Adam Garfunkel, Managing Director of Junxion’s London, UK practice, shares insights about how the right-sized approach to materiality will help your strategy and reporting efforts start on the right foot.
Mike Rowlands, Junxion’s President and CEO based in Vancouver, Canada, describes some practical approaches to developing a TrustBrand that tie together your inspiring vision for change, your business strategy, and accountability for your social performance.
Junxion helps senior-level decision-makers in medium to large companies decide what ‘next steps’ to take in their ongoing journey towards socially responsible corporate citizenship. Whether your business is considering next steps, or first steps, these are two essential practices to master if you want to "walk the talk" with confidence.
3. Today’s learning goals:
‣ Identify and prioritize the social and environmental responsibility issues that are
most relevant to your business
‣ Decide on, and develop a plan to engage relevant stakeholders—both leading and
listening effectively in conversations on material issues
‣ Align sustainability and social responsibility with brand and communications to
accelerate both impact and market awareness in an approach we call Corporate
Social Returns
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4. Corporate Social Returns
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Download our guide at http://junxion.com/csr-guide/
Pre-CSR /
mainstream
Basic
CSR
Proactive
CSR
Integrated
CSR
Transformational
CSR
Non-financial issues
or outcomes not
considered in
operational
decisions /“one-
dimensional”
decisions
CSR priorities are
determined by
leaders’personal
preferences and/ or
are an afterthought
to normal
operations
CSR is regularly
considered in brand,
strategy and
operational
decision-making
CSR is a strategic
requirement for
every part of the
company’s brand,
strategy and
operations
The company is one
component in a
mission for social
change that
transcends the
bounds of the
corporation
6. What is Materiality?
Materiality analysis evaluates the costs, benefits and risks associated with
your business activities from both your company’s and your stakeholders’
points of view. The purpose of materiality analysis is to help you decide
which CSR activities, policies and investments you should prioritize.
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“
”
7. What is Materiality?
Material issues are....
‣ Important to stakeholders
‣ Important to the success of the business (and this is understood in more broad
terms than simply financial success)
‣ Reasonably within the ability of the business to influence.
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8. How to identify material issues
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Long List Short List Validate
‣ Resources might be:
• media mentions
• existing industry guides
• what peers do
(benchmarking)
• legislation
• enquiries
• previous stakeholder
dialogue results
‣ Interviews better than
questionnaires
‣ Ask stakeholders what matters
‣ Agree on a scoring process
(weighted?)
‣ Establish thresholds for
high/medium/low materiality
‣ Engage senior management
‣ Also consider external
stakeholders
10. Example
LOW
HIGH
MATERIAL ISSUES
HIGH
HIGH
13
How much business risk associated with social, environmental,
and economic impacts of the issue
How much
does this issue
influence
stakeholder
assessments
and decisions
Child
Obesity
Carbon
Footprint
Manufacturing
Labour
Standards
based on a
garment
manufacturer
11. Example
LOW
HIGH
MATERIAL ISSUES
HIGH
HIGH
13
How much business risk associated with social, environmental,
and economic impacts of the issue
How much
does this issue
influence
stakeholder
assessments
and decisions
Child
Obesity
Carbon
Footprint
Manufacturing
Labour
Standards
based on a
garment
manufacturer
12. Example
LOW
HIGH
MATERIAL ISSUES
HIGH
HIGH
13
How much business risk associated with social, environmental,
and economic impacts of the issue
How much
does this issue
influence
stakeholder
assessments
and decisions
Child
Obesity
Carbon
Footprint
Manufacturing
Labour
Standards
based on a
garment
manufacturer
13. Business Risk Associated with Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts
LOW
InfluenceonStakeholderAssessmentsandDecisions
HIGH
MATERIAL ISSUES
HIGH
HIGH
Sustainable Transportation
in Supply Chain
Product Lifecycle and Waste
Carbon Footprint
Child Obesity
Workplace Health and Safety
(licensed contractors)
Chemical Sourcing Material
Inputs
Labour Rights
Workplace Health and Safety
(direct contractors)
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Example
Low Medium High
this business
Level of control this business
has on these issues/impacts
based on a
garment
manufacturer
14. Know your issues
Knowing what your material issues are helps you to:
‣ Ask stakeholders better, more specific questions about their needs and concerns
‣ Offer clearer, more concrete commitments in return
‣ Give others a clear sense of your priorities
Where are you committed to act, advocate, or support efforts to change things?
