Lights, camera... where's the action?

Each year, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship holds a film festival, which gives companies an “opportunity to demonstrate how they have utilized video as a communication tool”. There’s a public vote online – it ends tomorrow in case you want to have your say – to decide a shortlist and then the overall winner is selected by a panel of judges at the International Corporate Citizenship Conference in April. 

There are a total of 76 entries so it’s quite a feat to watch them all; however, in my quest to find out about corporate responsibility in the States, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to explore what companies are doing and how they’re talking about it.

Video is such an engaging mechanism for telling a story and companies increasingly use it to communicate their environmental and social messages to employees and consumers. In recent years, we've seen some compelling examples of how effective video can be, from the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty videos, which went viral(see below), to Virgin Media’s video-driven approach to sustainability reporting. There is some really innovative and creative thinking out there.

I have to admit that not many of the film festival entries grabbed my attention. I accepted quite early on that the majority of the videos were going to be about philanthropic activities and that I shouldn't try and evaluate them with my strategic sustainability hat on. Some of the videos made reference to the broader social and environmental objectives of the business but, where they did, it felt like a bit of an after-thought. Broadly speaking, I'd divide the entries into two categories: 

• Emotional stories: personal stories from veterans, cancer survivors, single mums, people with disabilities about how they – or the charity that helped them - have been supported by the company and the impact on their lives. 
• Volunteer montages: clips of volunteers in corporate T-shirts painting schools, packaging up food bank deliveries or completing a 5 km run. 

Videos in both of these categories used similar ‘emotional’ music, and the commentary was provided by staff members, who said very similar things using slightly different words.

Now before you accuse me of being British and cynical, I should say that I was impressed by how much philanthropy seems to go on. The videos really convey the enthusiasm and excitement among employees in the US for ‘giving back’ and there are some really nice examples of how companies are supporting the communities where they operate. Perhaps my expectations are just too high – I believe that business can be a powerful force for good and therefore it’s frustrating to see companies wasting the opportunity to show what can really be done.

Content aside, at the very least, I was looking for a strong message, some creativity in the techniques used, and, most of all, a clear aim; by that I mean that I wanted to understand why the video was made and who it was made for. Only a very small number of entries ticked all these boxes.

In the future, it would be great to see the introduction of categories for the film festival. All the entries are currently lumped together as ‘corporate citizenship’ videos, but perhaps the inclusion of categories would help companies think more broadly about what corporate citizenship means and perhaps to submit something other than the usual volunteering or philanthropy video. The added benefit - it would help balance the expectations of viewers who are (ahem) harder to please.

What good can come of Horsegate?

The new arrival

There was a rather strange new arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport this weekend – a giant red cow. It was shipped in from Switzerland by the owners of family-run Massachusetts bakery Swissbäkers, who are opening up a new bakery in Boston and will be adorning the new location with this bovine statue. The best bit is that they’re running a competition to name the animal – surely, in the wake of the horse meat scandal, this is a chance to have a bit of fun - you might opt for Red Beauty, or Red Stallion or even Skydancer? Although I have a feeling this might be lost on most Americans.

Perhaps not so much in Europe where controversy about Horsegate continues to grow… Just today Ikea pulled meatballs from its UK stores as a precautionary measure and Nestlé faced further questions about its involvement with the scandal. The food industry is firmly back in the spotlight and the whole situation raises a huge number of questions about supply chain management, food sourcing, and, most of all, about trust.

Whilst child labor scandals associated with fashion brands such as GAP or H&M have led to boycotts, the food industry is in an even more precarious position because of the nature of the consumer's relationship with food. It’s linked to survival, nourishment and, even, comfort; the fact that consumers have been duped about what exactly they're eating feels like a much bigger violation than finding out the truth about how their t.shirts are made. It’s not even the fact that we’re talking about horse meat, although admittedly for some this is a real sticking point, it’s really the fact that consumers feel they've been tricked by the brands they thought they could trust.

So how is this going to play out? What can the food industry do to win back consumer trust? To be honest, it’s a bit too soon to tell as we’ve yet to understand the full extent of the problem. At the very least, this should serve as a wake-up call to companies who are not taking steps to address responsible business practices across their supply chain. There are good examples of what can be done to inspire and support supply chain partners to take a more responsible approach to the way they do business, e.g. Walmart, who selects its suppliers based on whether or not they adhere to the same social and environmental standards, rather than purely on price, and who has opened up a dialogue to “learn, connect, inspire and drive sustainability through collaboration”; or GAP, which is helping its suppliers to improve their human resource capabilities to prevent problems, such as underage workers, becoming an issue in the first place. However, there is still a way to go and many more companies that need to act.

