change and environmental issues remain a priority, companies and individuals need to mitigate some fundamental global social and humanitarian issues – poverty, hunger and disease – in conjunction with Obama’s plans to retool the social contract with the poor, the uninsured and unemployed.
Continue to redefine the case and impact for sustainable development among key stakeholders, ensuring the proper alignment and positioning of the value proposition in a fragmented economic environment.
Enhance and leverage the increasingly more popular Web 2.0 tools and social networking platforms to enhance people connections, accountability and transparency.

Philanthropic Giving: It’s No Longer about Just Giving a Check

According to a recent LBG Research Institute survey, corporations’ anticipate no change or, in fact, an increase in charitable giving for 2009. Although 42% of corporations and 37% of corporate foundations surveyed say their charitable giving budgets will decrease in 2009, the Institute predicts that the overall decrease will be far less than the 12.1% drop in 2001 reported by Giving USA 2002.

In fact, 80 percent of corporations report that their giving will be more strategic next year, directed at causes in need, with greater impact and efficiency at work.

CAUSES FOR WHICH RESPONDENTS SAY THEY WILL INCREASE THEIR SUPPORT IN 2009

Environmental -- 24%
Basic Needs (food, clothing, shelter) -- 23%
Education/literacy -- 16%
Health -- 14%
Social Services -- 12%
Arts and Culture -- 4%

Conclusions for 2009:

Step up to the New Rules of Reputation Management: Social innovation, sustainable development, trust and transparency are the new currency for tomorrow’s companies doing business.
Evaluate and Measure Program Impact: Continue to assess current initiatives, stakeholder relationships and impact in the community. Use this platform to design and implement sustainable programs aligned with business objectives, as well as determine benchmarks for results measurement.
Philanthropy is an Integral Part of Doing Business: CEOs and their companies need to continue to invest strongly in their communities, responding to the growing expectations of employees, customers and other stakeholders.
Unleash the Power of NGOs for Greater Good: Align more aggressively with non-profit social actors – NGOs, (UN Agencies, development agencies). Companies have a timely opportunity to collaborate with some competent NGOs who are already in the trenches addressing key causes such as poverty, food and shelter.
Stakeholder Mobilization and Impact: Continue to harness the power of key stakeholders and their opinions, embrace them in community mobilization, growing influence and power of social networking platforms.

To be sure, our economy and ongoing disturbing worldwide events are unnerving, but finding solutions to these problems will entail greater support, creative innovation, and collaboration from businesses, government, NGOs/non-profits, community and academia.

Under our new administration, never will our current generation be more challenged and yet can prevail in the face of adversity and respective individual contribution(s) to ensure the course direction that the Obama administration so urgently represents.

By Sam Taylor.

Source: LBG Research Institute

SUSTAINABILITY PARADIGM SHIFT – PEOPLE AND ‘CONNECTIONS’

2008-12-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Despite the economic turmoil, invigorating the global economy by advancing sustainable business practices was top of the agenda at last month’s Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Conference.

The conference convened representatives from NGOs, academia, government and global leaders from corporations such as GE Capital, IKEA and Levi Strauss & Co, among others.

In fact, a "BSR/Cone 2008 Corporate Responsibility in a New World Survey" of 424 conference participants uncovered that more than two-thirds of the business leaders say that more responsible business practices could have lessened, or even prevented, the current economic downturn.

In parallel, the historic presidential election comes at a time of change, hope and opportunity for America which can be further embraced via sustainability opportunities.

This, in turn, will cause significant change in the business and policy environment requiring enhanced leadership from government, legislators, consumers and businesses. President-elect Obama recently announced intensifying his work on a stimulus plan that would dole out roughly a half trillion dollars to include ‘green’ projects, from home weatherization to renewable energy.

Water conservation, human rights, access to affordable healthcare, climate change and environmental issues continue to dominate top global concerns. Cause alignment and philanthropy are increasingly being linked to value in the sustainability evolution.

We cannot afford to delay or ignore pressing world issues…

The United Nations estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will face periodic and often severe water shortages.

In the midst of jolting world events, continued cost-cutting and job losses, corporations are taking a renewed approach to sustainability and embracing the opportunities as they consider it the right thing to do.

In particular, they are reaffirming their commitment by ensuring proper integration of their programs and alignment throughout their business and operations, including:

Supply chain
Transparancy and accountability
Community – global to local
Public policy/advocacy
Employee performance

‘Back to the People’

Meanwhile, a cultural paradigm shift is also taking place. Companies and the ‘public at large’ are seeking deeper and more meaningful connections, embracing community spirit and giving as a way to demonstrate concern and individual action.

In a low trust environment, driving sustainability and its success is routed in its people, connections and regaining their confidence.

Sustainability is advancing to another level by which to engage deeper connections with key stakeholders and address social problems they most care about - particularly human rights and social justice issues.

Opportunities for America’s Volunteer Sector

In conjunction with this paradigm shift, the role and need for volunteers in America is at an all time high and poised for future growth.

According to the Volunteering in America report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, nearly 61 million Americans volunteered in their communities in 2007 giving 8.1 billion hours of service worth more than $158 billion to America’s communities.

Community service has never been stronger, as businesses are forced to commit to their sustainability programs, colleges adopt service-learning, and our new political leaders embrace citizen service.

Establishing volunteering programs and opportunities is a powerful way to empower and motivate employees/consumers.

GE Capital: CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, reiterated that ‘while responsibility programs need to be strategic and a long term commitment towards being competitive and generating profit, it is critical to run a company with trust, proper compliance, regulation and transparency. In order to achieve this, it is critical to engage people, align with culture and values.’

Some key conclusions:

Regain Trust and Confidence: Restore trust in the private sector by a demonstrated commitment to sustainability and help the business community regain the trust of consumers and investors – for the long term
Commitment to Causes: Gain consensus on what causes mean the most to key stakeholders and continued focus on addressing key issues such as energy, human rights and disease
Embrace Community Spirit: Above and beyond the trend of matching employee’s charitable giving, embrace volunteering to motivate and empower employees
Re-evaluate Philanthropic Activities: As the year-end approaches, assess charitable contributions, accountability and impact in the community. Consider causes that can be supported deep in the communities, beyond ‘giving a check’ and aligned with stakeholders

And most importantly……………..

Stay on track

In a spiraling economy, companies and their non-profit/NGO partners need stay on the sustainability track, advance responsible business and social practices to protect and make our world a better place.

By Samantha Taylor.

Resources:
-The BSR/Cone survey fact sheet can be located at

www.bsr.org/files/BSR_Cone_2008_Survey.pdf
-The Volunteering in America report can be located at www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov.

***

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE FINANCIAL CRISIS: IMPACT ON SUSTAINABILITY

2008-10-28T19:40:00.011-05:00

With tumultuous financial markets, a terrifying real estate crisis, and the U.S. Presidential election dominating the news, trust and confidence is now at an all time low – especially among consumers and investors.

While the financial crisis is forcing policy-makers to rethink an overhaul of (and in some cases, return to) market regulation and oversight to benefit the U.S. economy and mitigate risk, businesses are cutting costs and laying people off.

It's rough out there. Peoples’ life savings are evaporating as they watch the very executives who engineered this crisis walk way with Golden Parachutes. Government and Corporate America can no longer ignore the grass roots movement of everyday citizens rejecting the hypocrisies of our existing structure. Ignoring health care, the environment, and education can no longer be accepted.

While we don’t know how long this economic fallout will endure, we can be certain that at the end a new social consciousness will prevail. The public at large is realizing that government and corporations have not been effectively self-policing.

Who Will Watch the Watchers Themselves?

Another key lesson to be learned from the recent failure of several prominent financial institutions is the realization that organizations still fail to embrace the power of practicing corporate responsibility (CR).

The Wall Street crisis is fundamentally changing the way society views sustainability and it is an opportunity for businesses to reshape the sustainability agenda to their advantage.

Meanwhile, social, economic and environmental concerns still rest on the frontlines and are not to be overlooked in the context of new crises that will continue to emerge today and tomorrow. In particular, global climate change remains a permanent threat and Africans’ life spans continue to decline owing largely to AIDS, 60% of whose worldwide victims are African. Not to mention the increasing number of people in the US infected and impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Never has there been a greater ‘Call to Action’ and opportunity for businesses to re-examine their sustainability agendas, maintain a long term focus and continue to realize the benefits amidst the current economic and political changes.

