Square Daisy is a small business and there is a limit to what we can do from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective, but even so, we try to do our fair share, some of which is explained below. Now this isn’t about us blowing our own trumpet, there is a genuine business purpose to this blog and how it can benefit your business.
Supporting Circus Starr
Every year at Christmas time, we support a charity called Circus Starr.
Circus Starr is a not-for-profit organisation which operates a unique Donated Ticket Programme that allows thousands of children to attend free shows.
Thanks to the generous support of local businesses, like ours, we enjoy the opportunity to ‘give back’ to our communities and more importantly, underprivileged children and children with disabilities gain the chance to ‘run away to the circus and forget their troubles for a day’.
Supporting the business community
Having started and run a number of successful businesses, Jovan Maric, Square Daisy’s Managing Director, loves to pass on the knowledge gained, including the pitfalls to avoid, by mentoring local entrepreneurs as they start their own businesses.
He also enjoys supporting East Surrey College by giving talks about business, website development and videography.
We also take on work experience students from the college and are always delighted to see the enthusiasm and creative ideas they bring during their time at Square Daisy.
Amy Lulham, our Head of Media, loves to bake!
Through tempting all our colleagues at nTrust House with her delicious cakes, Amy raised £43.50 for Alzheimers Society Cupcake Day, £40 for Help Refugees with festive baking and £207.12 with a cake sale and a sponsored bike ride for Canine Partners. Great effort Amy!
On top of all this, we all have time off during office hours (and with pay) to give blood. This is Amy giving blood with her Mum who just so happens to work for NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). We try to do our bit!
Why should these good deeds be a business’s best kept secrets?
We do our little bit, but other organisations do a whole lot more. They should be ‘singing from the rooftops’ about the good will they generously bring to the communities they operate in, and a great way to do this is using video content.
The benefits of a CSR video are massive.
If your target audience is ‘local’, creating a video about how you support your community will be watched with interest, because it is relevant to the viewer. As opposed to a sales video, a CSR video is much more likely to be watched right through to the end. The viewer doesn’t feel they are being sold to as such, yet you are still promoting the values and benefits of your business.
There are other benefits too. A CSR video can be instrumental in attracting new talent to the organisation, particularly the next generation of employees as they place a higher value on working for a company that ‘does good’.
A CSR video is a great way to differentiate your business from your competitors.
Imagine two law firms or estate agents, both very similar on price and service, but one is doing great things for their community and the other doesn’t appear to be doing anything. Which one would you choose? The one that is ‘giving back’ to your community.
CSR stories are memorable and can be more effective than a ‘traditional’ marketing message.
Creating a CSR video
Depending on the charitable or voluntary support activities your company gets involved with, you could choose live video or if you do a whole host of things that might me difficult to capture on camera, then an animated video may be more appropriate.
Live video can show snippets of your employees participating in a range of activities or you could concentrate on creating a story around one project you support. Either way, it’s a win:win situation for both your business and the charities you support as it gains them a little extra exposure too.
Here are some great examples of CSR videos that we came across. We didn’t create these but think they do a great job of delivering a positive CSR message through video.
Animated video – KC giving employees reason to be proud
Live video – Sustainable Water Circulation Project, the Philippines
This is why we’ll continue to donate to Circus Starr.
Now you know how a CSR video will benefit your business, give us a call and we’ll set to work.
