Being the Apple of Our eyes…

I still remember, the day I got into TCS my mom was so thrilled and happy. She was all the more excited that I got into a TATA company. TATA has always enjoyed that good will in the society. They are known, right from their initial days, for their philanthropic activities- as a company that pays back to the society. Tata’s has always walked the talk and followed Jamsetji Tata’s words “In a free enterprise the community is not just another stakeholder in the business but in fact the very existence of it”. Besides offering numerous scholarships to the students, the Tata’s have also backed numerous institutes like The Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research etc. as a mark of their commitment to the community.

Many global organisations have followed their foot prints and are coming up with CSR initiatives for the community with whom they are engaged. A few are taking proactive initiatives, while others are taking a reactive stance. There are manyways in which the organisations work for the betterment of the society. Some do it by building schools,colleges, libraries and hospitals ,whereas others work for a cause, like fighting against diseases like cancer, AIDS etc., campaigns for preserving water/forest/tiger, campaigns for sustainability , climate change etc.

ITC has launched E- Choupal, an initiative to prevent the middle men from exploiting the farmers. It is an e-procurement portal to procure agriculture and aquaculture products, directly from the farmers. ITC also contributes to primary education in villages by sharing the profit from the sale of their Classmate notebook, which gives consumers a sense of affiliation to the initiative, just by buying Notebooks.

Honda has recently come up with an awareness campaign to restrain drivers from Multi-tasking ( Texting & Driving). They have tried to communicate this message via a series of Ads showing that Texting & Driving is as difficult or complicated as Texting & Cutting Hair, Texting & Vacuuming, Texting & Making Pancakes or Texting & Gardening.

 PepsiCo started an initiative to maintain water balance by saving and replenishing more water than their total water usage in the country .They also marketed it well via labels in their water bottle to make its customers aware of their commitment towards waters sustainability.

Researches have revealed that the Customer won’t mind paying a premium to buy products from those companies who are committed and sensitive towards the society. They further pointed out that they also acquire a more loyal customer base. . 

In this time and age where companies vie against one another for a distinct space in the minds of their customers, a TV commercial or a billboard advertisement may last for a few hours or days . But a brand image created by giving back to the society will last for years, just the way it has lasted in my mom’s mind.J