They need to reflect the interests of those who have stakes in their business and realize the consequences of overlooking them. For example:

Investors: Where art thou profit?
Employees: Need to be empowered and motivated
Taxpayers: Who will now foot the bill for the bailouts
Community Power: Build, connect and align with key relationships – globally and locally
Customers: Expect transparency and accountability to support and demonstrate their favorite brands/products responsible business and social practices

Specifically:

Businesses must continue to address key sustainability issues like energy, climate change, disease and human rights concerns
Boost their voluntary and philanthropic efforts top-to-bottom and with participation from their employees
Maintain their reputations and boost trust by key stakeholders – especially consumers and investors
Embrace new tools and technologies that can assist businesses to establish connected communities, better focus their philanthropic activities for employee opportunity and motivation
As the giving season approaches, gain consensus from stakeholders about causes in need, align cause-related marketing and charitable contributions
Collaborate and establish partnerships with fiscally healthy non-profits/NGOs that that have the necessary resources and depth of knowledge to develop community-driven campaigns

CEOs need to stop worrying about the next quarterly report, their own compensation packages and spend more time creating a culture of responsible practices and conduct.

In conclusion, navigating this crisis effectively underscores the importance of building a truly sustainable economy for the long term – that not only requires leadership from government, but from businesses, consumers and ‘society at large.’

More later....

Sam Taylor

***

Resources:

Online giving and community building- www.ammado.com

DRIVING HOME THE REALITIES OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC - Perspectives from The International AIDS Conference

2008-08-23T09:53:00.010-05:00

On the heels of The International AIDS Conference (IAC) which took place on August 3-8 in Mexico City, a plethora of news announcements and developments provided further context about the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic which is responsible for 2.5 million people becoming newly infected each year.

Bottom line? The epidemic in the United States has not subsided since the 1990s and is apparently growing as evidenced by:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a national study estimating that in 2008 there were 56,000 new HIV infections in the US compared to 40,000 last reported in 2006
An analysis of the 2006 National Health Survey, also conducted by the CDC, found that only 40.4% of Americans aged between 18 and 64 reported ever having been tested for HIV, which leaves about 60% who have never been tested
A report issued by the Black AIDS Institute, 'Left Behind! Black America: A Neglected Priority in the Global AIDS Epidemic' illustrates the impact of HIV/AIDS on Black Americans, who make up 70% of new HIV diagnoses among teenagers and 65% of HIV-infected newborns
President Bush signed into law a five-year authorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that lifts the 15 year-old HIV entry ban. The legislation removes the statutory ban on HIV-positive non-citizens gaining immigration status and travel visas originally proposed by the late Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) and codified into law in 1993
The legislation authorizes $48 billion to be spent on foreign AIDS relief over the next five years

Yet, in our own back yard, there is no comprehensive strategy, dedicated domestic funding, or plan to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The IAC conference attracted more than 20,000 researchers, doctors, activists, government officials, for and not-for-profit/NGO organizations from around the world for a week of science and strategy sessions on the global pandemic that has killed 25 million people since 1981.

Experts were echoing the need for a National AIDS strategy to bring the same kind of attention to the domestic epidemic that the US provides overseas, as well as an annual commitment of $1.3 billion to HIV prevention needed to mitigate the AIDS epidemic.

Bill Clinton, during his presentation on 'Health System Reform; Achieving Universal Coverage,' described HIV/AIDS - as follows - adeptly illustrating the difficulties navigating the HIV/AIDS complexities in search of solutions to fight the epidemic.

'The mythological dragon was slain by St. George, the original knight in shining armor. But this dragon must be slain instead by millions and millions of foot soldiers. Universal Action Now calls on all of us to make the best use of the weapons at our disposal.'

Mr. Clinton recited some of his foundation's accomplishments, including lowering the cost of certain AIDS treatments for poor children to $60 a year from the $600 they cost three years ago, as well as the 1.4 million people living with AIDS using medicines purchased under the HIV/AIDS agreements.

Yet, while there are weapons at our disposal, we need new leadership and resources to meet the goals of the 2010 deadline for Universal Access.

This requires considerable scaling up of HIV prevention, treatment and care services. While efforts have been successfully made towards HIV treatment, it is imperative to adopt efforts towards HIV prevention overall.

For example, experts cited:

Reorient the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief to also include a US strategy and allocate funds for domestic HIV prevention and care initiatives
Raise awareness and provide education about the importance of HIV screening, utilization of treatment and risk reduction
Adopt new strategies to ensure more people are tested as part of routine medical care
Focus on AIDS reduction with access to effective HIV prevention and treatment services especially among American minority populations

For and not-for-profit businesses have a timely opportunity to further mobilize action and their substantial resources to complement or extend existing human rights initiatives:

Cause Alignment: Select HIV/AIDS and develop an integrated education initiative for our youth and American minorities in local and global communities that represent business interests
Employee/Workplace Programs: Communicate with and educate employees who are key to productivity. Establish workplace programs as the basis for company engagement, as well as an extension to NGO and public-sector programs. With volunteerism on the rise, companies can impact their communities by engaging their workforce in local projects
Small Businesses: Small and medium-sized businesses are a growing sector employing about 80% of the worlds workforce and need to be engaged in programs that protect employees from global epidemics
Big Businesses: They have the marketing, resources and scale to reach the public at large with critical messages and research about prevention, treatment and risk reduction

Let's fill in the gaps between our administration, businesses and communities to further mitigate the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

**

Some useful resources and links include:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/

Gay Men's Health Crisis - www.gmhc.org

The Lancet - www.thelancet.com

BROADWAY THEATRE PROJECT (BTP) – Musical Theatre Arts Education for Kids

2008-07-10T13:57:00.008-05:00

I am presently engaged in my yearly pilgrimage to help out with BTP’s musical theatre arts education program in Florida which runs from July 6-27. More than 200 talented students from 28 states, as well as Canada, England and American Samoa attend an intensive curriculum to properly prepare them for a professional career in performing arts.

As a prior student of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama programs, I am an avid supporter and believer of the critically important role that musical theatre arts can play in helping young men and women learn, gain confidence and succeed in life. Education in performing arts provides a foundation to tap creativity, enthusiasm and vivid imaginations – applicable to whatever career path we follow. It is important to support and fund these training programs.

Special guests include Patrick Wilson, Ashley Brown, Ben Vereen, Terrance Mann and Christopher D’Amboise, among others.

BTP apprentices will participate in work shopping numbers from shows currently in development including:

The Imagine Project - by Terrence Mann and Christopher D'Amboise. A performance piece will be created using historical songs from culture-changing artists who have transformed and transcended generations. This original work, created at BTP, will tell a moving story to the Beatles songs “Imagine” and “Because.” Mr. Mann began work on this concept with the National Dance Institute.

Havana - by Frank Wildhorn. Apprentices will work with Mr. Wildhorn, as well as artistic director Debra McWaters, on staging numbers from the show Havana. Vocalists will be featured as well as dance with a Latin flair.

Final Show … AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:

The July 2008 session culminates in a show that showcases the talents of all apprentices consisting of original works created by the BTP faculty and apprentices. The show will be held on July 26 at 3 and 8 pm in the Ferguson Hall at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased through the TBPAC box office, 813-229-7827, or through Ticketmaster.

Founded in 1991, the non-profit Broadway Theatre Project is a prestigious musical theatre arts education program for high school and college students. Under the artistic direction of Debra McWaters, students attend an intensive three-week training program focused on acting, dancing and singing, as well as the critical life skills necessary to work in the professional world of entertainment.

For more information, support and make a donation to this terrific training program – http://www.broadwaytheatreproject.com/.

Photo: Sam Taylor with Ben Vereen.

Human Rights: Narrowing the Divide between Business and Social Responsibility

2008-05-30T14:52:00.010-05:00

In the face of western companies marketing challenges supporting the Olympics and activists linking the games to Darfur/Tibet, addressing human rights issues are top-of-mind.

Today, key global human rights issues increasingly span: Arms - Business – Children - Terrorism - Economic - Social - Health - HIV/AIDS - Labor - LGBT rights - and the list goes on. Notable issues include:

Kenya: In May, the Kenyan government launched Operation “Rudi Nyumbani” (Return Home), aimed at returning thousands of men, women, and children to their homes, which they fled in the violent aftermath of the December 2007 elections. However, the provincial commissioner for Rift Valley province recently announced that all displaced persons camps in the province would be closed within three weeks. Since the announcement, there have been reports of forced returns and inadequate services once people reach their homes.

Burma, Colombia, Angola, Burundi: In more than twenty countries around the world, children are soldiers of war. Denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.