In the longer term, perhaps this controversy will prove enough of a disruption to accelerate a number of companies – not just the food industry – to think differently about the way they do business. In Corporate Citizenship’s report, Future Business – the four mega-trends that every company needs to prepare for, which was published today, there is clear evidence that the period of choice is over. By that, I mean that the era when businesses could decide whether or not to do business in a more sustainable way is coming to a close; in the future, and as we’re already starting to see today, rapid population growth, increasingly limited resources, emerging markets becoming more powerful, as well as changing consumer demands and increased scrutiny via social media, will force private companies to adapt or risk going bust. Wouldn’t it be easier to take action now? That would be a positive outcome from Horsegate.

What a diverse bunch!

It's always interesting to meet others who work in the Sustainability/Corporate Responsibility sector because it represents people with such a diverse range of skills and experience. Within sustainability consultancy firms or in-house sustainability teams, you'll find people with backgrounds in PR, Marketing, Advertising, Research, Management Consultancy, Fundraising, Journalism - there's no set path.

Two of the panel members from the Boston Net Impact Careers Summit last Friday provide a nice example of this. Kathrin Winkler, VP Corporate Sustainability and Chief Sustainability Officer at EMC Corporation, previously worked as Senior Director of Product Management for the company. As part of her role in product management, Kathrin was already thinking about energy efficiency and waste reduction and this led to her teaming up with like-minded colleagues to think about a broader program of measures to improve the sustainability of the organisation. With time, these measures were turned into a business plan, which got buy-in from the C-Suite and led to the introduction of a more strategic approach to sustainability and the creation of Kathrin's position.

In contrast, Christine Riley, Director Corporate Responsibility and The Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation at Dunkin' Brands Inc. (phew that's a long job title) was an external hire. She started out in the not-for-profit sector doing corporate fundraising, which led to consultancy experience at Boston-based PR, Marketing and CSR agency Cone Communications, and then to her current position, heading up sustainability at Dunkin' Brands.

Despite their different skills and experience, the key skill they have in common is their ability to build relationships and leverage these connections to successfully achieve a project goal. Kathrin's knowledge of the company, its operations, and crucially, it's people has been invaluable when trying to instigate change across the organisation. Christine's experience of managing relationships as a fundraiser and as a consultant has enabled her to seek out and exploit the relevant knowledge and expertise within the business to make things happen. For both of them, whilst they lead the change and need the skills to do this, it is the business that has to deliver it.

Kathrin and Christine's experience matches findings from research carried out by Vox Global, the Weinreb Group and Net Impact Berkeley, which was published in the 2012 report Making The Pitch: Selling Sustainability From Inside Corporate America. A survey of sustainability leaders working at Fortune 100 companies showed that, whilst prior to taking the job, sustainability leaders felt that subject-matter expertise was going to be the key to being successful, once in the job, they all agreed that "interpersonal skills - rather than subject matter expertise - is the most important attribute a sustainability professional must have to be successful".

Overall, I think this is encouraging - it shows that sustainability roles are no longer 'specialist' positions on the periphery. Sustainability leaders are senior executives with diverse experience and a range of skills. What is most important is that they have an influential voice, excellent people and relationship building skills and that they are able to use these talents to maximize their company's potential to be a force for good.

A Brief Coffee Update

The values are on the wall - literally!

One of my first blog posts after moving to Boston was about my frustration at being given disposal coffee cups, regardless of whether I was drinking in or taking away. I'm happy to say that I have since been shown that there are exceptions! The Thinking Cup serves you great coffee in a non-disposable cup, as does Render Coffee Bar, which also has yummy chocolate and macadamia cookies. However, en route to explore Charleston today, I discovered the Equal Exchange Cafe. This sells products from Equal Exchange, a co-op founded in New England, which has an inspiring vision: "We invite you to share in our vision of a better world — a vision that connects us more closely to the food we eat and to the farmers who grow it". Over its 20-year lifespan, the co-operative has worked tirelessly to bring consumers fairly traded coffee as well as other products such as tea, sugar, chocolate and bananas. In the beginning, the idea of more equitable relationships with farmers was written off by the specialty coffee industry as absurd; however today, Equal Exchange believes there are "400 coffee companies purchasing at least a small portion of their coffee under Fair Trade terms". A great success story, although the co-op is clear that it still has a long way to go.

The cafe near the Charleston Bridge in Boston is a place where Equal Exchange can engage consumers in the importance of fair trade and the great tasting results - and the results are good! What's more, they give you a discount if you use your own cup:

Is there Social Intrapreneur in all of us?

"Social innovation is the unwritten bullet-point in everyone’s job description" is the opening line from Marzena Zukowska, media manager and strategist with Ashoka Changemakers, in her Forbes article 3 Necessary Ingredients for Corporate Changemaking. The article is about Social Intrapreneurs; employees, who are working to change the culture of their workplace from the inside. There are some remarkable examples of how this is being done. Check out this video of the Food for Good initiative, thought  up and bought to life by PepsiCo employees in Dallas, Texas:

Click here to read about other inspiring examples from around the world.

