Market Your Way to Growth: 8 Ways to Win

7 Grow by Building an Outstanding Reputation for Social Responsibility

Be the change that you want to see in the world.

—Mahatma Gandhi

Most new companies start out by focusing their attention on developing a product or service that meets a need that no one else serves—or that they believe can meet this need better than other suppliers. If the company does this well, it will grow. Chances are that a company will not initially think of its social responsibilities, because it is engaged in more pressing daily struggles early on—like getting out production, meeting its payroll, and competing against formidable adversaries.

At some point in its growth, however, a charity, political party, or some other worthy cause will approach the company for contributions. The company will need to decide how to handle these requests—especially as their number and the amount requested grows. Initially, the company might make donations to satisfy the good opinion of those soliciting, not out of a real conviction that it has a responsibility to give something back to others in return for its good fortunes. At some point in the future, though, the company will realize the public goodwill it gains from donations and will target one cause that it truly cares about and try to make a real difference. Some companies may even get to the point of building corporate social responsibility into its very DNA—just as ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's or hiking boot and outdoor clothing vendor Timberland did.

Companies ...