China: The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing is presented as a unique opportunity to demonstrate to its people and the world a commitment to the fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in China’s own constitution. Several obstacles have prevented freedom of movement, religion, assembly and access to information. There is a substantial increase in human rights abuses directly related to preparations for the Games such as violations of media freedom and an intensifying persecution of Chinese human rights defenders who speak out publicly about the Games.

The Role of Business: Coca-cola and GE who have allocated millions of dollars to sponsor the Olympics are being criticized for not speaking out about the deteriorating human rights situation in China and responsibility agendas are being challenged.

Globalization has led to widespread growth in commerce and the reach of businesses. It has been debated that business responsibility and policies aimed at improving corporate conduct neglect to fully consider human rights issues - and - there is no shared assessment of the extent of the impact that business practices have on human rights.

As businesses ‘license to operate’ obligations continue to evolve and change so are the implications on human rights as companies are forced to take proactive measures to prevent employee misconduct, engage suppliers, address product quality/safety issues and ensure integrity of their business relationships.

While human rights models are considered to be well developed, business alignment and implementation are being scrutinized.

This was a key topic addressed at the Global Compact US Network’s Human Rights and Business Symposium in April. Jointly convened with the Harvard Business School, the meeting drew approximately 100 corporate executives, civil society representatives, academics and other human rights experts.

Some key issues and comments brought up by the Global Compact panelists include:

For human rights to be respected, it is important to partner with individuals and organizations who are experts in their field such as religious, community, legal and development organizations – Ms. Mary Robinson, The Ethical Globalization Initiative
Public health is a key component and often overlooked – Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman, Anglo American plc
Business should assess what impact business has on human rights – Christine Bader, Advisor to the UN SRSG
Important that human rights are integrated into the business – Reverand David Schilling – Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Utilize specialized groups such as Dream for Darfur to influence China to pressure Sudan for change – Robert Corcoran, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, GE

Olympics-The Devil You Do the Devil You Don’t: Top sponsors of the games include Atos Origin, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Manulife, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, Lenovo, McDonald’s, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa.

Companies expanding their business interests in China are exposing themselves to risks - politics, trade disputes, fears of unsafe products as well as being tarred by negative publicity.

Properly measuring and responding to external issues such as the Olympics, which are often larger than the company wide, is hard to navigate. Also, corporations can’t be expected to intervene in a complex cultural and political situation that will fix China, Darfur and Tibet overnight. This situation underscores a more careful approach about which ‘battle you pick to fight' in relation to long term social responsibility planning and impact.

J&J is sponsoring a medical training center for 2,000 Chinese medical personnel to treat athletes and spectators during the games. GE is providing ultrasound equipment to treat injured athletes, as well as power, lighting, water and security systems at sports venues.

Some conclusions to be made in the interests of uniting a variety of efforts to strengthen human rights in relation to business responsibility, protect individuals and communities from harm:

Develop tools to properly assess and manage human rights issues within a company (e.g. freedom of association, right to privacy)
CSR and human rights should be integrated within the decision-making process
Access to food, water, shelter and education are linked to human rights, so companies already engaged in CSR are in a more favorable position to lead human rights implementation and education
Vouch for better inclusion and enforcement in trade agreements
Engage multi-stakeholders that represent different sectors, expertise and environments
Gauge opinions about human rights and issues that employees/customers would like companies to advocate for on their behalf
Communicate the standards and transparent measuring to key stakeholders such as NGOs, investors and employees

As for the Olympics sponsors, it would be fair to show their commitment by at least issuing a public statement of support for human rights which seeks to promote the ‘respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.’

We can only hope to protect the integrity of the games, all the athletes and countries involved.

**

Some useful human rights resources and links include:

Declaration on Human Rights – www.everyhumanhasrights.org - The Human Rights Compliance Assessment – www.humanrightsbusiness.org - Business and Human Rights Resource Centre: www.business-humanrights.org – UN Global Compact – www.unglobalcompact.org

UN Global Compact Hosting Conference – Human Rights

2008-04-27T13:06:00.014-05:00

On April 28 at the Harvard Business School in Boston, the UN Global Compact U.S. Network's will be hosting its first conference of 2008. The conference will focus on ‘Business and Human Rights’, in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

With disturbing world events such as the issues surrounding the Olympics in China, Darfur, childrens poverty, disease, human trafficking and food shortages, this is a critical time to review the role, responsibilities and impact of businesses.

The UN conference convenes speakers that will address a number of critical humanitarian issues including:

Understanding business risks associated with human rights
Setting policy and addressing stakeholder expectations
Monitoring and reporting progress

Speakers and moderators will include senior managers of companies at the forefront of these issues, as well as thought leaders from civil society and other sectors. Two keynote speakers will include:

Mrs. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and current Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders
Mr. John Ruggie, Harvard Professor and UN Special Representative on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations.

The meeting will also feature the launch of the Case Study Report by the UN Global Compact Office and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The event coincides with the Ceres annual conference also taking place in Boston this week.

Reputation Dynamics next blog will address opinions about corporations marketing challenges addressing CSR for a major current event.

Watch this space.

CSR Champions Need To Take It To The Top - Perspectives about The CRO Conference

2008-04-04T10:00:00.003-05:00

Intel's Chief Administration Officer Andy Bryant, during his keynote speech at the CRO conference, addressed how a multi-year journey led Intel to be nominated #1 on the CRO Magazines 100 Best Corporate Citizens list.

The conference, held in New York, convened experts and more than 200 corporate responsibility practitioners, professional service providers and non-profit influencers to address financial governance issues, stakeholder communications, and sustainability best practices.

Intel's success can be attributed to making corporate responsibility a competitive imperative.

"Our efforts started at the top and we focused on all key areas including governance, human rights, environment, climate change, finance and assigned accountabilities throughout the organization," said Bryant.

Eaton Corporation has also enjoyed success deploying world-class environmental, health and safety (EHS) practices utilizing the Eaton Business System.

"We aligned our efforts with our brand and business strategy from the outset," said Joey Wolfsberger, Vice President of EHS.

Bryant advocated for public companies to seek leadership from their top officers in raising their level of corporate responsibility.

However, there are still major gaps advocating and properly integrating CSR strategies within corporations - from top to bottom. For example:

Reputation Dynamics recently led a CSR survey for The Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) among 1,700 VP-level or above marketing executives in their organizations. The survey uncovered that 62.5% of those who participated work for companies that are not engaged in corporate social responsibility programs due to a lack of interest or priority

These results were at odds with the fact that 60% of respondents think that corporate social responsibility programs have or will have a positive impact on profitability and overall performance of the company.

The survey respondents identified opportunities such as employee motivation (71%), influencing customer behaviors (54%), growth and innovation (54%), and increased profits (25%)
A recent IBM survey conducted among senior executives and directors of strategy at 250 corporations uncovered another major gap - 76% of businesses surveyed admit they don't truly understand their customers' CSR concerns

Internal CSR champions need help educating and convincing their senior management to make CSR a priority and integrated throughout the organization, rather than a 'nice to have' or a side job.

Even in a down economy, they need to be reminded they are missing out on tremendous business opportunities that not only directly impacts the bottom line, but also offers financial incentives when employees are more motivated and loyal, and positively influencing customer behaviors for the long term.

CSR champions shout louder.

***

Information about Intel and Eaton CSR efforts can be located at http://www.intel.com/ and http://www.eaton.com/.

Tending to Our Back Yard: The Realities about HIV/AIDS

2008-03-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the President’s Plan for AIDS Relief at $50 billion over 5 years to combat the global health crisis posed by AIDS and other diseases.

In President Bush’s original executive budget, he had proposed a $28 million increase to abstinence-only education and no increase for HIV/AIDS research at the National Institutes of Health.

Fortunately, both the Senate and House versions of the bill would remove a requirement that one-third of HIV prevention funds that focus on countries that receive PEPFAR be used for abstinence-until-marriage programs.

Notwithstanding the needs of the 40 million sufferers around the world, there are substantial problems providing the critical support services in the United States. For example:

In New York State alone, there are 110,000 people living with HIV/AIDS and another estimated 28,000 are undiagnosed
Young people in age ranges of 15-24 account for almost half of all new HIV infections reported in the US each year
It is overlooked that women are affected and increasing in numbers
There are lack of proper services and resources for health care providers to support prevention and treatment

In response to President Bush’s original executive budget, Marjorie J. Hill, PhD, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) commented “he proposes to either cut or flat-fund critical programs for research, HIV prevention and care, while continuing to call for increases in harmful programs like abstinence-only education.”

