Marketing, CSR and Porcupines

Thanks to Edgar Mirzoyan for sharing their work on Unsplash.

The churn in society is having a lot of effects. The pandemic is accelerating the future of business trends in tech, work, entertainment, and health, while the Black Lives Matter movement is bashing our calcified, 400-year-old history of racism to bits. In the middle of all of this, Marketing and CSR departments are working double time to figure out how to respond in ways that empathize, drive the brand forward, and have real impact.

Everyone knows they must take their brands in a purposeful direction, but not that many know the pitfalls or dynamics of such a thing in their own companies. After decades of being at the Marketing/CSR intersection, I usually describe the connection between them in a riddle:

Question: “How do porcupines mate?”

Answer: “Very carefully”

There are a great many things that these departments should learn about themselves and could learn from each other in order to be successful together — here are a few.

What they should learn about themselves

CSR Departments have not always been in vogue.  They have had to fight, scrape, and advocate for themselves for a long time to get any kind of attention or resource. With all of that struggle, many now come to the table with a chip on their shoulder thinking that they are the only ones that really care about community.  They see Marketing as a late arrival to social impact and CSR as the defender of the community. CSR drools over Marketing budgets but is skeptical of their intentions.   

That said, CSR is not the only group of people that care about community in an organization. While it may be CSR’s sole mission, other departments care too but they have to do other things. Community cannot be their sole focus. So, while it can look like Marketing is running fast and loose with community efforts, it’s not because they don't care; it’s because they want to keep their job.  

Now, Marketing departments have always had the toys. They get to hang out with athletes and musicians in VIP lounges and private boxes. They spend vast sums of money, and that can alter a world view. Marketing departments and their army of agencies can descend on community action like it’s something they invented.  It’s like the scene in the movie when the FBI comes into a crime scene and tells the local sheriff that they will take over now, thank you very much.  Marketing departments are less concerned with long standing community relationships and just need this to happen RIGHT NOW.

There is a reason for that. Marketing departments carry a lot of pressure. They have resources and relationships, yes.  But they are held on a very short leash and the results of their work can be seen every month in brand research, sales reports, and media impressions. The average tenure of a CMO is 42 months — and that goes for their whole regime. The clock is always ticking.

What they could learn from each other

Marketing departments can learn from CSR that real impact creates reach, impressions, and consideration.  Investing X into a community need and then spending 50X on promoting that investment is hollow and people know it. The CSR teams are in contact with community organizations of all stripes. They can help determine how the company can best help real people, communities, and neighborhoods. That help will drive the authenticity and consideration brands needs.

On the flip side, CSR departments could pick up the pace and get creative. Now that Marketing departments are in the game, there are more resources available to do the good work communities need. But the train is moving. Brand narratives are changing, and how those stories connect to community might require some new thinking. It is worth having another cup of coffee and take some chances on new ideas. More of them will work than wont.

The magic friction that lies between Marketing and CSR can spark real change and catapult a brand into the front of mind of its customers. But working together can be a prickly process, and like the porcupines, it must be done carefully.