EmBODYing CSR Since 1976

            "The business of business should not just be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed,” said Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.

            The Body Shop is authentic, through and through, from its cruelty-free and vegetarian products, to its fair trade commitment. Because its CSR commitment is a natural outgrowth of its founder’s values, the company’s CSR initiatives naturally seem more heartfelt.

            According to Coombs, Roddick’s “concerns resonated with many of her customers and led them to identify with the ‘beyond-business mission of The Body Shop.”’ Throughout these past weeks in class, we have discussed the importance of stakeholder identification in CSR. When stakeholder and corporate interests are closely aligned, stakeholders are more likely to identify with the company and choose that company over its competitors.   

            Fortunately, The Body Shop has a “long legacy of CSR involvement that stems from their founders’ vision,” (Coombs) which fosters stakeholder support, rather than a CSR promotional communication dilemma. Opening in 1976, The Body Shop has a deep-rooted history that has given the company an opportunity to spearhead genuine CSR efforts. With over 2,500 stores in over 60 markets worldwide today, the company’s broad scope allows for The Body Shop to have a substantial impact.

            This Saturday, Canon and I decided to venture to Brighton, a quaint beach town about an hour away from central London. From its brick-laden streets to its signature Ferris wheel, the town was charming to say the least. As we casually strolled along the pier and wandered through countless stores and antique markets, we came upon The Body Shop. After sampling a cocoa butter lotion and inhaling the aromatic scents of the products, I spotted a sign publicizing that it was the original The Body Shop location. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to venture into its inaugural store and be a witness to its deep-rooted CSR commitment. The experience brought our class material to life.

            After coming back from Brighton, I decided to search through the company’s easy-to-use website, where its CSR commitments were made clear and evident. The site communicated the entire history of The Body Shop, described its various CSR efforts and even included a page all about its founder. These pages help give stakeholders the opportunity to get to know the company on an even deeper level.

            To illustrate, The Body Shop’s five core values were listed on its website: to “support community fair trade, defend human rights, against animal testing, activate self-esteem and protect our planet.” These five values are seen throughout its entire product line and can be traced back to the same roots Roddick founded the company upon. Having strategic values helps unify the company overall, as well as increase stakeholder engagement and identification.

            Additionally, the company has its own charitable foundation, which was launched in 1990. According to its website, the foundation gives “financial support to pioneering, frontline organizations that otherwise have little hope of conventional funding. The Foundation’s focus is to assist those working to achieve progress in the areas of human and civil rights.”

            Out of curiosity, I looked up its foundation and was pleasantly surprised to find an entire website dedicated to it. From interviews with members of The Body Shop team to explanations about its global funding focus, the site is a valuable resource for all of The Body Shop Foundation’s news and information.

            Interestingly enough, the foundation is funded through the “sale of a charity product - currently, the Soft Hands Kind Heart hand cream – sold globally in the stores of The Body Shop and through various fundraising activities.” The foundation is utilizing cause-related marketing, which is when a “corporation links monetary or in-kind donations to product sales or other consumer actions” (Kotler). By funding the foundation partly through the sale of the hand cream, the foundation creates a mutually beneficial relationship with its stakeholders. The company has the opportunity to address issues about animal protection, human rights and environmental safety, while consumers can benefit from their purchase. This example of cause-related marketing is a win-win scenario, where both the company and its stakeholders benefit.

            The Body Shop has a multi-faceted CSR commitment, which allows the company to fulfill its mission and values through various outlets. The Body Shop explains: “We campaign with passion on issues close to our heart, because activism is in our blood. We always keep people, animals and the planet in mind. So when you shop with us, you are choosing beauty with heart.” The company’s dedication to CSR is both admirable and noteworthy. 
            Exactly 39 years later, The Body Shop still embodies Roddick’s words throughout its entire company: “It should be about public good, not private greed.” Personally, I believe the company continues to radiate the very sincerity upon which Dame Anita Roddick founded it, each and every day.

Citations:

Coombs, W. Timothy., and Sherry J. Holladay. Managing Corporate Social Responsibility: A 

            Communication Approach. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Print.

Kotler, Philip, and Nancy Lee. Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your

            Company and Your Cause. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.

"The Body Shop." Beauty Products, Make-up and Skincare from. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2015.

"The Body Shop Foundation." The Body Shop Foundation Home Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27
            June 2015.

The Breakfast Club

            “Don’t you forget about me,” said John Bender of The Breakfast Club.

            To this day, the 1985 hit film, The Breakfast Club, continues to hold the attention of millions of movie addicts. The coming-of-age film depicts the unexpected friendship of five high school students who arbitrarily meet each other in detention. Despite their different social statuses, the students befriend one another as the day progresses.