Where the current administration has failed to advance the fight against the AIDS crisis, programs such as (PRODUCT) RED have done an excellent job capitalizing on co branding and marketing opportunities with leading brands such as Apple, Dell, American Express and Armani, where consumers buy RED items and money is directed to the Global Fund. RED contributions to the Global Fund recently reached a $100 million milestone.

However, while the quest for funding and resources continues to be challenging..

Major gaps continue to prevail in the proper appropriation of funds and providing the necessary services toward the fight against HIV/AIDS.....

For and not-for-profit businesses have a timely opportunity to further mobilize action and their substantial resources to complement existing social and economic responsibility initiatives:

Cause Alignment: Select HIV/AIDS and develop an integrated education initiative for our youth both at home and in global destinations that represent business interests
Employee/Workplace Programs: Communicate with and educate employees who are key to productivity. Establish workplace programs as the basis for company engagement, as well as an extension to NGO and public-sector programs. With volunteerism on the rise, companies can impact their communities by engaging their workforce in local projects
Small Businesses: Small and medium-sized businesses are a growing sector employing about 80% of the worlds workforce and need to be engaged in programs that protect employees from global epidemics
Big Businesses: They have the marketing, resources and scale to reach the public at large with critical messages and research about prevention, treatment and protecting human rights

Let's fill in the gaps between our administration, businesses and communities to further mitigate the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Source: GMHC. Joinred.com. New York Department of Health.

Africa – The Force of Change

2008-03-05T13:10:00.005-05:00

‘As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself…Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.’ Nelson Mandela

The energy and enthusiasm about Africa was running high at the first US-Africa Tourism Seminar on 2/27 developed by The Corporate Council on Africa and Africa Travel Association. While Africa has its fair share of political, economic and humanitarian challenges, the continent is poised to be a major travel destination and location for investment and business exploration.

In conjunction with the ‘Greening’ of the travel industry, Experiential Tourism, a growing sector beyond ‘sun-and-sand tourism,’ is expected to grow to 25% of the world’s travel market within six years - $473.6 billion a year.

As Gregg Truman, vice president of marketing for South African Airways pointed out, Africa commands only 2.4% of global travel market share, with only 64 million people taking trips to Africa.

With a new breed of ‘sustainable tourists’ seeking culturally authentic travel experiences that protect the environment and integrity of the destination, VolunTourism and travel philanthropy opportunities are on the rise. Africa is rich for its natural resources, tourism and wildlife, dancing and music – among others.
Opportunities for ‘Doing Good in Africa’:

Corporations and individuals have abundant opportunities to make a difference by addressing causes in need and making a personal connection with African communities. Some suggestions include:

Engage in ongoing education for the public about the realities and opportunities
Encourage family and stakeholder visits to see communities with causes in need
Align with NGO/non-profits to help mitigate extreme poverty, disease, threats to wildlife and tourism, and infant mortality
Provide benefits and incentives for local businesses, workforce, products and services
Donate funds and/or volunteer in communities

A special thanks to my fellow panelists’ on Experiential Tourism, their engaging presentations and fascinating work. Sean Barlow - Afropop Worldwide, El Hadji Aziz Gueye – Senegal Tourist Office, Lelei LeLaulu - Counterpart International, Dr. Lawrence Martin - Stony Brook University, Sharr Prohaska - New York University, Kevin J. Wright - World Religious Travel Association.

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and Africa Travel Association (ATA) Host First US-Africa Tourism & Sports Seminar in New York

2008-02-21T12:51:00.012-05:00

The seminar theme - Making Africa the World’s Next Premiere Travel Destination - will provide more than 200 leaders from the public and private sectors an inside look into the vast array of business exploration and investment opportunities in the travel and tourism industries in Africa.

Africa is poised to increase its world market share in tourism and this seminar will help lay the groundwork placing Africa top-of-mind among American tourists and investors.

Currently sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 1.3% of the world market share in the travel and tourism industry. In 2007, the sector generated close to $90 billion in economic activity and is expected to exceed $185 billion within the next 7 years for the region, demonstrating positive growth and investment opportunities.

Sam Taylor, founder of Reputation Dynamics and Associate Partner of Corporate Donor Travel for Elevate Destinations, will be participating in a workshop and address the growth of Experiential Tourism in the context of alignment with economic, social and environmental responsibility trends. Experiential Tourism, encompassing eco-, nature, heritage, community and adventure tourism, is expected to grow three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole. In fact, beginning in the 1990s, this sector has grown 20-to-34% per year and could grow to 25% of the world’s travel market within six years, taking the value of the sector to $473.6 billion a year.

Event topics include sports and tourism, infrastructure development, marketing Africa, traveler perception, travel industry-related investment opportunities, airline and hotel development, as well as travel trends in Africa.

CCA, established in 1993, is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent. For more information on CCA, seminar and agenda visit www.africacncl.org.

The seminar will be held February 27-28, 2008 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, immediately preceding The New York Times Travel Show 2008.

Statistical Reference: World Tourism Organization (WTO).

Reputation Dynamics Joins United Nations Global Compact

2008-02-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

Reputation Dynamics today announced that it has signed the United Nations Global Compact, reinforcing the company’s commitment to help companies advance their corporate social responsibility agendas among key stakeholders (employees, customers, board members, investors and suppliers).

Established in 2000, the Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, brings together nearly 3,700 companies from more than 120 countries to advance ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environmental sustainability and anti-corruption. Through the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks to promote responsible corporate citizenship and integrate these ten principles in business strategies and operations around the world so that business can be part of the solution to the challenges of globalization and sustainable development.

Joining the Global Compact is an extension to Reputation Dynamics corporate responsibility advisory services and current initiatives such as Conscious Commerce - an innovative business model and methodology to help companies properly align and market stakeholder-driven programs - and it’s strategic alliance with Elevate Destinations providing corporations with opportunities to visit destinations where they have business and/or philanthropic interests (http://www.elevatedestinations.com/).

Additionally, Reputation Dynamics engages in education and advocacy by providing perspectives to help companies align ‘Doing Good in Society’ with competitive business edge via this popular blog.

"We are proud to be supporting the organization’s 10 principles and its efforts to advance corporate citizenship and challenge business to take a responsible leadership position," said Samantha Taylor, Founder of Reputation Dynamics. “This is well-aligned with our core values and corporate vision."

More information about the Compact can be found at www.unglobalcompact.org.

Fast-Tracking Kenya’s Recovery….

2008-01-21T14:12:00.000-05:00

It seems just like yesterday when my mother and I were driving to our home outside of Nairobi barely making the curfew deadline. Our heads were slightly ducked behind the car windscreen as my mother revved the accelerator past the security checkpoint.

In 1982, my family witnessed the devastating effects to a country and its people of a Kenyan coup d’etat attempt, which failed to overthrow President Daniel arap Moi’s government. On August 1, a group of soldiers from the Kenya Air Force took over the local radio station and announced they had overthrown the government. Sending Nairobi into utter chaos, about 145 people were killed and losses from widespread looting and destruction of property amounted to $111 million. My family was forced to hide out at home ‘on rations.’

Some parallels can be made between the ‘Hours of Chaos’ in 1982 and recent events surrounding President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed re-election, violence and deaths.

Of note, the poorest living in the slums of Nairobi and in rural areas, had all too little to lose in the violence and life for Kenyans once again more difficult.

The Kenya Presidential Elections of December 2007, are potentially the most damaging episode to national unity since the assassination of Tom Mboya in July 1969.

While there is celebration among select supporters for President Kibaki, the fear gripping the country is almost unprecedented in its 44 years of independence - as the Government and ODM continue to differ over the way forward for a peaceful settlement to the political crisis.

And, this is such bad timing for Kenya…..

Considered one of the most beautiful and more prosperous regions of Africa, Kenya has an estimated GDP growth of 6.7 percent and its unique landscapes, natural world and wildlife attractions brings in $900 million in tourism a year.

Kenya’s economy has been devastated by the violence and its reputation as a stable haven tarnished in a matter of weeks. As of 1/7, the economy was reported to have lost approximately $1 billion as a result of the post-election violence.

Some Perspective…

Kenya’s transition from dictatorship to democracy continues to be a tumultuous journey owing to its deeply rooted history in the political economies of colonialism, neocolonialism and neoliberalism. The country is further tainted by ongoing corruption and scandals under the rule of former dictators’ such as President Daniel arap Moi.

