In June 1995 the off-shore oil rig Brent Spar, owned by oil and petrol giants Dutch-Shell and British Esso, was supposed to be dumped in a depth of 2400 metres near the Scottish
westcoast. British institutions had already permitted the dumping, which due to institutional investigations didn’t violate the international environmental conventions made in Oslo and
Paris to protect the sea. But suddenly the environmental organization Greenpeace launched a European-wide protest campaign to prevent the dumping of Brent Spar, which resulted in massive boycotts of Shell’s petrol stations all over the continent. The enormous public support of Greenpeace’s campaign forced Dutch-Shell not to dump Brent Spar but to tow it into a Norwegian fjord where it has been stored until today. By now there hasn’t been a solution for the disposal of the oil rig.
In the case of Brent Spar everyone mentioned responsibility. The responsibility of the Dutch-Shell company to protect the environment, to report about future actions and their
consequences and to base decision-making on more than just the opinions of shareholders. According to the public opinion, Dutch-Shell hadn’t taken this responsibility, the so-called
social responsibility, which turned out to harm the image and sales of the company for years. This project work will explain the meaning and the role of social responsibility in marketing concerning past, present and future developments. Looking at the societal markteting concept supporting educational and cultural issues , we’ll see why and in which way firms adopt the societal marketing concept and how this affects their businesses, customers, organizations, governments and the society as a whole. But at first we have to define what we’ll be speaking about. So what do social responsibility and the societal marketing concept mean?
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theory of the societal marketing concept
3. Evolution of social responsibility
4. Societal marketing today
4.1. Why do companies adopt the societal marketing concept?
4.2. Implementation of Societal Marketing
4.3. Societal marketing supporting educational and cultural issues
4.3.1. In big business
4.3.2. In small business
4.3.3. Dangers and criticisms
4.4. Controlling societal marketing and social responsibility
5. Future development of societal marketing
The future role of governments
The future role of consumers
The future role of companies, distributors and investors
The future role of employees
The future role of non-profit organizations and public institutions
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The project examines the role of social responsibility within marketing, specifically focusing on how the "societal marketing concept" supports educational and cultural initiatives. It explores the drivers behind corporate adoption of these practices and investigates the impact of such engagement on businesses, customers, and society.
- The theoretical foundations and evolution of social responsibility in business.
- Business motivations for adopting societal marketing, including financial and brand-related benefits.
- Implementation strategies in both large corporations and small businesses.
- Critical analysis of challenges, risks, and the necessity of controlling non-profit and charitable engagements.
- Future roles of various stakeholders, including governments, consumers, and organizations, in shaping societal marketing.
Excerpt from the Book
4.3.1. In big business
There are a lot of big companies which actively seek opportunities to contribute to the well-being of society. In 1995 IBM was the top corporate giver, spending 92.7 million dollars on social responsibility programs, followed up by Microsoft (73.2 million dollars) and Johnson & Johnson ( 72.8 million). Other companies set aside percentages of profits for social programs. Levi Strauss earmarks 2.4 percent of pretax earnings for worthy projects.
The Cause Related Marketing partnership of Walker’s snacks and News Group Newspapers Ltd in the United Kingdom in 1999 and 2000 set examples and got involved a tremendous number of consumers through a promotion that reached 80% of the population. It worked that way: Free Books for Schools tokens were distributed free to consumers via Walkers crisps packets and in The Sun, The News of the World, The Times and The Sunday Times. Consumers were encouraged to collect these tokens and donate them to schools. Schools in turn redeemed the tokens for books, from a catalogue supplied by Walkers and News International that was compiled with advice from the governmental department of education.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the foundational conflict of corporate responsibility through the Brent Spar case study and defines the scope of social responsibility in marketing.
2. Theory of the societal marketing concept: Explains the core philosophy of considering consumer wants, company requirements, and the long-run interests of both consumers and society.
3. Evolution of social responsibility: Traces the historical development of social responsibility from the nineteenth century through modern social activism and Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
4. Societal marketing today: Examines the practical adoption of the concept, focusing on financial performance, brand loyalty, and strategies for implementation.
5. Future development of societal marketing: Analyzes the evolving responsibilities and roles of governments, consumers, companies, and non-profits in the future of the field.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the necessity of aligning corporate interests with societal well-being and stresses the importance of control and objective evaluation.
Keywords
Societal marketing, Social responsibility, Corporate social responsibility, Cause related marketing, Stakeholders, Sustainability, Public-private partnerships, Ethics, Brand image, Consumer behavior, Financial performance, Transparency, Management, Community engagement, Sustainable development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this project work?
The paper examines the "societal marketing concept," which integrates social responsibility into marketing strategies, particularly in support of educational and cultural issues.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the history of social responsibility, reasons for corporate adoption of societal marketing, implementation techniques, potential pitfalls and criticisms, and the future roles of diverse stakeholders.
What is the main research objective?
The aim is to clarify the role of social responsibility in past, present, and future marketing, and to determine how companies can effectively align profit-seeking activities with the long-term well-being of society.
Which scientific methods were used?
The work employs a qualitative approach, utilizing historical analysis, industry case studies (e.g., Shell, Starbucks, "Heron" bookstores), and reviews of existing organizational research and theoretical literature.
What does the main body address?
It details the theoretical background, traces the evolution of social responsibility, discusses current implementation strategies in large and small businesses, and analyzes the necessary control mechanisms for non-profit and corporate engagements.
What are the characterizing keywords of the work?
Key terms include Societal marketing, CSR, Cause related marketing, Sustainability, Stakeholders, and Corporate Ethics.
How does the author view the role of small businesses compared to big businesses in societal marketing?
The author argues that while small businesses may lack the massive budgets of large corporations, they can be more efficient and authentic in their local community engagements by building personal, non-anonymous relationships.
What is the author's stance on controlling non-profit organizations?
The author emphasizes that non-profits are not immune to abusing power, asserting that they must establish professional financial and marketing structures to ensure funds are spent responsibly and transparently.
- Quote paper
- Robert Motzek (Author), 2002, Making a Difference - The societal marketing concept supporting educational and cultural issues, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/2157
