Category Archives: Business Alignment/Integration

When Competitors Collaborate: Logistics Experts on Disaster Frontlines

The earthquake in Japan, Hurricane Katrina in the United States, the tsunamis in South and Southeast Asia and the droughts in the Horn of Africa have made it clear that disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. In 2011, the costliest year in history for natural disasters, the world economy lost $366 billion. More than 200 million people were affected. Humanitarian relief requires a coordinated, global approach. Yet in an era in which companies seek to develop corporate responsibility initiatives that differentiate themselves from their competitors, you might be surprised to learn about a collection of logistics-focused companies coming together to meet community needs.
Posted on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 By Leela Stake
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Universities Need to Protect Their Brands, too

Athletic conference realignments altering cherished rivalries within college sports. Alleged acts of pedophilia by coaching staff against children in their care. Compliance violations and a range of sometimes controversial penalties assessed against member schools. This is the context for which the NCAA and several of its marquee institutions enter into the previously hallowed football bowl season. Lack of preparation and poor decision-making have resulted in several senior administrators becoming a part of the anticipated December unemployment statistics instead of leading their schools or departments. This will indeed be a winter of unprecedented criminal investigations, litigation and adverse media coverage. As daily stories regarding the aspects of these events have unfolded on our TV screens and social media, several friends and journalists have called to ask how or if any of this could have been possibly prevented. Of course, no one can fully prevent horrendous judgment committed by individuals within an institution if a person is intent on engaging in morally reprehensible or criminal acts. However, more than ever before, boards of directors of corporations and university trustees are asking their senior executives to ensure that their institutions have a fresh crisis plan and that all the requisite stakeholders in the enterprise are equipped to operationalize it when the inevitable mayhem visits their doorstep.
Posted on Thursday, December 8th, 2011 By Tara Greco
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Corporate brands must add value to society

In my previous posts, I made the case that corporate branding is out of step with the reality of the market. Why, when given the ability of companies to adapt quickly to technological change, would corporate brands be out of step? To some degree, I think companies have been forced to adapt their operations and product marketing to technology because it has hit them over the head like a sledgehammer. The market quickly makes winners and losers, but the corporate brand doesn't cry out in the same way. It is harder to diagnose the harm a brand suffers from being left behind, making it less likely to get attention. There is, however, very tangible science available that documents the value of the corporate brand and its ability to predict things like sales, customer and employee loyalty, and even market capitalization.
Posted on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 By SharedPurpose
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It’s time for corporate brands to step up

Corporate brands need to step up. Now is the time to rethink your corporate brand in light of the new expectations and interactions it faces. Once upon a time, we could categorize stakeholders by their occupations. Today, stakeholders can create themselves by their level of advocacy, and the tools to create that advocacy have become much more democratized and scalable. Individuals can become influencers quickly and with global reach. Their advocacy may be aimed at a particular product, but as often as not, they pierce the corporate veil and go straight to the corporate brand. Why do this? Because people are smart. They understand that products don't make decisions, companies do; products don't run afoul of labor standards, companies do; and products don't have environmental problems, companies do.
Posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2011 By SharedPurpose
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Brand comms strategies must evolve with technology

Let's talk about brands for a minute. I think this may be an area where semantics have overtaken common sense. I've read heated online exchanges about the difference between brand and reputation, but the difference when discussing corporate brands seems only one of perspective. The brand is the promise, the reputation is the success in delivering on that promise. When we talk about corporate brands, what are we really talking about? It is the promise those brands are making to a range of potential stakeholders about what they can expect from the company. With that in mind, I am always stunned when a company gives short shrift to its corporate brand under the delusion that “no one is buying the corporate brand – they're buying the products.”
Posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2011 By SharedPurpose
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The Debate Over School Lunch

Normally, we think of the government stepping in to regulate business when corporations overextend their reach in one way or another. When it comes to school lunches, however, it looks like the opposite may be happening. The U.S. government was on the right track when the President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nearly a year ago, followed by the announcement of new dietary guidelines earlier this fall. Just this week, however, Congress proposed new rules that would consider pizza a vegetable in school lunches. This comes on the heels of the potato lobby (yes, Virginia, there is a potato lobby) and other groups fighting for starchy vegetable allotments to remain unchanged in school lunches, leaving little to no room for healthier options to make their way onto cafeteria trays.
Posted on Friday, November 18th, 2011 By Robin Deliso
Also posted in CR in North America, Health | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

BSR Conference Highlights

Two colleagues and I attended the 2011 BSR Conference a few weeks ago in San Francisco. As usual, the conference provided inspirational speakers, engaging sessions and thought-provoking ideas to consider. This year’s theme was “Redefining Leadership.” The BSR team effectively organized the presentations and discussions around this topic, and participants were able to address leadership from a variety of angles. There were a few items that jumped out for the APCO team that we want to share with SP readers. You may also want to scroll through our tweets from the conference.
Posted on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 By Tara Greco
Also posted in Communicating CR, CR in North America | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Finding Shared Value in the Fight Against Non Communicable Diseases

The international community gathers for the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on Non Communicable Disease (NCDs) this week in New York. Many are optimistic that the UN HLM will intensify focus within the international community on NCDs and solidify the link between NCDs and economic growth. The UN HLM has the potential to be the beginning of a global drive against NCDs. But this global drive must positively engage all sectors of society for it to be successful.
Posted on Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 By SharedPurpose
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Job Creation Just One Focus for CGI 2011

“Jobs, jobs, jobs.” That was the message President William J. Clinton took to the airwaves with on Sunday morning to preview the agenda of the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting which kicks-off on Tuesday. Yet again, CGI has attracted a stellar line-up of participants, who will spend the next three days formulating plans to address global unemployment, putting forward ideas to drive more sustainable consumption and continuing to focus on unleashing the potential of girls and women in places where they remain excluded or marginalized.
Posted on Monday, September 19th, 2011 By James Robinson
Also posted in Nonprofit Operations and Communications, What's Next for CR | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sustainability and Financial Communication – APCO Meets with Emerging Market IROs on Wall Street

The setting is Wall Street and the topic is “Aligning Strategy, Sustainability and Financial Communication.” We are at Deutsche Bank speaking with about 35 emerging market company investor relations officers about ESG-related megatrends shaping the global operating and investment outlook. “How many of you believe that environmental, social or governance factors represent material long-term risks or opportunities for your company?” Pretty much every hand goes up. “Okay, now, how many of you get questions from investors about ESG-related issues or meet with SRI funds on occasion?” At least half the group keeps their hands raised.
Posted on Friday, August 5th, 2011 By Julie Jack
Also posted in Communicating CR, Measurement & Evaluation | Tagged , , | 1 Comment