The first Kibaki government was elected in 2002 on a strong anti-corruption platform at a time when the country wanted a transparent government, justice brought to former corrupt officials and focus on economic development. While new corruption scandals occurred, the Kibaki administration delivered on the economy – jumping from 0.6% in 2002 to 6.1% in 2006. Despite its economy, Kenya still has some serious social issues and extreme poverty.

In 2006, the government unveiled Kenya Vision 2030, a development blueprint to turn Kenya into a newly industrialized ‘middle income country providing high quality of life for all its citizens by the year 2030.’

Kenya needs fast-track solutions to restore social harmony and aid recovery:

Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga enter negotiations to find quick resolution to end violence and restore peace to its people
More British and international intervention to help a humanitarian crisis
Contending parties agree to a binding independent and monitored investigation of the election results
Establish stronger anti-corruption platforms, transparent and accountable legal/government systems
A new parliament should be called into session with the new post of Prime Minister directly answerable to Parliament
Restore tourism and confidence
Corporations and NGOs/non-profits should align social, economic and environmental responsibility programs with causes in need

The country’s economy will continue to lose hard-won ground if the political situation is not resolved quickly.

Harambe.

The Tide Has Turned: 2008 Conscious Commerce Predictions by Sam Taylor, Founder of Reputation Dynamics

2007-12-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

Social Purpose Alignment is a Strategic Imperative for Making a Profit

“In 2007, the business case for corporate responsibility (CR) was accepted in the business community,” according to Sam Taylor.

Key Corporate Responsibility Milestones in 2007:

Companies ‘License to Operate’ obligations were forced to change due to world events, regulatory issues, compliance and environmental concerns
Companies acknowledge that initiatives will have a major impact on business strategies over the next few years
Growth of more evidenced-based research tracking the value and impact from multiple functions including brand, stakeholder relations, customer behaviors and reputation
Increasing number of newly created executive positions
Growth of dedicated resources and services including sustainability development firms, environmental, news services, academics and influencers’
A plethora of social entrepreneurs, for and not-for-profit/NGO companies have provided concrete evidence that while striving to make a profit, they can make a difference
Growth of multiple investment vehicles such as alternative energy mutual funds
Philanthropic contributions polled among 136 large corporations by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy’s ‘Giving in Numbers’ research found that the median dollar value of contributions increased from $29.5 million in 2005 to $32.6 million in 2006
Cause-related marketing is a $1.44 billion business

Predictions for 2008:

Step up to the New Rules of Reputation Management: Social innovation, sustainable development, trust and transparency are the new currency for tomorrow’s companies doing business.

Evaluate and Measure Program Impact: Assess current initiatives, stakeholder relationships and impact in the community. Use this platform to design and implement sustainable programs aligned with business objectives, as well as determine benchmarks for results measurement.

Employee and Customers Want Businesses to Invest in Communities they Touch: While health, safety, price and quality are top-of-mind for conscious consumers, they want companies to meet their personal goals and positively impact society.

Philanthropy is an Integral Part of Doing Business: CEOs and their companies need to continue to invest strongly in their communities, responding to the growing expectations of employees, customers and other stakeholders.

Move the Needle on Social Issues: There are plenty of causes out there that need support both at home and in emerging markets. Some critical causes in need include HIV/Aids, TB and malaria, poverty, infant mortality, wildlife preservation and protecting indigenous peoples.

Unleash the Power of NGOs for Greater Good: Align more aggressively with non-profit social actors – NGOs, (UN Agencies, development agencies). Companies have a timely opportunity to collaborate with some competent NGOs who are already in the trenches addressing key causes.

Stakeholder Liaisons: Harness the power of key stakeholders and communicate with them regularly on and offline. Solicit the knowledge and opinions of customers and employees. It is a powerful tool to track and influence patterns of behavior, and, don’t forget tomorrow’s leaders – the younger generation and their social networking habits.

Give the Future of Green this Holiday Season: Your Investments

2007-11-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

As we ponder 2008 resolutions under the shade of our volatile US economy, it might be prudent to consider alternative energy investments as part of re-balancing our portfolios. While the topic of ‘green’ continues to dominate the headlines, it is a good time to put ‘your money where the green is.’

According to a United Nations report in 2006 investors poured in $71 billion into companies in various fields of renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies. Experts predict that it will rise to $85 billion this year.

While there was a rush to alternative energy investments during the oil crisis in the 1970s and tech bubble in the 1990s, the current sentiment is that these are here to stay – owing to the rising demand for power, concerns about oil resources, and climate change. Renewable sources today only produce only 2% of the world’s energy, but account for 18% of world investment in power generation. The rising popularity of alternative energy technologies and capacity will attract venture capital funding, legislative incentives and business support. Developments of note:

The European Union is mandating that 20% of energy use comes from solar, wind and other renewable sources by 2020
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill mandating that 15% of electricity from private utilities be generated from renewables by the same time
Governments are providing subsidies, incentives and tax breaks to speed up the development of alternative energy technologies
General Motors announced that 50% of its vehicles will use alternatives to gasoline within the next five years

You know that when Wall Street rises to the occasion, it is to be taken seriously. Several new exchanged traded funds have been launched to invest in alternative energy companies, as well as a new crop of mutual funds. These include a combination of ‘pure plays’ and ‘market leaders.’

Since the start of the year, this small but growing pool of funds have posted solid returns, and in many cases outperforming the S&P 500. Of note:

New Alternatives Fund (NALFX)
Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund (GAAEX)

Some resources for homework and due diligence - www.energytechstocks.com - www.altenergystocks.com - www.greenchipstocks.com.

There’s still time for a green shopping spree………………….

Sustainable Business Growing in Importance and so is the Link to Reputation – Do You Know Yours?

2007-11-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

The 'Call to Action' messages and marketplace research continues to echo in the growing corporate responsibility community – corporate – academia – non-profit - NGOs……..

At a Social Enterprise Conference at Columbia Business School last Friday, a headline message presented at a keynote address by Patrick Cescau - President Group Chief Executive of Unilever - following a special tribute to Anita Roddick of The Body Shop:

“Corporations of the future will not survive unless they adopt and support social innovation and sustainable development objectives”

An advocate of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ and Recipient of the 2007 Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics, Unilever has demonstrated commitment to its social and environmental sustainability initiatives via its alliances with The Rain Forest Alliance and World Food Programme – http://www.unilever.com/.

That same week, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) announced the results of a survey in conjunction with their annual conference in San Francisco where more than 330 participants were polled out of 1350 leaders from 50 countries in attendance - www.bsr.org/conference. Key highlights included:

82 percent – private sector executives, NGOs and policymakers around the world say they will make corporate social responsibility a core business strategy in the next five years
47 percent said a core reason for focusing on sustainable business is consumer behavior and concerns about reputation
31 percent said energy efficiency and renewable energy are at the heart of their corporate climate change effort
69 percent said China is the country that will most influence the evolution of corporate responsibility in the next five years

Corporate responsibility is climbing higher and higher on the business and public agenda…..

So, what is the fundamental next step to properly create the CR road map?

We, at Reputation Dynamics, suggest a brand reputation analysis and stakeholder evaluation to provide the strategic foundation for the development of a sustainable, long-term program.

Unleashing the Power of NGOs for Greater Good

2007-10-25T09:34:00.001-05:00

As companies continue to respond to the power of private citizens and their quest to improve society, they are also being forced to re-evaluate their partnerships and accountability of their contributions to the community.

Never has there been a greater time to align more aggressively with non-profit social actors – NGOs (UN Agencies, development agencies and civil society organizations).

The business focus of NGOs includes critical initiatives such as healthcare, disease, energy efficiency, agriculture, environmental quality protection, children’s’ poverty, civil rights and so on. However, some NGOs are considered to be disorganized, bureaucratic and have fragmented communications.

It’s not all about philanthropy...............

Collaborating and aligning with these businesses’ are important avenues for giving, can both benefit and mobilize the public at large in advancing good causes.

Companies have a timely opportunity to review and collaborate with some competent NGOs thanks to The United Nations Global Compact, Dalberg Global Development Advisors and the Financial Times.

The companies aligned to identify and analyze a group of non-profit social actors who have proven competence in partnering with companies. Dalberg received 865 valid partnership ratings from 445 companies in response to a survey distributed to more than 20,000 companies worldwide about their partnership experiences - rated on adaptability, execution, and communication. Key highlights of the findings:

73% concluded that corporate partnerships would be important for their own company over the next 3 years
The majority cited successful implementation of effective and relevant CSR programs as the main reason for partnering with NGOs
Core business and advocacy partnerships are perceived to have higher impact than those focused on philanthropy

The three most pursued areas of partnership were in Education, Environmental Protection and Communications, while Microfinance received high interest.

