CSR meets PR For Green Businesses

Companies may seek to raise or influence public opinion within the scope of the redefinition of the company's programming.  While there is an willingness to rethink the company's mission and goals, there may be a mutual desire to present a socially proactive attitude within this restatement of mission.  This may be the area of social change that some may seek rather than making the sustainability project an omnibus project for all considerations possible.

The fact is that many companies may find that there is a need for rehabilitation of the company image.  Also, there may be a realization that the public's opinion has changed, and the company now wishes to capture a place in the new issues of the day.

Regardless of the desire to include a public relations campaign, it may be best to understand that there can be a parallel effort  for addressing public relations as well as upgrade the company's environmental practices.  This can prevent to all-inclusive misunderstanding about the sustainability agenda or the "scope creep" that takes the focus away from environmental mandates.

The challenged faced by the sustainability officer or Green consultant is working in a tandem effort with those in charge of the public relations.  The move to a Greener, more sustainable, and environmentally-friendly program is news worthy, and can strongly compliment the new awareness/proactive program of the company.  It seems logical and smart to coordinate a public relations campaign with an environmental upgrade, but these are two different tasks.

Perhaps, it is the desire to create a socially-responsible face while the environmental issues are brought up that has caused the CSR concept to be stretched to include all social problems.  The difference is that CSR makes the social issues a duty for businesses to address rather than a cause for attention.  Public relations express an interest in a need and a willingness to participate in addressing the need.  While this may be a subtlety that many may miss, it is still a factor to consider when we look at a CSR or public relations model.

"Social Responsibility" presses an obligation in the form of a demand participation.   These issues become a duty because they are both urgent and harmed by what is happening now by some action of the company.  So, the dumping of raw sewage is an appropriate example of this.  A recycling campaign is also a could be socially responsible as well.  The same would be true for efforts to reduce energy consumption, curb waste, and save water.

Rather than merge all things into the sustainability plan, it makes sense to run the dual processes of environmental programming and public opinion from two distinct platforms.  We may be doing ourselves no good by a mash up of both in the CSR effort.