            John Bender’s words, although simple, have made an influential impact on our society. People all around the world continue to quote him, 30 years later, as if he was an actual member of our society. So, I began to wonder why these words are so quotable.

            Personally, I believe these words are extremely relevant in regard to CSR. The ultimate goal for corporations engaging in CSR initiatives is to have their target markets not forget about them. If stakeholders do not appreciate or identify enough with a certain brand, they will not build up the corporations’ reputation or share their opinions with others. Consequently, these corporations will lose brand loyalty, brand recognition and ultimately, a significant profit.

            This past Monday, Blair, Claire, Canon, Anna and I ventured to one of London’s hottest restaurants: The Breakfast Club. Covered in egg yolk yellow paint and furnished with newspapers, old record covers, signed napkins and pictures, this eclectic café was certainly a must-see. Although we waited for over an hour to be seated, the food was too good to care. Since the restaurant boasts an all-day breakfast menu, our group headed straight for the classics: pancakes, eggs, bacon, potatoes and sausage. We also made sure to order their famous hot chocolate, served in home-style mugs and consisting of layers upon layers of gooey marshmallows. The entire experience was blissful to say the least.

            Although I dearly cherished my experience at The Breakfast Club, I began to notice a severe inconsistency in their CSR efforts.

            To illustrate, I saw a purple sticker that was plastered on the exterior of the café, which read, “Sustainable Restaurant Association 2014.” Out of curiosity, I researched this recognition. According to the SRA website, SRA is a “not for profit membership organization helping restaurants become more sustainable and diners make more sustainable choices when dining out.”

            Yet, adjacent to this recognition, I saw another sticker, which had the website “doingsomething.co.uk” on it. Because it was grouped near the sustainability sticker, I assumed it had to do with their CSR efforts. After going straight to the website, I realized, to my dismay, that it was a dating website. Not only was I confused, but I also began to question the uniformity of the café’s CSR initiatives.

            Nonetheless, after we were seated, I excitedly flipped through the long-awaited menu. As I was deciding between breakfast options, a sentence under the smoothie section caught my eye: “Green really is bloody good! We are donating £2 from every sale of this smoothie to charitable projects chosen by our staff.”

            I quickly realized that this was a form of cause-related marketing. According to Kotler, cause-related marketing occurs when “a corporation links monetary or in-kind donations to product sales or other consumer actions.” In this case, The Breakfast Club gives their customers the unique opportunity to have part of their meal benefit charity. Although I appreciate their efforts, I continued to question their CSR strategy and how their efforts ultimately adjoin.

            So, I did more research. As I browsed The Breakfast Club’s website (which was bizarrely Pac Man themed), I came upon an entire page dedicated to their CSR efforts. According to the page, the café has been undergoing CSR activities under the umbrella title: “Today is Going to Be a Good Day,” for the past 12 months. This title also added to my confusion, because it is not aligned with the business’ efforts whatsoever.

            From partnering with a charity that “uses the creative arts to transform the lives of society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people” to sponsoring a knitting club that stiches patchwork blankets and “little hats that sit on top of Innocent smoothie bottles,” the restaurant’s efforts appear random and careless.

            Although the café was dubbed ‘Most Charitable Pop-Up’ in 2014 by Time Out magazine, I do not think their charitable efforts are streamlined enough to allow stakeholders identify with their restaurant on a more personal level.

            According to Coombs, “a corporation’s CSR initiatives should be driven by the organization’s vision and purpose.” Although the café has heavenly breakfast options, an extremely unique atmosphere and outstanding service, the business does not seem to understand the importance of creating a unified image and engaging their stakeholders in cohesive CSR activities.

            Personally, I would suggest the restaurant seek out business professionals to help them unify their brand image and create a succinct CSR message, so that the café may develop a more strategic CSR enterprise.

            Although The Breakfast Club’s food is certainly not forgettable, their CSR campaigns, unfortunately, are not memorable. Consequently, I am not listening to the words of John Bender on this one, because I am currently trying to forget about The Breakfast Club’s chaotic CSR efforts.

Citations:

Coombs, W. Timothy., and Sherry J. Holladay. Managing Corporate Social Responsibility: A

            Communication Approach. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Print.

"DoingSomething." DoingSomething. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2015.

"Home - Breakfast Club." Breakfast Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2015.

Kotler, Philip, and Nancy Lee. Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your    

            Company and Your Cause. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2005. Print.

"Relæ Wins the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2015." The Sustainable Restaurant Association.     

            N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2015.
"Today Is Going to Be a Good Day - Breakfast Club." Breakfast Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June    

            2015.

Pret A Manger: Pioneering Natural Food Since 1986

            {Wanderlust: a strong desire to travel}

            If you know me, you know that I love a good adventure. I am consumed by both wanderlust and curiosity. An appreciation for travel is in my blood, as my mom is a travel agent. Consequently, studying abroad has always been a dream of mine. So, after one year of preparation and planning, I headed off to the hustle and bustle of one of the largest cities in the world.

