Corporate Social Responsibility

Companies are trying really hard to get the attention of millennials, and it looks disingenuous. In fact, it’s only getting worst and highlights a profound generational divide. Sort of like corporate social responsibility (CSR)... Do companies really care about CSR or are they only espousing CSR as a way of projecting a positive image and going along with political correctness? If so we can see the BS a mile away!  Large corporations conduct research on how to connect to millennials and then bash them, when expected results are not produced. What I feel is lacking in today’s campaign outreach to millennial is genuine compassion for social responsibility. Look at what American Appeal is doing, they are finding new insignificant way to reach millennials. I comment on photo included in AP visual ad campaign, my Facebook page exploded in a frenzy. Millennials were agreeing with my take on AP skinny lifeless models. I guess American Appeal does not care about CSR, however they are determined to continue doing the same thing expecting different results. I have a true entrepreneurial spirit, and I believe in social corporate responsibility, through my direction I have striven hard to create opportunities for several personal clients and large corporations I have worked for, without jumping on our client’s publicity bandwagons.

CSR has become the norm, but whether or not a company’s intent is motivated by profit or guided by a genuine altruist need to improve the world remains a contentious issue…. The same can be witnessed of companies interested attracting millennials. The Question is do they really care? If they don’t, they really should. Dan Schawbel’s article on Forbes remind us of this: “There are eighty million millennials in America and we represent fourth of the world population with 200 billion in buying power.” Were rock stars!  As Schwabel states many companies believe that millennials hold influence over older generations and are trendsetting across all industries, and ignore traditional methods of advertising and marketing.

A few weeks ago I, had a conversation about branding, and what I feels connects well with millennials. What I took from the conversation is that millennials will not be satisfied with boilerplate media placement and advertising. No way! Social engagement is required to attract millennials who want to virtually see what companies are doing and how. More importantly how it could possible benefit them. Millennials care more about political progressiveness, social issues and what companies are doing and saying about them.  Following the norm of traditional marketing obviously outdated and ineffective. So the biggest stake out here is for companies to get involved with an issue that millennials are talking about on social media, and use this to integrate it their marketing campaign.