Lions Club International, Environmental Defense, WRI and TechnoServe ranked among the top 34 global organizations listed. Additionally, 53 local/regional NGOs emerged as leaders.

Proper collaboration and alignment with the NGO community as a key component of a company's responsibility initiatives, represents considerable advantages and benefits for both parties. These include increasing the profits of their businesses and donor acquisition, and for NGOs to take advantage of corporate resources, expand these markets, make contributors' money go further and.......enable greater community impact.

For more information about this study – www.dalberg.com
‘Business guide to partnering with NGOs and the United Nations’

Please Sir, Can I have Some More?

2007-10-12T11:29:00.000-05:00

The fact of the matter is that there are still more than two million New York City residents across the five boroughs at risk of hunger. Despite the city’s emergency food programs (EFP’s) – approximately 900 soup kitchens and food pantries in New York - providing food to half of them, there is still a dire food shortage.

A couple of other statistics:

Approximately 500,000 city residents are eligible but not receiving food stamps, many of whom may be turning to EFPs instead. Less than one-half (46 percent) of all EFP participant households are enrolled in the federal Food Stamp Program.

Of all EFP participant households, about one-third (34 percent) choose between food and housing, about one-third (34 percent) choose between food and utilities, and more than one-fifth (22 percent) choose between food and medical care.

I bring you attention to The Food Bank’s NYC upcoming hunger awareness Go Orange campaign taking place on October 15-19. The campaign is calling upon all New Yorkers’ to do what they can do to help raise funds for the holiday season and the goal is to raise one million meals.

This year, city landmarks, media partners, corporations, musicians, restaurants, supermarkets, retail stores and more are Going Orange throughout the city to help raise these funds and awareness for hunger relief. New York’s skyline will also Go Orange including its most famous landmarks and towers such as The Empire State Building.

For further information about how to participate and take action: http://www.foodbanknyc.org/

A little Orange anyone?

Source: Hunger Safety Net 2004, Hunger in America

How ‘Doing Good in Society’ Increases Competitive Business Edge - Audio Presentation

2007-09-25T11:55:00.000-05:00

Companies ‘license to operate’ obligations have changed dramatically due to world events and the globalization of our economy.

The headlines are dominated with news about everyone trying to be green, product quality and safety, corporate reputations and performance. With recent books such as ‘Giving’ by Bill Clinton, and ‘The Triple Bottom Line', co-authored by Andrew Savitz and Karl Weber corporations key stakeholders’ are more educated than ever about the contributions and impact of corporations on society, economy and the environment.

Companies are now expected to be good corporate citizens not only by their shareholders and government regulators, but by their customers.

However, doubt still lingers in the business and financial community about justifying ‘Doing Good in Society’ and the point of sustainability. The fundamental challenge for them is whether it distracts from core business focus areas, provides long term growth and returns to investors.

The tide is turning for the naysayers.........

A recent national survey conducted by Grant Thornton among 500 business executives uncovered that 77 percent said they expected corporate responsibility initiatives to have a major impact on their business strategies over the next several years. Furthermore, the three greatest benefits of enacting CSR are: improves public opinion and customer relations, as well as attracts/retains talent. For survey results, go to www.grantthornton.com - Corporate responsibility becoming integral to business strategy.

We invite you to listen to our audio presentation that provides a perspective on how and why corporate social responsibility (CSR), is becoming an increasingly critical component of reputation management and competitive business edge.

http://www.podcastnowproductions.com/dx/node/515

The CRO Conference Addressing 'Operationalization' of Sustainability on September 12

2007-09-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

The CRO has a stellar line up of speakers and timely topics at a one-day fall conference to be held at the Union League Club in Chicago tomorrow.

Topics will cover stakeholder engagement, supply chain, and alignment of CSR with the bottom line. Also, they will address two major trends facing corporate social responsibility officers, in the growing $32 billion CR industry; the expansion from merely defense in the face of regulatory challenges to offensive functions, or making sustainability efforts operational.

Featuring keynote speaker Murray Martin, CEO of Pitney Bowes, the conference will also include a special multi-level company session with a board member, marketing communications expert and manufacturing executive from a global corporation discussing their global sustainability efforts—from board room to execution.

A panel featuring Susan Graff, Principal of ERS along with the CEOs of Baxter Healthcare and Interface Group will share learning’s about setting and surpassing sustainable practice benchmarks.

The CRO is a membership media platform for corporate practitioners, professional service providers and non-profit influencers' in corporate responsibility. Example members include IBM, Avon, Starbucks, Intel, Pepsi, and Harvard.

For more information - http://www.thecro.com/conferences.

AMERICA’S KIDS NEED MORE PIE

2007-08-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

World military expenditure in 2005 increased to $1,001 billion and the US is responsible for 80 percent of that increase. While America is first in nuclear defense capabilities and expenditures among industrialized countries to the tune of $30 billion annually, it is shocking that America’s kids are so woefully neglected.
The stark realities…..

Top Left: Government Pie Chart (Office of Management and Budget)

18 percent of all children (ages 0-17) live in poverty
9.3 million children are without health insurance
A child dies before his or her first birthday every 19 minutes
A child or teen is killed by gunfire every 3 hours

For more than 10 years, lawmakers mainly focused on sweeping welfare changes passed in 1996 that imposed time limits and strict work requirements on welfare recipients. This did not bode well for our poor children, despite President Bush’s proposal to continue childcare support at $4.8 billion per year, as part of his Welfare Reform.

In addition to the humanitarian aspects, there is also an economic case for reducing childhood poverty and it's impact on the US economy.

Children who grow up poor in the United States cost the economy $500 billion a year because they are less productive, earn less money, commit more crimes and have more health-related expenses.

Yet, according to experts, as much as $13 billion could be cut from U.S. nuclear spending without compromising our national security and strong position.

Can we please give our children a bigger slice of the American Federal budget pie?

There are several initiatives that need further funding and support to benefit our future generations. To name a few:

Child care assistance to low-income families
Health insurance
Community and housing mobilization
Expand the earned income tax credit and child tax credit
Higher minimum wages
Pre-kindergarten programs, elementary and secondary reforms

Let’s do right for America’s kids and society at large.

Stats Source: Children’s Defense Fund. ChildStats.gov. Washington Post Graphic.

GIVE THE CMO A BREAK

2007-08-01T12:03:00.000-05:00

A recent Ad Age article (Blame CMO Turnover on Metrics Mania) states that CMOs are facing ‘Death by Data’ due an extreme focus on metrics getting in the way of creativity and innovation which is required to maintain competitive edge.

The headlines continue to be dominated with news, ad nauseum, about abrupt CMO departures, shortening tenures, turnovers galore and now re-defining the CMO role altogether.

A study conducted by the CMO Council, confirms a perception versus reality gap exists between the expectations that CEOs have of CMOs and actual performance.

While the good news is that CEOs still consider marketing to be a critical part of corporate strategy, two-thirds of CEOs say their top marketers don’t provide enough evidence about true performance and ROI.

Hmmm…did the CMO ever receive clarity about ‘true performance’ goals and ROI?

Today’s CMOs have a lot on their plate in our low trust environment.

Aside from presenting the numbers, they may be handling questionable ethics and business operations, brand reputation, keeping up with ‘Word-of-Mouth’ marketing and social networking, online commerce, maintaining a competitive edge, producing the next product and so on - all under the direction of a CEO who might be expecting too much and would rather keep the door closed.

Perhaps it is time for the CEO and the board to re-define their views and expectations of the CMO - fix the CMOs bruised Achilles heel.

With the Apple’s of this world leading the path of innovation, isn’t their enough to focus on and stay ahead?

After all, isn’t the CMO fundamental objective to market and sell more products/services? A few suggestions to help our CEOs and CMOs:

Functional Organization: Boards should stop creating CMO positions for the wrong reasons such as having them fix a fledging marketing organization or be a scapegoat for the reputation impaired. A Chief Ethics/Compliance Officer could be appropriate for fixing these issues and a good bridge for the CEO and CMO.

Open the Corner Office Door: Establish a better and regular dialogue between the CEO and CMO about marketing objectives, performance expectations and ROI tracking.

Focus: The customer is still king. As President and Founder of The CMO Club, Pete Krainik, recently commented, 'overcome the fact that in most companies the marketing group is not close enough to the product/service, nor close enough to the customer.' Know the product well, poll and take customer opinions seriously.

Social Responsibility: More than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company’s business practices when deciding what to buy, according to a 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Study, and want their employers to support a social cause. Embrace the firm’s social and environmental purpose activities and integrate them holistically with business and marketing practices - top to bottom.

Stakeholder Liaisons: With customers and employees keeping track of their favorite companies and products, be sure to consistently communicate and demonstrate the value proposition.

CMOs live long and prosper.

LESS LIP SERVICE FOR AFRICA IN NEED

2007-07-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

We have all witnessed the buzz of media and celebrity-driven attention about the African continent in the context of lost hope, opportunity and social responsibility voyages. Vanity Fair’s July issue on Africa includes a plethora of celebrity cover photos (21) and profile interviews such as Brad Pitt with Desmond Tutu. Movies like The Last King of Scotland, Tsotsi and Hotel Rwanda demonstrate the harsh realities of African politics and suffering.

However, not enough is being done to address the issues facing Africans.

Some celebrity efforts are to be commended such as Oprah Winfrey opening a girl’s school in South Africa, and Madonna’s non-profit Raising Malawi.

While it is all well and good that celebrities have done a good job calling attention to Africa and creating individual social responsibility models, corporations should do the same.

I spent an impressionable childhood in Kenya. Aside from the beauty, people and wildlife, I witnessed the slums, poverty and under-nourished infants. Africa wasn’t on the map when I came to America 18 years ago. Top line Kenyan issues include a corrupt government and the demand for ivory diminishing what was once a healthy elephant population. Mr. Wainaina’s individual tale – ‘Generation Kenya’ http://www.vanityfair.com/ - illustrates Kenya’s rocky road.

Americans’ are increasingly traveling to Africa on safari, have life changing experiences and are in awe of it's beauty.

Today, many corporations are eyeing the continents resources - or - already have business interests – including operations, customers and employees. We need to better educate the public about the realities and opportunities of Africa. Also, enlist help to mitigate the extreme poverty, disease, threats to wildlife and tourism, and infant mortality.

Corporations, aside from donating funds, have the resources, on-site support, products and services to support programs on a fundamental level. These include providing shelter and care to orphans, saving newborn lives, education, drinking water, medical supplies, job creation and transportation.

It is timely for corporations to add Africa to the CSR agenda, engage stakeholders, and align with their cause-related marketing programs. Following are some top line realities about these issues and suggested organizations to support:

HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria: There are 25.8 million HIV/Aids sufferers in Africa and 8,000 people die every day - http://www.businessfightsaids.org/

Poverty: More than 70 percent of the continent’s poor people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for food and livelihood. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 218 million people live in extreme poverty -http://www.irr.org/

Education: Ten African countries report adult literacy rates of less than 30%. In America, the adult literacy rate is 99% - http://www.oprahsangelnetwork.org/

Infant Mortality: Twenty-two African countries have infant mortality rates higher than 100 per 1,000 live births - http://www.savethechildren.org/

Wildlife: In 2006, as a result of poaching and mass slaughter in the 1980s, there are only 30,000 elephants in Kenya, down from 70,000 in the 60s - http://www.savetheelephants.com/

Corporations need to realize the longer term benefits helping combat a continent in suffering, supporting timely causes in countries where they operate, as well as ultimately protecting their business interests.

SWEATING IT OUT ‘IN THE TRENCHES’ WITH BROADWAY THEATRE PROJECT

2007-06-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

I'm preparing for my yearly pilgrimage to help out with BTP’s musical theatre arts education program in Florida on July 8. This year, more than 200 talented students from 28 states, as well as Canada, England and American Samoa will be attending an intensive curriculum to properly prepare them for a professional career in the performing arts. Special guests and workshops this year include:

"Moving Story" - by Christopher D’Amboise. A contemporary method of theatrical storytelling combining music, song, text and dance. Apprentices will work to develop a section from a new musical and perform an informal presentation.

"Alice"- by Frank Wildhorn. Frank has created a new show inspired by the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland. Apprentices will work with Mr. Wildhorn and BTP founder Debra McWaters, on creating the main characters in innovative and modern ways. Brandi Burkhardt will play the title role in the workshop. Pieces created from the workshop will be presented in the final BTP performance at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center on July 28.

Founded in 1991, Broadway Theatre Project is the world’s most prestigious musical theatre arts education program for high school and college students. Under the artistic direction of Debra McWaters, students attend an intensive three-week training program focused on the key disciplines of musical theatre arts including acting, dancing, and singing, as well as the critical life skills necessary to work in the professional world of entertainment. For more information – http://www.broadwaytheatreproject.com/.

THE GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM: A CSR OPPORTUNITY IN A DYNAMIC INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT

2007-06-29T11:21:00.000-05:00

Most tourists visiting Southern Poland frequently seek out the remnants of Jewish life at the former camps of Plaszow and Auschwitz. However, one of Krakow's best kept secrets is the Galicia Jewish Museum, founded by British photojournalist Chris Schwarz in 2004. Housed in an old furniture factory, the Museum celebrates the renaissance of Jewish culture in Galicia.

The Museum’s arrival is in step with Poland’s rapid ascent as a prime target of foreign investment in Europe. With a highly educated workforce, the nation’s business capacities have developed at a sure and steady pace since it was accepted into the EEC. Poland is the largest of the new EU member states, with important labor resources, significant scientific and industrial potential, and a 38-million consumer market. According to one recent study, the country will become the manufacturing hub of Eastern Europe in the next decade and is set to join the Euro in 2008.

This economic blossoming is providing impetus to numerous cultural endeavors in many Polish cities. Krakow is no exception and has an important commercial history sustained by eminent groups of Jewish entrepreneurs, bankers, industrialists, and merchants since the 12th century.

Their legacy is evident in the Galicia Jewish Museum whose mission is to commemorate Polish Jewry from a completely new perspective, other than the Holocaust. The Museum also provides a forum for multi-cultural dialogue and for the dissemination of exhibitions and publications to audiences, both Jewish and non-Jewish, around the world.
The Galicia Jewish Museum’s address is: 18, Dajwor Street, Krakow 31-052, POLAND.
Link: www.galiciajewishmuseum.org

Posted by Anna Ray-Jones, VP, Donley Communications Corp. Anna is also a published author and writes frequently on arts and culture.

HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Program Advancements – Company Awards Gala

2007-06-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

On June 13, the Global Business Coalition (GBC) gave awards to eight companies. Abbott won the 'national action' award for it's partnership with the Government of Tanzania improving the country's health system to advance HIV testing and treatment. The company recently lowered the price on the key AIDS drug Kaletra by 55 percent in low- and mid- income countries.

The GBC also acknowledged several companies, including Dole for it's Stanfilco subsidiary work in the Philippines. The company trained a thousand people to implement the Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (TB-DOTS), a program that calls for making complete and quality anti-TB drugs available (among other elements.)

For more information and to become involved – http://www.businessfightsaids.org/.

Conservancy Spotlight - Brooklyn Bridge Transformation

2007-06-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

Visitors’ and jaded Manhattan residents are flocking to Brooklyn, drawn by the variety of neighborhoods, up-market stores, utilitarian streetscapes, renovated factories and buildings. Often considered the step child to Manhattan, Brooklyn is one of New York’s newer destination spots.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park area is about to undergo one of the most significant developments since Prospect Park was built 135 years ago, due to the Empire State Development Corporation's unanimous approval of the Park's General Project Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, paving the way for construction this year.

The 85-acre park, stretching 1.3 miles along the East River from north of the Manhattan Bridge to Atlantic Avenue, will be transformed into a public space including lawns, recreation, beaches, coves, restored habitats, playgrounds and landscaped areas.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy annual benefit is on Thursday, June 7 - Sunset Splash. Information and tickets - http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/.

Protect thy Land, Protect thy Rights

2007-05-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

In keeping with Aveda’s commitment to environmentally and socially responsible business practices, the company is pioneering the way - on what is often overlooked or taken for granted – protecting the land rights and natural resources of the local indigenous peoples. This is termed - Indigenous Entrepreneurship.

Indigenous representation at the UN event on May 23, ‘A Dialogue for the Future,’ included the environmental, economic and social interests of the Brazilian rainforest, the aboriginal peoples of Western Australia, family coffee growers in Mexico and the Maasai Shompole from Kenya.

David Hircock, advisor to Aveda’s President, is deeply ‘in the trenches’ with their indigenous partners, around the world, working on equitable trade and conservation, guiding the company’s use and integrity of ingredients. Through his work, he has facilitated preservation and access to natural resources of over one million hectares of land, among other things. Initiatives underway include:

In Brazil, the Yawanawa tribe began efforts to protect 125,000 acres of rainforest land from loggers.
In Australia, the aboriginal peoples have gained land rights and access to natural sandalwood resources enabling them to increase earnings seven-fold.