            Finally, I arrived in London. I immediately inhaled the smells of Costa Coffee, double decker bus smog and, my personal favorite, scones and clotted cream. Although this city was unfamiliar to me, I felt at home amongst the many newfangled sights and opportunities. I had an itch for adventure, and I was ready to explore.

            In my traveler vs. tourist assignment, I talked about the importance of leaving time for impromptu experiences and making sure to immerse oneself in newfound culture. Thus, this was my goal for my first week in London. 

            Being the foodie I am, I instantly scoped out potential food hotspots. I began seeing a myriad of restaurants called “Pret A Manger.” These caught my eye, because one of the signs said, “We offer our food to charity at the end of each day rather than keeping it over to sell the next day.” I thought the idea behind their shops was unique and impactful. 

            So, I ventured inside a Pret A Manger. I was instantly enveloped with the smells of freshly made paninis, crisp salads and organic coffee. After much debate, I decided on a chipotle chicken salad and a hazelnut latte, which did not disappoint. The salad was flavorful, and the latte was creamy. It was wonderful cure for what the British call a “blustery” day. 

            After much research, I learned that Pret A Manger opened its first shop in 1986. However, they now have over 350 eateries worldwide. This astounded me. With an extremely accessible website and easy-to-find links, I effortlessly discovered their mission statement. Their mission is simple: “To create, handmade, natural food, avoiding the obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives common to so much of the ‘prepared’ and ‘fast’ food on the market today.”  Most importantly, their dedication to healthy and sustainable foods extends throughout all sects of their company.

            This week in class, we learned a great deal about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). According to our book, “The European Commission (EC) defines CSR as follows: ‘a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis.”’

            CSR is now something that many businesses are not simply choosing to do, but are strongly encouraged to do. Countless companies either have their own CSR department or incorporate CSR initiatives into their brand. Personally, I believe CSR is important, because it provides businesses the opportunity to do good deeds, rather than simply observe good deeds.  CSR puts social responsibility into capable hands that can make a noticeable difference in society. 

            To illustrate, one of Pret A Manger’s CSR initiatives, donating food to homeless charities, helps enhance their reputation, because it echoes the points in their mission statement.  Creating fresh food each day benefits customers, while donating the food at the end of each day benefits society. This is also an effective example of integrating both profit and social concerns. 

            Additionally, the chain engages in sustainability through the creation of their sustainability strategy and the utilization of natural farming. According to their website, they are currently “working on 68 sustainability targets globally, including the expansion of the Pret Coffee Fund, achieving 100% diversion from landfill in the UK, reducing [their] energy consumption, improving animal welfare and raising over £1.6 million for homeless.” These efforts also reflect their mission statement by creating natural food that is not only tasty, but also sustainable. 

            Because social needs are constantly fluctuating, it is important for companies to pay attention to varying CSR concerns. This is why scanning and monitoring these affairs is so imperative to CSR campaigns. I believe Pret A Manger has successfully scanned and monitored their environment, as well as incorporated their efforts with their mission and values. 

            Pret A Manger’s vision is succinct, transparent and unified, which has improved my overall opinion of the company. It has not only become one of my favorite places to eat, but has also made me feel good about where I am spending my money. Because the shop has a strong CSR commitment, I am more prone to shop there. Consequently, as a stakeholder, I identify more with their brand.   

            Throughout my adventures, I have applied what I have learned in the classroom, which has made my experience abroad even more fruitful. CSR is a prominent component of London’s culture, which has helped me become witness to class material, as it comes to life. 

            As I think back on my past week in the UK, I realize that the word, “wanderlust” has now taken on a new meaning for me. I believe that it not only means, “a strong desire to travel,” but it also means, “a strong desire to travel with a purpose.” My purpose is to be a traveler, not a tourist, and to become a more active stakeholder in my surroundings.

            My goal for this trip is to keep in mind the importance of traveling with a purpose and to never forget that social responsibility is omnipresent. The TCU study abroad website states that their mission is “to empower students to face global realities by providing quality international learning experiences.” 

            CSR is my current global reality, and I intend to let it empower me and enable me to be better able to strategically communicate to those around me. But for now, I am signing off and saying “cheers” to this week and the future weeks ahead, as I embark on the journey of a lifetime. 

Citations:

"Center for International Studies: Study Abroad." Center for International Studies Study Abroad. 
            N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2015.

Coombs, W. Timothy., and Sherry J. Holladay. Managing Corporate Social Responsibility: A
            Communication Approach. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Print.

"Organic Coffee, Natural Food." Organic Coffee, Natural Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2015.