Customer engagement with CSR activities

Customer engagement is imperative in today’s retail environment to remain in the minds of the customers and also give them enough space to know the brand properly. Most of the companies leverage their brands with CSR activities which give them enough recognition to make their brands different from the rest.

Such activities also give a chance to customers to add their contribution to such social initiatives. Thanks to the new Companies Bill that suggest corporate to spend up to 2% of their net profits on corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Importance
“Adopting corporate social responsibility boosts corporate reputation in a big way and in the process promotes business interest. In fact, CSR can play an important role in building positive customer perception and loyalty based on distinctive ethical values,” says Mr. Pramod Arora, Jt. Managing Director, Archies Limited.

“They help forge long-term and strategic partnership between businesses and nonprofit organizations. These initiatives help build up brand image, spotlight a product and promote a cause for mutual benefit in the market for successful existence in the business sphere. CSR can be a good savior in terms of crisis,” explains GS Bhalla, Founder & CEO, Cocoberry.

Helps in Customer Engagement & sales
Though these activities are carried out for the welfare purpose but still these initiatives help in remaining in the minds of the customers. For instance-- in order to support save the children, Cocoberry has introduced special small cups for its customers, who will pay Rs. 2 extra on its purchase.

In order to promote the cause, the Cocoberry store staff dons in especially designed T-Shirts carrying the message “Support Save the Children”.

On the same lines KS Raman, Director, Next Retail Ltd,” From every bill that is generated from the Company owned stores, we make a contribution to Wockhardt Foundation and this helps in the free treatment of cataract patients.”
 
Crafting the social initiatives around the retail environment gives the direct touch base with the shoppers which can even promote the sales of the product. This gives shoppers the chance to do their part of welfare for the underprivileged society or do their part of service.

Other brands who have taken some initiatives

• Archies has long standing arrangements with HelpAge (India’s premier NGO for Old People) since 1989 and CRY (India’s premier NGO for underprivileged children), since 2000.

• Woodland has started the initiative named ‘Proplanet’ to save the mother Earth.

• Next Retail India Ltd has a tie-up with Wockhardt Foundation which helps in the free treatment of cataract patients.

Helps in brand building
Fulfilling CSR helps in the following business processes:-corporate reputation, brand perception, brand differentiation, corporate citizenship and goodwill.