I’ve finally recovered enough from Net Impact to get back to (hanging out with 3,000 sniffly MBAs will invariably transfer something) and reflect on what was quite an interesting trip.
Our panel on “Building a Network to Nurture Social Entrepreneurs and Triple Bottom Line Businesses” (a mouthful) was quite lively and a great exchange. In the end, the metaphor a choice seemed to be Bridges and Tunnels. There need to be general hubs where people can look to easily identify and get involved. There then need to be bridges between the various sectors (design, funding, etc.) in order to offer devleoping entrepreneurs a full spectrum of support (this is excluding incubators of course which seek to deliver the full package if you will).
Aside from that, it was also nice to actually affirm some of the thoughts I had about CSR while at the event. Listening to heads of several CSR departments, I realize the webinar we delivered on Corporate Social Innovation with Lovely Day we pretty spot on.
For those who missed it, you can find the slideshare here.
Despite some technical difficulties, I think we got across some pretty great ideas. Namely, it seems like things are finally shifting. I personally was quite amazed at some of the statistical research that reinforces that people are becoming more and more ethical (both in how they consume and how they wish to work).
Some heartening research Havas Mediasurveyed 11,000 people across nine countries in 2008 and found that 81% of respondents believed that we need to change the way we live our lives.
2008 Euro RSCGresearch suggests that 71% of British, 80% of French and 72% of US consumers believe that businesses bear as much responsibility for creating social change as governments.
The interesting thing is that Corporations and their CSR activities have been (partially by necessity) evolving with people. We’ve seen the following progression by some of the most innovative brands (and the last one by the most forward thinking).
MARKETING —> INTEGRATION —> INNOVATION
Marketing — jumping on the bandwagon without really making
internal changes — “greenwashing”
Integration — reducing carbon emissions, supply chain responsibility
Innovation — leveraging social good to create innovative business ideas
There have been a few large corporations who have been able to make amazingly drastic change through social innovation and revamping their missions. One great examples is Marks & Spencer’s Plan A, a whole 360 revamp of their corporate image through a 100 point 5 year plan to address major issues such as waste, and sustainability. The initiative involves customer, supplier and employees collaborating to set up a fully sustainable business model – which is one of the first of its kind in the UK. Other details range from a plastic bag program, clothes recycling program with charity Oxfam and the Look Behind The Label campaign focused on using fairtrade cotton. What was supposed to take a £200m over five years in its sustainability plan, is already cash positive thanks to cost savings made on climate change and waste initiatives.
The directors at Net Impact were certainly impressive as far as their insight. However, it was still Jeff Furman of Ben and Jerry’s who was the most sincere through and through (who would be able to deny that of a guy who hires underprivileged people in the Yonker to make the brownies in the brownie ice cream.)
We’ll see how he holds out against Unilever (he’s got some extremely smart and unique legal statutes in place to protect the social mission amidst the buyout), but if real CSI means every company working their way toward becoming more like Ben and Jerry’s, makes me all the more passionate about it.