Social media have a key role to play in ensuring the success of CSR initiatives

It is not easy to understand the exact role played by social media in shaping corporate social responsibility activities in China.

First, social media in China itself is huge. There is no doubt that it has an important role in the overall communication process, considering that China accounts for the largest Internet population in the world and has well in excess of 300 million social media users.

Second, the growth of CSR programs in China over the last few years has been phenomenal. The growing popularity of CSR initiatives was more than evident when China held its largest ever CSR conference last month. The real issue here is the slowly, but steadily impending convergence of these two factors.

Traditional CSR strategies were communicated via a plethora of one-way communications tools, including annual reports, newsletters and press releases. While these still serve a purpose today, there is a much greater focus on two-way communication.

Chinese companies, much like some of their Western counterparts, have now realized the importance of this integrated approach, and while some are still dragging their heels, more and more are waking up to the reality of modern business.

The key to social media, of course, is that it thrives on two-way communication. When Grunig and Hunt first developed their excellence theory and its two-way communication model in the mid-80s, I'm sure they were not thinking about social media in China. But, the truth is, it is a model that is perhaps more relevant today than ever before.

This approach benefits companies as they can more effectively target and interact with key stakeholders, while it also benefits consumers, as they connect with those who have interesting stories to tell.

The two-way nature of social media allows interested parties to ask questions and get answers, and for companies in China; this is something that is becoming increasingly important.

As Chinese consumers become increasingly affluent, so too have they become more curious about companies and the brands that they are purchasing. As a result, an increasingly powerful voice is being created, and social media platforms like the popular weibo (microblogging) sites have become the perfect places for Chinese Internet users to share their thoughts and opinions in ways never seen before.

The voice of the Chinese consumer is being heard, and one of the areas it is increasingly interested in is the ethical behavior of businesses, both foreign and domestic.

Today, the Chinese are regularly scouring social media to learn more about the social and environmental responsibility of companies. A recent report from GlobeScan noted that Chinese consumers are more than twice as likely as their counterparts in the US or UK to use social media to research the behavior of companies.

In fact, perhaps the biggest driver of CSR initiatives is consumer pressure. Public pressure leads to greater awareness on the company's behalf, which then leads to pressure on the supply chain to comply with sustainability standards.

The hope is that this will then lead to an improved, more ethical and sustainable supply chain. This again points to why social media is now playing such a pivotal role in CSR communications strategies in China.

However, it is also important to think about what CSR really means. One of my favorite definitions of CSR is a quote from the late Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, who said that the business of doing business is about "public good, not private greed".

CSR is perhaps one of the most collaborative functions a company can invest in and it requires everyone's input. All stakeholders should be involved in how an organization tells its story, and communications objectives and strategies should be built around this understanding. This is why CSR and social media are the perfect match.

CSR needs collaborative communications, Chinese consumers want to know that organizations are doing their bit, and there is no better place for the two to converge in China than on social media.

The author is director of operations at PR Newswire in China. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of China Daily.

(China Daily 10/12/2012 page7)