While progress is being made, there are still diverse issues facing these indigenous entrepreneurs as they tackle opportunities and challenges partnering with corporations, donors, lending institutions and business development agencies. These include access to markets, funding, education, business acumen, political, legal and social issues.

Concluding the panel discussion, President of Aveda, Dominique Conseil, provided the following comments:

Doing good for community should be a key part of business purpose.
Need for greater collaborative effort to help reduce poverty, eliminate infant mortality, have access to education, healthcare and food.
Communities that bring people together will enable a healthier living environment and ultimately gain economic benefit.
This is not, nor ever should be, a commodity-driven business and requires a selective strategy, supported by selective investment.
Social disintegration doesn’t need big business approach and needs value-based partnerships.

Time for business leaders to embrace their indigenous wisdom. There is a lot more work to be done ‘in the trenches’ conducting their business operations in a socially and environmentally conscious manner.

And, as for those Maasai, allow me a childhood memory indulgence that is well deserving of a separate blog - to follow shortly.

UN Permanent Forum - Indigenous Entrepreneurship

2007-05-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

Aveda and its Partners Discuss the Opportunities and Challenges - A DIALOGUE FOR THE FUTURE

The open forum held at the United Nations Headquarters, on May 23, spotlights the development of five indigenous business projects, focusing on land rights and natural resources in partnership with international businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s). Speakers will present challenges and opportunities in these partnerships, and explore new paths to sustainable development that respect land rights and natural resources as the key to the survival of indigenous peoples. Panelists include: Dominique Conseil, president of Aveda, Veneranda Xochitl Juarez-Varela from Café La Selva, Mexico, Manuel Quezada IX from Community Tours Sian Ka’an, Mexico, Ole Petenya Y. Shani from the Shompole Community Trust in Kenya, Dr. Richard Walley of the Nyoongar people in Australia and Tashka Yawanawá, Chief of the Yawanawa tribe in Brazil. This event is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of three communities recognized by the Equator Prize: Café La Selva, Community Tours Sian Ka'an from Mexico, and the Shompole Community Trust from Kenya.
Info - http://www.csrwire.com/News/8615.html.

Reputation Dynamics will report back on this event and learning's about sustainable development.

It’s not all about the PR – CRO Conference

2007-05-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Kudos to Jay Whitehead and The CRO team for rallying up the diverse panelists, attendees and topics at last Thursday’s corporate responsibility conference. No wonder Jay’s impressive moderation stamina is attributed to running marathons. Focus is the name of the game, after all.

Notable company CSR initiatives and discussion topics included reducing water, waste and energy consumption, philanthropic and community support, health and safety, labor practices and Sarbanes Oxley compliance.

‘Slay False Gods’ could not have been a more appropriate term stated by Douglas Baker, CEO & Chairman of Ecolab. The major takeaways of the day were all about stepping out from under the veil, getting real about the issues and sustainability.

It goes without saying that CEO’s of companies need to make profit and justifying the business reasons for CSR still remains a challenge for some. CSR should be considered a long-term solution, rather than a short term gain – still the current mindset. However, companies are making major strides towards changes in business operations and transparency - and rightly view this as an ongoing ‘improvement’ process.

Following is some ‘food for thought’, as companies continue to evolve in this new management paradigm:

Call for greater leadership: CSR programs need to be endorsed at the top, as a key part of the corporate agenda, and then infused throughout the organization - business, marketing and communications. How else can we rally the troops?

Stakeholder liaisons: Harness the power of key stakeholders and communicate with them regularly. Solicit the knowledge and opinions of customers. It is also a powerful tool to track and influence patterns of behaviour.

Sustainability: Adopt business practices and create programs that are for the long term. To coin the old phrase – ‘Rome was not built overnight.’

Company culture and values: Conduct a cultural assessment of employees and poll them about social causes of most concern to them. Then, include them in initiatives as a motivational incentive. Several companies have demonstrated improved employee performance and satisfaction.

The PR machine: Stakeholders want the facts and PR should be engaged at the right stage of CSR program evolution. Also, ensure authentic positioning, messaging and proof points. It is a vital component of risk mitigation and will enhance recognition and acknowledgement for a company really 'Doing Good in Society.'

Board's Eye View of CSR

2007-05-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

Practitioners, thought leaders, and companies from CRO magazine's '100 Best Corporate Citizens' will be convening at the Marriott Financial Center in New York on May 10 for CRO's Spring Conference. The focus will be on successful corporate social responsibility strategies for protecting and growing companies.

Keynote speakers include Tim Solso, CEO and Chairman of Cummins and Douglas Baker, Jr., CEO and Chairman of Ecolab.

Research conducted by the Social Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN) and KLD Research & Analytics, Inc. (KLD) on environmental and social performance reporting of US companies, recently reported that nearly half (49) of US companies in the Standard & Poors (S&P) are now disclosing information about their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. That is a 14% increase of S&P 100 companies issuing reports over the previous year's study.

Another milestone reached in the evolution of this new management paradigm as companies respond to the widespread demand for greater transparency.

Myself and fellow trustmeister Jarvis Cromwell will be attending and report back on developments, case studies and trends. So, stay tuned for a candid take....

For more information on the conference agenda -- www.thecro.com/conferences.

Not-for-Profit Spotlight - Broadway Theatre Project

2007-04-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

Broadway Theatre Project, founded in 1991, is a musical theatre arts education program for high school and college students. Each year BTP, under the artistic direction of Debra McWaters, selects 180 aspiring young actors, dancers and singers by audition, from around the world, to attend an intensive three-week program every July at the University of South Florida. Master classes have been taught by stars such as Julie Andrews, Ben Vereen, Jeff Goldblum, and Patrick Wilson among others. For further information and sponsorship of this years program go to www.broadwaytheatreproject.com.

Just do it

2007-04-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

I spoke last week with a senior ad executive who told me that her company had won a substantial global piece of business because they had been able to provide – on request - an existing CSR presentation that addressed all aspects of their business and client relationships. None of their competitors had established a CSR point of view. Their big thinking had paid off handsomely with a relatively small amount of effort.

I suggest that all new business and client relationships should by default include an understanding of the CSR positions of both sides. And all corporate departmental planning and budgeting should be required to include a CSR component. This can start small – it needn’t be hard. As Sam says it can take its cue from shareholders and employees – this has the potential for dramatically improving those bonds of loyalty. Weave it into the existing systems of a business and it will become engrained. It will make managers and buyers feel good and it will make them think anew about their company’s position in the larger world.

The upside is huge for corporations and for the world.

Michael Pollock
President, The Cyrano Project (www.cyranoproject.org)

Navigating the 'CSR Buzz' for Reputation Advantage

2007-04-09T12:55:00.000-05:00

Advancing society's interests is influencing investment decisions globally due to the increasing power of consumers and employees advocating for their favorite brands to be more transparent and accountable for their business operations.

Against the backdrop of our lowest trust environment ever, caused by a polarized political climate, disturbing world events, untrustworthy social and business practices, companies are being further impacted in an already challenging operating environment - creating a 'show and prove it' to me marketplace among key stakeholders.

In fact, according to research conducted by Gallup International, 62% of people around the world do not trust large national or global companies to operate in society's interest.

As a result, CEO's and their management teams are being increasingly bombarded with multiple issues that need to be addressed such as compliance, governance, environmental responsibility, diversity, responsibility-driven marketing, as well as accountability for their charitable contributions. All in conjunction with providing healthier returns for investors.

With e-marketing and 'Word-of-Mouth' marketing further driving stakeholder empowerment and demand for greater transparency, companies need to engage with their social purpose as both a necessity and business opportunity.

'Conscious Commerce,' now a $31.7 billion services market, is the evolution of a management paradigm for CEO's and their management teams to help safeguard a company's reputation and business operations. Also, it is a vital extension to the corporate agenda.

Early adopters such as Patagonia and Microsoft, who created and implemented sustaining programs, have enjoyed positive results and well deserved acknowledgement. While other companies have been quick to postpone costs and and/or are flocking to the cause with fragmented approaches that can lead to consequences down the road.

From the outset, it is critical to identify and prioritize social issues that matter the most to stakeholders. Then, properly align them with a company's reputation management and performance.

Companies that implement sustaining, long-term programs will mitigate reputation risk and harm to its business, people and the environment. Also, they will win back stakeholder trust and loyalty, boost performance and competitive edge.