Continue the Journey!

„There are four major actions that can be taken to improve performance.

– Integrate. Move closer into the business by breaking down silos and building a cross-functional team to recreate strategy.

– Start with a multi-faceted senior executive team to analyze core business and stakeholder needs. Is relevance the issue? Authenticity? Product innovation? License to operate locally and abroad? Analyze current initiatives and elevate those that can be aligned with business objectives.

– Renovate current programs with a clear focus derived from the hard analysis gained from the cross-functional team. Remember that »focus is your friend«. Do a lot more with a lot less.

– Activate across multiple channels: NGOs and governmental partners, supply chains, citizen consumers, employees, local communities, on- and offline engagement, one-to-one, one-to-many. Build robust opportunities for employees, as they are your brand ambassadors. And please educate and activate them first.

– Communicate. Unfortunately, most initiatives do not break through. In our 2012 goodpurpose global survey, on average, only 6 percent of consumers in 16 countries worldwide could name, on an unaided basis, companies that had extensive social/environmental commitments – yet 80 percent of global consumers say it is important for companies to make them aware of their efforts. You have permission to communicate, so make the most of it.

From Edelman's 2011 Trust Barometer, it takes three to five messages to believe in a communication. In today's world of communications bombardment, organizations need to tell their story uniquely tailored to key channels. We call this »transmedia storytelling«, where stories are told in different fashions in four communications arenas: from social media (such as YouTube and Facebook) to hybrid media (such as The Huffington Post and CNN.com) to traditional media and a company's own communications channels (websites, videos, and mobile applications). Well-told stories can reverberate through these channels to gain higher levels of search-engine placement and captivate and engage audiences.

Citizenship. Purpose. Sustainability. Shared value. While there will always be a debate on the name of this practice, a well-developed business-social nexus strategy will align and propel organizations, public and private, large and small, to deepen relationships with core stakeholders for long-term organizational success.”