Public Still Can’t Name a Socially Responsible Company

Press release from: GlobeScan Incorporated

(CSRwire) TORONTO, CANADA - According to the fourth annual Corporate

Social Responsibility (CSR) Monitor survey of over 21,000 consumers,

shareholders and corporate employees in 21 countries, significant

proportions of people in most countries are unable to name a socially

responsible company. People have a difficult time naming socially

responsible companies despite consistently high expectations for companies

to be socially responsible, strong interest in learning more about

corporate social performance, and high levels of consumer activism and

empowerment around corporate social responsibility.

The 2003 CSR Monitor investigates a range of corporate issues including

trust in companies, corporate governance, expectations of companies,

communicating CSR, rating companies on CSR, ethical consumerism, socially

responsible investing, and human resource issues.

For the detailed topic list, please visit

www.environicsinternational.com/sp-csr.asp 

The survey reveals a number of important insights with implications for

strategic planning, risk management, communications, and internal engagement.

Some topline findings from the 2003 CSR Monitor include:

Consumers in the developing world increasingly expect companies to go

beyond their traditional economic roles. For the first time in four years

of polling, consumers in developing countries are waking up to CSR and

demanding more from companies in social and environmental areas. 

There have been significant, but opposite, changes in both the United

States and Japan in the perceived role of companies in society.

Recent corporate scandals in the United States, and the resulting debates

around corporate governance, have lowered expectations for companies to go

beyond the traditional economic role. In Japan, meanwhile, consumer

attitudes and behaviors are finally moving toward high North American and

European levels of demands for CSR.

CSR has more appeal to consumers than cause-related marketing. A holistic

approach to CSR resonates much more with consumers across most countries

surveyed than a cause-related marketing or "add-on" strategy of doing

business and supporting charities. 

We invite you to join other leading companies around the world and

subscribe to the 2003 CSR Monitor research program, which includes the

results of the survey in PowerPoint format, as well as a high-level

executive report and customized in-person briefing.

For participating countries and detailed topics, please visit

www.environicsinternational.com/sp-csr.asp 

These results are based on research conducted by Environics

International’s worldwide network of research institutes. In each country,

extensive face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted with

representative samples of about 1,000 citizens (for a total of 21,000).

Each national poll is accurate to within ±3 percent, 19 times out of 20.

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For more information please contact: 
Shannon Stevenson

Environics International

shannon.stevenson@environicsinternational.com

+1-416- 969- 2775

www.globescan.com