They say the best things come in small packages, and this article proves there is truth to that statement.
In a recent post, I outlined the need for making CSR more of a strategic focus area than a case of working your way down a 'to do' list. What this post will expand on, is that just because your CSR programme is strategic, it doesn't mean it has to be large in scale.
A common myth that I've picked up on recently, is the idea that CSR is only successful if the whole world knows about it and it uses up your entire marketing budget. This couldn't be further from the truth. Whilst there are advantages to communicating your CSR activities as part of your marketing efforts, it doesn't define your societal success. Throughout this article, I'll share a simple but incredibly effective case study of how an American bar implemented an incredibly low cost solution to a genuine social problem, and reaped serious rewards from it.
"A common myth that I've picked up on recently, is that CSR is only successful if the whole world knows about it and if it uses up your entire marketing budget. This couldn't be further from the truth."
The Iberian Rooster restaurant, Florida
Introducing the Iberian Rooster, Florida. What may seem like your everyday American bar is actually a great example of a small CSR activity that helps to eradicate a big social issue. Whilst the obvious social issues surrounding the bar/restaurant industry is arguably alcoholism/mental health or food waste/poverty, the Iberian Rooster targeted a slightly more specific (but no less important) problem; Sexual Harassment.
Bars and restaurants are naturally the most common location for a first date. However, the surge in online dating means that most people have never actually seen their 'match' in person prior to this meeting. When coupled with the statistic that rape reports relating to online dating having increased 450% in five years, you can see why sexual harassment and general safety have become such common talking points.
Whether somebody is expecting to take things further after the date, or just generally being quite forward, it can often lead to individuals (usually women statistically speaking), feeling intimidated or unsafe when it comes to saying how they truly feel. Unfortunately, it seems as though a significant number of people have at some point ended up doing something they weren't comfortable with, solely out of fear of saying 'no'.
The solution?
The Iberian Rooster obviously recognised this issue, and wanted to make sure that people always felt safe inside their restaurant. To do this, they installed a very simple (and i imagine relatively inexpensive) sign in the women's toilets. This sign informed women of a discreet code that they could use to evade an uncomfortable situation without drawing any attention to themselves or making a scene. The full sign can be seen below:
So was it successful?
If you define success as popularity, then yes. After a twitter user uploaded a photo of this sign, it quickly went viral, with over 400,000 people liking it. Not bad for your average Florida restaurant. This huge surge in popularity goes to show that when organisations get CSR right, it truly resonates with consumers.
Okay, so it's not perfect.
As you may already be thinking, there are some factors that you could use to argue that this was an unsuccessful attempt at CSR. For example, how would this sign be useful for a same-sex couple on a date? Secondly, does the fact it's gone viral mean that the code is no longer secret and the whole purpose is now redundant? Finally, could people misuse this as a method of getting what I imagine could be a free uber?
Whilst you could possibly argue this, I think doing so would achieve nothing more than detract from what is undoubtably an incredibly innovative and simple CSR activity. Yes, it may not help everyone, but it's bound to make people feel safer in their restaurant, and that alone makes it worthwhile.
What we can learn:
Personally, what makes this example so interesting is simply the sheer amount that we can learn from it. These lessons can be condensed into three basic concepts.
CSR doesn't have to be expensive/complex
It's pretty much common knowledge that making something simple is much harder than making something complicated, but it's especially important to highlight the cost element of this example. What the Iberian Rooster did was address a specific social issue and find a way of doing so that didn't break the bank. When launching your own CSR programme, think of this example and ask yourself the following question:
"What resources do i actually need to address this issue?"
If you're able to think creatively enough, you will probably find that you need less resources than you originally anticipated.
Consumers really care
The social media success of this sign is testimony enough to how much consumers value companies that address social issues. Overnight, the reputation of this restaurant increased at an exceptional rate, with people from all over the world actively commenting on the idea.
In fact, after researching this concept following success of the Iberian Rooster, I've found numerous examples of restaurants and bars that have implemented a similar sign and code system.
This completes what is in essence a perfect microcosm of CSR. A business behaves responsibly, consumers reward said business with attention and sales and other businesses follow suit in order to reap the same rewards. It's exactly how CSR should work.
Addressing a relevant issue is paramount
Without taking anything away from the ingenuity of the secret code and sign, I think what made this activity so successful was the social problem they chose to target.
As I will outline in more detail in a future post, the Iberian Rooster was able to find the perfect balance between an issue that is relevant to their business, but also important to their customers.
This example goes to show that if you can find that balance, the success of your CSR strategy is almost inevitable.
Conclusion:
Hopefully this post has highlighted a slightly simpler side to CSR. Too often it is seen as a resource intensive practice, but the example of the Iberian Rooster shows us that with the right intentions and creativity, it's possibly to be extremely successful with very little investment.
Sources:
Images: Why4News, Iberian Rooster
https://onmogul.com/stories/online-dating-or-online-harassment
http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/women-dating-apps-fight-back-sexual-harassment/story?id=43832851
http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/RCS/assets/File/rpc_sexualviolenceonline_relationships_web.pdf
http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/670-emerging-new-threat-in-online-dating-initial-trends-in-internet-dating-initiated-serious-sexual-assaults/file
https://news.vice.com/article/online-dating-rape-reports-rise-450-percent-in-five-years
This post first appeared on Sell No Evil | Corporate Social Responsibility, please read the originial post: here