At the end of last year, Ashoka and Accenture, launched The League of Intrapreneurs, a competition to raise awareness about what they're calling a 'lost tribe' of social innovators from all over the globe; the millions of employees, who have come up with projects to help their employers fulfill their commercial and social objectives. Winners will be featured in the globally distributed 'Intrapreneur Toolkit', they will be publicized on the Fast Company's Co-Exist blog and they will receive consultancy support from Accenture Development Partnerships.

This celebration of Social Intrapreneurs is a an important step - it's recognition of that the fact that it's not only entrepreneurs that have great ideas; that employees in companies, whatever their day job, have the potential passion, creativity and skills to bring groundbreaking new social projects to life. In my opinion, if this competition can encourage companies to provide the means and mechanisms to enable employees to communicate and develop their ideas and, most importantly, inspire employees to fight for what they're passionate about, it will have been a success.

We can all find our inner hero!

Having said that, we're not all Social Intrapreneurs, and, let's be honest, it would be a nightmare for companies if we were! Nevertheless, the phrase 'social innovation is the unwritten bullet point in everyone's job description' is still true. Everyone in a company can help make the business they work for a 'better business' - from finding ways for their team or department to use less paper, to changing to a supplier more in line with the values of the business, to working alongside a 'Social Intrapreneur' to make their idea a reality. What is important is that their company has a clearly defined purpose and strategy that inspires employees to work towards a clear, shared goal and empowers them to make a difference as part of their job, without waiting to be told to do it.

So whilst we unlock the potential of Social Intrapreneurs, let's not forget the potential of everyone in a business to change it for the better.

Beer for Good: Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream

At the risk of making beer a bit too much of a recurring theme, I wanted to write about an interesting initiative that has been developed by the Boston Beer Company, the makers of Sam Adams beer. In the current tough economic climate, what is needed more than ever, is support for entrepreneurs trying to turn their ideas into successful business ventures. The Boston Beer Company is doing just that. Jim Koch, who founded the Boston Beer Company by brewing beer in his kitchen, never forgot the obstacles he faced when he was trying to launch his company and that inspired him to set up an initiative, Brewing the American Dream, to help the next generation of passionate entrepreneurs. Sam Adams works in partnership with Accion, a non-profit microfinance organization, to provide loans to small business owners from the food, beverage and hospitality industry. As well as finance, participating entrepreneurs are also provided with coaching, mentoring and resources, all of which are invaluable support mechanisms. I was particularly taken by their pioneering ‘speed coaching’ events, designed by Sam Adams employees to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet Boston Beer employees, ask them questions and get valuable business advice.

What I like about this program is that it both draws on and enhances the ‘personality’ of the brand. Whilst the Sam Adams brand is now much more widely known, it came from small beginnings and it was its founder’s entrepreneurial zeal, commitment and perseverance that made it all happen. I also like the fact that it has inspired and involved Boston Beer Company employees, giving them something to support and feel proud of – aside from taking pride in the beer of course! Jim Koch is a charismatic ambassador for the initiative – here’s a video of him at the Clinton Global Initiative Cause Marketing Forum where he takes to the stage with a mug of beer.

Sustainable Soda Stream Commercial Causes Controversy

So just in case you hadn't noticed (ahem), yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday; not only the climax of the football season, but apparently also the second largest day for food consumption in the USA after Thanksgiving, and the day when companies are prepared to fork out as much as $4 million for a 30 second advertising spot. With viewing figures of over 110 million in recent years, it's not surprising that the Super Bowl commercial spots command such a premium price. Getting it right can give a huge boost to a brand - think of the 'Wassup' Budweiser frogs - and getting it wrong means weeks and weeks of re-runs, media commentary and social media mentions; not ideal but not always a bad thing either...

After all the build up last week - and yes I'm still talking about the commercials rather than the football, they even air commercials for the commercials - I was expecting to see some creative advertising. Unfortunately I'd have to agree with Stuart Elliott from the New York Times that "the commercials that CBS broadcast nationally during the game were, by and large, disappointing". And, disappointingly, from a sustainability perspective, the only advert that even touched on the subject was the controversial Soda Stream creation from ad man turned consumer and social advocate Alex Bogusky. 

It was touch and go as to whether or not the Soda Stream advert would even be aired as it showed "denigration of the bottled drinks market" and would upset Pepsi and Coca Cola who are major sponsors of the game. In the end, it was agreed that a 'gentler ad' that doesn't mention any specific soft drink brands.  This is not the first time that this advert has caused controversy, in fact, it has even been banned in the UK. However, as we've seen, trying to prevent these adverts being seen can actually do more harm than good - the unaired version of the commercial has already clocked up nearly 4 million views on You Tube and counting...

I would like to say that Soda Stream's commercial is a sign of things to come - Super Bowl Commercials will start to portray meaningful, values-led messages, rather than meaningless stunts and celebrity appearances; however, I don't think we're there yet. Nevertheless, it is good to see a brand using a sustainability message to differentiate itself from its competitors.