A new type of CSR: Why I disbanded Unilever's CSR department, in a nutshell.

A new type of CSR: Why I disbanded Unilever's CSR department, in a nutshell.

I have a somewhat out-of-the-ordinary job description for a CMO. As well as leading the marketing function, I also have internal and external communications and sustainable business - environmental and social sustainability - as part of my remit. The role was created when our CEO Paul Polman arrived at Unilever in 2009 and started putting in place a new vision and business model with growth and sustainability at its centre. The idea that growth needs to be sustainable - environmentally and socially as well as economically - led Paul to put the roles together, and it was my job to figure out how to deliver on it.

One of the first things I did was disband the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) department. Of course, people’s first reaction was ‘this is what happens when you put a business man in charge of sustainability.’ Actually, the motivation was almost exactly the opposite of what people assumed – it was about embedding sustainability in every corner of the business, as opposed to just the corner where the CSR folk hung out. It was about mainstreaming. Here are some of the most important lessons I took from the experience.

One: How not to look at CSR

A huge misconception around CSR, which needs to be rectified straight away, is that it should be viewed as something ‘good’ that is done to negate something ‘bad’. This attitude leads to a sense in the rest of the business that it’s being taken care of elsewhere; that it’s someone else’s problem. CSR shouldn’t be a weight on one side of a set of scales - instead, it should be a collective mindset. For Unilever, this goes further than just our business, but right across our extended value chain. That means that everything from the water used to grow our produce, to the greenhouse gasses used when people wash their clothes with our detergents, are viewed as a part of our footprint. That’s what I mean when I talk about ‘mainstreaming sustainability’. It’s every brand, every market. No exceptions.

Two: Sincerity and authenticity are not the same thing

Consumers are discerning. They can tell the difference between a brand with a purpose and a brand with a PR agenda - the phrase ‘trust arrives on foot but leaves on horseback’ never rang truer than here!  In my opinion, this is great news, because it gives companies a fierce motivation to make a positive impact on the world. Lifebuoy is a great example of a brand with a purpose: It started life as an affordable solution to devastating hygiene conditions in impoverished communities, and today Lifebuoy continues to contribute to developing societies across the world. Find your raison d'être, and go after it. Your customers will thank and reward you.

Three: We need to change people’s mindsets

Although more than half of people say they would spend more on a product made by a company that’s committed to having a positive impact, there is still a say-do gap when it comes to sustainable purchases. Brands hold the power to tip the scales: if they make a powerful enough case for sustainable products they can help make it the norm. In the early days of environmental and socially sustainable products, they often performed less well than the brand-leading products – and often at a premium price too. We need to offer sustainable products that have great performance and do not cost any more than others. Then we will change people’s mind-sets and actions.

Four: We need to change internal mindsets

Unilever is a big company with more than 170,000 employees. Big companies can be notoriously slow to change, but we’ve broken the mould by shaking up the traditional model for CSR. Marketers no longer see sustainability as an afterthought or a ‘drag’ on their brand, but a source of differentiation and growth. People in finance see eco-efficiencies and the future-proofing of the business. The sustainability team feel at the centre of the company, rather than an add on. HR embrace the benefits of a purpose that engages employees and attracts future employees. Supply chain are reinventing ways to source sustainably at scale.  

For us, the key to bringing everyone together was delightfully straightforward: a clear vision to grow the business while reducing environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact - a motivating purpose to make sustainable living commonplace.  All our messaging around sustainability is aligned, and as much dedication went into creating a shared passion internally as it did into repositioning our brands and purpose with consumers. The result? People in the business are pulling in the same direction. Unity is truly a force to be reckoned with.

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Linda Kjær Poulsen

Communications Consultant: Strategically leading communication projects to drive behavioral change

6y

Valid points and an interesting take on CSR.

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Uday Gosain, PMP, SAFe LPM, SAFe Agilist

Sr. Director - IoT | SAFe Solution Train | Scaled Agile Specialist | Digital Transformation

6y

This is the only way to do good embed the quadruple bottom line in daily operations. I promoted and tried to run my departments in the same manner - for instance make sure that the QA department functions as close as possible to the standards of Global GAP, GMP, ISO, etc. GAP has sustainability built into it. Here is a piece that reflects your thoughts https://udaygosain.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/down-with-csr/

Kishalay Foundation

NGO focused on Early Education, Child Nutrition & Preventive Healthcare in remote rural India.Kolkata based NGO Working in Sundarban,Murshidabad & Purulia,Ranchi now with 30 Learning Hubs across West Bengal and Jharkhand

6y

absolutely agree

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Hemnath Mishra

Chief Operating Officer at Bhaskar Foundation - India

6y

What a revolutionary thought !Immensely meaningful for the corporations and useful for sustainability professionals .

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