The Value of Corporate Social Responsibility in Business and Sport

The Australian National Football League cleaning the streets of New York with the Doe Fund. #SocialResponsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are progressively using sponsorship as a vehicle to deliver goals for two key reasons. First, sport has the capacity to change people’s lives for the better. Whether as a player or fan, people identify with sport in such a way that it can make a huge difference to their mood, and life. Second, sport exists at every possible level, from kids playing soccer in the street, to major global events such as the World Cup. For businesses seeking to develop successful CSR programs, sport delivers a ready made and adaptable podium that can be modified to numerous objectives.

CSR In Business

Sporting teams similar to businesses today are expected to look beyond their bottom line and most understand that they have a level of responsibility to the communities they live and operate in. The term corporate social responsibility (CSR) communicates the ethical and legal actions by organizations in the wider community.

Corporations are choosing CSR projects, which counter the negative impacts they might be having on the environment or on people’s lives. A strong CSR program will prove to create long lasting shared value for a company because of its relationship with multiple stakeholders, from consumers and suppliers to employees and the media, is increased.

CSR And Sport

For years businesses have focused their CSR budgets on contributing to environmental non-profits, but gradually over the years sport has taken precedent as a way to meet social and community needs. Sport is seen as a much more influential pathway, reaching and engaging with more people from local communities and organizations.

Sport is an effective CSR medium because increases values that any socially responsible business should be striving for. These include isonomy to all involved including employees and suppliers, transparency and opportunities for all to succeed, as well as good public relations with communities at large.

All organizations must make certain their CSR/sports strategy is viewed as appropriate to the business and is run with integrity. In the end stakeholders want to see that a brand is being challenged by what it is doing and is not engaging for face value.

Companies must ensure their CSR programs are strategic and well planned. This is where firms that specialize in building integrated CSR strategies, like Apricot Consulting, can assist in making the strategy efficient, having maximum shared value for the business, the sport, and the cause itself. Firms have the ability to involve and integrate all stakeholders and identify how businesses can make improvements.