CAUSE MARKETING AND CORPORATE REPUTATION
We’ve written before about cause marketing - how customers are increasingly expecting the companies they buy from to demonstrate social responsibility, and how aligning your business with a purpose can be used to attract interest and boost your public relations. But occasionally an industry cause or initiative, that you could previously have chosen to support or ignore, gains so much attention and garners so much support that choosing not to get behind it means your corporate reputation is likely to be tainted by disassociation.
AN INDUSTRY EXAMPLE
A topic that has recently reached this tipping point is gender equality, specifically the representation of women in the broadcast and AV sectors. Less than a decade ago there were small pockets of supporters that would gather in a back room of the RAI during IBC and ISE to lament the lack of women in leadership roles and on seminar stages. Now gender equality is on the agenda both in conference sessions and boardrooms across the industry and the presence of booth babes on an exhibition stand is more likely to elicit derision than attract visitors.
PREPARING FOR THE NEXT BIG CORPORATE REPUTATION TOPIC
The broadcast and AV industries may be technologically advanced but we’re generally slower than most sectors to address the big issues. The good news is that this gives us time to identify and prepare for what might be approaching, and all the signs right now point to environmental sustainability becoming the next hot topic that businesses in our industry can’t afford to ignore.
I first became aware of a growing “green” movement within the industry in 2016 when I discovered the albert initiative and attended one of their training days. albert is a collaborative BAFTA, indie and broadcaster backed project that provides the film and TV industries with information, advice and support to reduce the environmental impact of the production process. At the time I identified sustainable production as an industry cause with good growth potential and even encouraged one of my clients to get involved in some cause marketing around the topic. Recently, however, there seems to be a massive uptake in messaging around reducing waste – particularly plastic waste – both in the industry and in associated markets. From exhibition venues like the Excel launching no plastic campaigns to festivals entering into reusable water bottle partnerships and events committing to exhibition stand recycling projects, the amount of industry news about waste reduction indicates that, what was just a cause a couple of years ago, is now a major industry issue.
THE BENEFITS OF EARLY ADOPTION
Like gender equality, adopting sustainable business practices isn’t necessarily quick or easy so, as it’s becoming increasingly important in the industry, savvy businesses will put it on their agenda now. This means you’ll be able to benefit from the positive PR that early adopters enjoy, and you’ll be ahead of the pack when doing nothing is no longer an option.
Contact us to find out how Little Cricket can help you protect your corporate reputation.