Watch Out for Anti-Social Responsibility Campaigns
If your business is considering a social responsibility campaign by supporting some cause, you might just be putting a big target on your back.
Christine Hurt at Conglomerate points to an organization called Think Before you Pink. That organization warns of “pink washers.” Those, it claims, are businesses that purport to care about breast cancer research by sporting the pink ribbon on products and advertisements, all the while manufacturing products that actually contribute to the cancer.
Social responsibility is being embraced by businesses. But as more companies participate in causes, watch out for “anti-social responsibility” activists. If your business has any vulnerabilities to a negative public relations campaign by a passionate activist, participating in a highly-publicized cause may be just the thing that puts your vulnerabilities under a spotlight. Take a look inside first.
Hat tip to Ed at this week’s Carnival of the Capitalists, held at the Blawg Review site, for including this very interesting article.
President Of Hawkeye Management
Author of Do-It-Yourself PR Kit
Author of Business Plan Pro
Things can surely backfire by promoting something one does not enforce.
Agreed, David. Guess it goes to show that causes should be about causes, not advertising and PR.