Most everyone believes companies need to be “responsible for doing the right thing,” but it was interesting to read that 84% of those surveyed in a recent Cone Communications study felt companies are also just as responsible for effectively communicating said actions. What’s more, nearly half of those surveyed claimed they’d avoid a purchase if they couldn’t find out about a brand’s CSR efforts. Whether or not that’s aspirational or truth, the question is: How? How do you reach a consumer with news that can be technical, dry and most likely very unrelated to the benefits and attributes of the product on the shelf? Yes, it’s important stuff, but it’s far from the colorful language of consumer products. What’s required is tenacity. What’s missing from the Cone study is a measure of how hard consumers are actually working to find this information they care so much about. Based on my experience, most aren’t willing to look very deeply. To reach consumers, and meet this rising demand for greater back story, you have to be determined. Here’s a look at some options to consider. CSR Reports Kill Trees Let’s start with the big daddy, formalized CSR reports. I’m pretty sure that mid-sized, privately held companies back away from CSR reporting because it freaks them out. Have you ever taken a look at the GRI standards? I’ve only had one client go through this rigorous process. The effort was admirable and extremely time consuming. One of the biggest benefits was identifying gaps in their own efforts and opportunities to improve. The findings were lengthy. I’m not sure anyone read it outside the company and core stakeholders. GRI standards provide a consistent framework for businesses around the world to follow, share and compare so that companies can find inspiration and embrace transparency. This is all very positive, and I’m not saying that businesses shouldn’t review the standards, find inspiration and consider adopting the framework. To reach consumers who want to check off the values box before they make a purchase, look for more engaging, digestible ways to share your commitment. Consider a News Release There’s a lot of information you can pack into a one-page release. Publicly sharing your benchmarks, results and goals is a great way to reflect on your accomplishments and keep your organization accountable. Think about all of the things you can share, such as: