Everyday we’re inundated with more reasons why companies need to communicate corporate responsibility. We hear about mistakes (Apple’s supply chain, McDonalds’ ties with inhumane egg farmers), and we applaud the good (Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle and Chipotle’s commitment to local and humane farming).

Individuals are willing to go further than ever to do good; from buying locally to hiring personal eco-concierges. Increasingly, consumers want to buy from companies that care about the triple bottom line—so much so that we’ll research brands and their parent companies to know who’s behind them. “People aren’t fooled by sustainable sub-brands” such as Kashi or Odwalla Juice. Moreover, employees want to work for companies whose corporate responsibility is up to par. They’ll seek out those that practice a “fundamental human value that is authentic to the brand.”

That information isn’t hard to find either. We live in an age of unprecedented transparency. Lists like Co.Exist’s “25 Companies that Practice Good Corporate Citizenship and Still Make Lots of Money,” Sustainable Brand’s “50 Fastest Growing Brands That Serve a ‘Higher Purpose’” as well as articles about the corporations that aren’t doing it  make it easy to spot heroes and villains. Through email blasts and social networks, this news spreads far and fast, making it harder than ever to get away with what consumers dub greenwashing.

With more eyes on accountable corporate responsibility, the way to do business is actually becoming the right way to do business. Customers and consumers know that information is power, and they arm themselves to and make decisions and a difference on every level. This is something to applaud, to step up to and engage.

In the 1990s, CR was downplayed as a “nice to do” or a mere marketing tactic. But in the past decade, the business case has been made: CR done right contributes to bottomline business success. The CR effort is not just something to bolt on to a company but can be a means to change the entire business. CR is a lens through which companies must see their business futures. Strategies and tactics that don’t consider impact on people and the planet, as well as profits, are already a step behind and living on borrowed time. But fear not. Consumers and employees alike know that CR is a process, and change takes time. For established businesses, the first step is commitment and accountability. Progress, as in life, is more important than perfection. So try!

Hardly a week goes by without shocking reminders how important it is for companies to align internal and external audiences with brand, values and organizational strategies.

Think Penn State and the NCAA, Bank of America, Herman Cain, your local (you name it).

Internally, studies indicate only one in five employees understands how their work contributes to the overall strategic direction. This lack of clarity is exacerbated by a daily bombardment of information, which interrupts focus and impedes innovation. Companies that neglect to connect with employees, customers, investors and the public stifle growth and risk backlash and irrelevance.

As brand ambassadors, everyone involved with an organization must fully believe their support is relevant to the mission. This extends from the investors, board of directors and employees to the customers and vendors. In order to achieve buy-in, to energize and motivate, organizations must communicate openly and honestly about their corporate strategy. The four most effective ways to do this are through storytelling, using vivid pictures, engaging in discussions and by walking their talk.

Strategy in Storytelling
A brand’s strength derives from authentic colorful stories. At its core, emotive branding is concerned with storytelling that forms a bond with people. Your supporters must not only be invested in what is currently happening with the company but also what occurred in the past and what transpires next. Apple’s phenomenal success, for example, was intertwined with each victory achieved by Steve Jobs. Disney has its magic. Virgin Airlines has Richard Branson. When I worked at the biotech company Cephalon, we had Frank Baldino.

I love the way my friend Gary Baker of Baker Brand Communications describes storytelling as the essence of a brand. Successful branding relies on portraying authentic attributes that accurately reflect an organization’s fundamental strategies. The elements of a good story − analogies and metaphors – encourage people to invest in your company, work for you and buy your products.

Strategy in Pictures
I am a visual thinker. Before I engage, I envision an activity, outcome or relationship. I prefer to be pulled by a vision rather than be pushed by a plan. Making an emotive connection in the multimedia world in which we live requires vivid images that play upon the senses. People should feel your brand. They should see in their mind’s eye how their life will improve by doing business with you. Visual intimacy, emotive images and immediacy are why YouTube receives more than two billion hits each day.

Strategy in Discussion
We must also engage with whoever wants to talk with us, wherever they are, anytime they choose. This is especially important in the social media age, where anything is said regardless of accuracy. The inescapable fact in today’s world is employees, customers, investors and the public talk about your brand and strategy whether or not you join the conversation.

Strategy in Action
Finally, success also depends on a company staying true to its words through its actions. The media are full of examples of executives, celebrities, and politicians saying one thing and doing another. Inappropriate actions – and inaction when decisive action is needed – come at a steep price to brands and reputations. When trust is broken, it is somewhere between difficult and impossible to recover. You do have to talk the talk and walk the walk.

But for every Apple, Disney and Virgin Atlantic, there are dozens of other organizations that find storytelling, the use of inspiring and authentic imagery, personal engagement and “walking the talk” an awkward process, at best. Those often-used words “transparency” and “authenticity” require gut-churning change for many, but both are essential to executing strategies and building solid brands and reputations.

Organizations that ignore the imperative to change how they communicate are going to like irrelevancy even less.

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About this contributor:

Robert Grupp
Grupp Global Partners LLC
www.gruppglobal.com

Robert Grupp is a guest contributor for our blog. He is a talented corporate communications executive and public relations professional who understands how to channel the energy created by an organization’s brand identity. He has more than 25 years experience in science-driven businesses and trade associations operating in the US, Europe and Asia. We partnered with Bob to articulate and design a corporate brand for Cephalon, when Bob was Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Bob is a leader who sees both challenges and opportunities and applies strategies and tactics to maneuver through an often-complicated environment to find solutions and a path forward.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) is currently having an exhibition called ‘Architectural environments for tomorrow – new spatial practices in architecture and art.’ Among it’s participants is Haruka Kojin, the youngest of the exhibitors. Her piece ‘Contact Lens,’ uses two types of acrylic lenses, one flat and one warped, to create a poetic/distorted view of reality. Although the technique of distorting real environments isn’t a new idea (Alyson Shotz – http://derekeller.com/alysonshotz.html), Kojin’s  piece becomes seamless with the environment, pixelating the world in real time and space. The work invites interaction/participation drawing the audience to add and become a part of the piece. http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/17527/haruka-kojin-contact-lens.html.