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15. Top Tips
‣ Use a standards-based approach. Clear metrics and measurement help!
‣ Leading resources include:
• Global Reporting Initiative (for medium and large corporations)
• Demonstrating Value (for small business and social enterprise)
• B Corporation (a good comprehensive assessment)
‣ Use existing information sources: industry associations, allies in your industry, etc.
‣ You don’t have to do it all yourself! Others are interested in the same challenges,
and are happy to provide help.
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17. What is a Brand?
Brand is the public face of strategy.
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“ ”
18. What is a Brand?
The AVID™ Model:
‣ Authenticity
‣ Value
‣ Inspiration
‣ Distinctiveness
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‣ How well does your brand demonstrate its
stated values through time?
‣ Ben & Jerry’s uses business to drive impact:
• 1% for Peace, Rock the Vote campaigns
• Direct grants to grassroots organizations
• Strict adherence to fair trade ingredients
• Using the iconic pint packages to advocate
for marriage equality
• AmeriCone Dream flavour with Colbert
19. What is a Brand?
The AVID™ Model:
‣ Authenticity
‣ Value
‣ Inspiration
‣ Distinctiveness
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‣ Is your brand clear in its expression of value,
and does it deliver, as promised, to key
customer segments?
‣ More than financial: a complex mix of actual
and perceived value
‣ Consider the value of sourcing locally from
Greyston Bakery
20. What is a Brand?
The AVID™ Model:
‣ Authenticity
‣ Value
‣ Inspiration
‣ Distinctiveness
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‣ Does your brand resonate at an emotional
level?
‣ Easiest when brand is connected to purpose
beyond profit:“We don’t hire people to bake
brownies; we bake brownies to hire people”
‣ What impact is Ben & Jerry’s having inside
Unilever?
‣ An inspiring vision attracts allies, staff,
and customers
21. What is a Brand?
The AVID™ Model:
‣ Authenticity
‣ Value
‣ Inspiration
‣ Distinctiveness
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‣ Does your brand stand apart, delivering
a unique and relevant opportunity
for customers?
‣ ‘Differentiation’ vs. ‘Distinction’
‣ Ben & Jerry’s is social impact ice cream:
“Tastes great. On purpose.”
23. Building your CSR brand
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Pre-CSR /
mainstream
Basic
CSR
Proactive
CSR
Integrated
CSR
Transformational
CSR
Philanthropic
partner
Corporate and
staff giving
Matching funds
Offer time and
expertise
Second staff
Joint campaigns
Talk publicly
Embed sustainability and
social responsibility
Identify shared concerns
Engage your value chain
Engage competitors, join or
lead coalitions
Develop sector standards
Social innovation
Systems thinking
Incremental or
disruptive change?
24. Measurement
Tie measurement to storytelling
‣ Measure to learn and improve
‣ Share insights along the way
• Share stories of success as well as failure
‣ Begin with the reader in mind:
• What can you help them learn from your experiences?
• How can you help move us all toward‘the change you seek?’
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26. Materiality and Brand
‣ Materiality and Brand are the glue that bonds:
• Vision for change
• Business strategy
• Accountability for performance
‣ Both are rooted in awareness of, and respect for, context.
‣ Strategic management of materiality and brand lives in the“space between”
traditional approaches to business and non-profit management.
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27. TrustBrands™
‣ The TrustBrand™ approach unites:
• Values-driven leadership
• Inspired communications
• A rigourous CSR model
• A holistic approach to strategy
‣ When you’re confident in your impact
you can be bold and audacious
‣ Underselling your impact is a more
common problem than companies
“green washing”
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28. Top Tips
‣ Build a foundation: Don’t rush past brand and materiality
‣ Get buy-in: Ensure team leaders are engaged before proceeding
‣ Cultivate empathy: Build a resilient team and organization for the hard work ahead
‣ Learn what you can control: Know where to focus, and what to leave for others
‣ Seek collaborations: Work with other organizations to develop promising ideas
‣ Don’t go alone: Look for targeted support where and when you need it
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Download our guide at http://junxion.com/csr-guide/
29. #ShiftYourThinking Let’s make responsible business mainstream
Adam Garfunkel
adam@junxion.com
@adamgarfunkel1
Mike Rowlands
mike@junxion.com
@mrowlands
www.junxion.com
@junxion