Although Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been around, ‘going green’ has become quite the sensation with the world today. Two big corporations to look at when dealing with CSR Social Media are Timberland and Intel. Recently, both companies attended a webinar and were more than kind enough to share on how they are integrating social media marketing sites such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, as a means to improve their communication strategy.
Timberland’s CSR reporting has changed drastically. Not only has the number of pages grown from 35 to 80, but they also provide a two-year cycle report supplemented by quarterly reports that corresponds with their financial reporting cycle. With their quarterly shareholder calls in regards to CSR issues, Timberland has created an interactive platform called Earthkeeper. This website was designed to have consumers interact and engage to support the environment. Earthkeepers is involved in social media via blog, photo galleries, Twitter, videos, podcasts, etc., to keep those who follow or are in the loop, constantly updated with stories.
Since 1994, Intel has been providing a full corporate responsibility (CSR) report. In addition to this report, Intel has recently provided local stories for both Intel China and Europe in multiple languages. Although Intel is incorporating social media into its CSR strategy, Susanne Fallender, communication manager, has indicated that it is also important to find a fine balance between social and traditional media. Intel also maintains a blog at CSR@Intel that updates between annual CSR reports by 20 writers. Intel encourages their employees to get involved with social media.
Here are some tips for social media beginners:
- Start small and progressively build from there.
- Learn and educate yourself. There are always new things to learn.
- Understand and evaluate the possible risks. Although the web can be a great way to expand you and your company, understand that the web is open to anyone and everything.
- Measure/Quantify the results of your activities, outcomes, and ROI.
Although these two examples are from big corporations, it can be applied to companies of all sizes.
