Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility – Brand management

Abstract

Corporate action is subject to more scrutiny than ever. An attempt to legitimize the corporate role is seen in corporate social responsibility as a part of a triple bottom line framework. Corporate principles are communicated in various forms to a wide set of stakeholders. Ideally, what is communicated in terms of principles is also seen in business practice. In cases where the principles and actions differ, the platform for creating a brand territory is limited. The communication platform is affected by, for example, corporate documents, actions and media perceptions. The studied cases, from the construction industry, illustrate how media portrays business conduct. It shows that the corporate communication strategy is affected by media’s verdicts. Driven by outside pressure, a set of ethical principles were declared but they received little attention since their press release was poorly timed; the press release coincided with a scandal of unethical business conduct concerning the same company. Branding represents a cornerstone in the corporate marketing umbrella. It is a simplifying symbol that helps stakeholders distinguish between sales offers. Credence values such as social responsibility and ethical business conduct are intangible; the brand thus becomes a guarantee for the communicated social values.