Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is an effort from corporates to give back to society by carrying out a variety of activities that benefit people, animals, the environment and more. While the causes may differ, one thing that is common among all these activities is the fact that these companies like to spread the word regarding their good deeds and garner some goodwill out of these efforts.
Since the 2013 Companies Act, CSR initiatives have been mandatory for companies of a specific size and level of profitability in India. Thus, getting the word out has gone from a choice to a necessity. And why shouldn’t you let your patrons know that a portion of their patronage is going into a good cause, mandatory or not?
Benefits of CSR Videos
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) videos offer several benefits to organizations that engage in them. Here are some key advantages of corporate social responsibility videos:
Enhanced brand reputation: Producing CSR videos showcases an organization’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Companies can strengthen their brand reputation and build stakeholder trust by highlighting their sustainability, community development, or employee well-being efforts.
Increased stakeholder engagement: CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) videos provide a compelling medium to communicate an organization’s social impact initiatives to various stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, and the general public. These videos can effectively engage audiences, generate interest, and foster a sense of pride and loyalty.
Improved internal communication: CSR videos can serve as powerful internal communication tools, educating employees about the organization’s CSR initiatives and creating a sense of purpose. They can enhance employee engagement, morale, and pride in working for a socially responsible company, leading to increased productivity and retention.
Broadened reach and influence: Videos have the potential to reach a wide audience through various digital platforms, including websites, social media, and video-sharing platforms. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) videos that tell compelling stories and inspire action can have a broader impact, raising awareness and influencing public opinion on important social and environmental issues.
Compelling storytelling: CSR videos allow organisations to tell their stories visually, engaging and emotionally compellingly. By showcasing real-life examples, testimonials, and the positive impact of their CSR initiatives, companies can connect with viewers and inspire them to support the cause or get involved.
One of the most effective and impactful ways of sharing CSR efforts is through video. This is something that companies all over the world have understood and are using to great effect. We have rounded up some of the best audio-visual showcases of company philanthropy to give you an idea of how CSR videos are done right. Here are our top picks in no particular order.
Top CSR Videos
1. Marc Jacobs x Sato Project
Famous global fashion label Marc Jacobs has partnered with the Sato project to help relocate dogs abandoned in Peru after Hurricane Maria. These adorable canines are rescued and placed into good homes so their lives can be joyful again. Their CSR video showcasing this is a short, sweet, simple effort with no voiceover, just visuals, sounds and music. The video showcases the journey of one adorable dog called Kevin Jacobs and his journey to finding a new home. It’s a fantastic example of a subtle and classy video.
2. Maruti Suzuki #PehniKya
Indian automotive behemoths Maruti Suzuki may be one of the oldest companies putting cars on roads in India, but they aren’t just resting on their laurels. Aside from investing in more tech to make the cars and their passengers safer, they also ran a CSR campaign called Pehni kya? (Did you wear it?) to raise awareness about the importance of seatbelts. Not only does this dramatic video also subliminally showcase their Dzire compact sedan, but it also uses the emotional pull and innocence of a child to help deliver this important message in a heartfelt manner.
3. Ikea My Place to Play
Swedish furniture makers Ikea have been running their Let’s Play for Change campaign for three years now to help children find a safe place to play away from the hardships of life. The video they have put out is textbook in its use of different styles like colorful stop-motion elements and a voice over to share important data without causing the viewer to lose The video is also interspersed with interviews with the children who have benefited for greater impact.
4. Equinox, Heroes Project
Top American fitness chain Equinox has contributed to the Heroes Project through events, marathons, and fundraisers. It has also created a video to showcase what the Heroes Project does. The extremely well-produced effort is built on the style of a classic documentary. It is presented by the founder of the Project, Tim Medvetz, and goes through his rehabilitation journey from which this project to help wounded and disabled war veterans came. It is a highly unique initiative, a genuinely gripping video, and one that takes time to explain how the Heroes Project came about and Equinox’s role within it.
5. Starbucks Global Month of Service
Every year, international coffee chain Starbucks celebrates its Global Month of Service in April, where the brand’s coffee shops the world over involve their patrons and employees in efforts to help improve their local communities. This video from the brand is another one that’s going for simplicity and vibrancy with basic animations and a joyous soundtrack providing the perfect vehicle to promote their Month of Service initiative. Uncomplicated and straightforward, Starbucks is doing it right with this video.
6. Lego, Protect the Planet for Future Generations
The beloved building game makers are known for their philanthropy, but their latest efforts have been above and beyond anything seen before. Lego has created wind turbine farms that not only provides enough clean energy to reduce the brand’s impact on the environment as a complete unit around the world but they also built a Lego windmill to celebrate achieving this feat, establishing a new Guinness World Record in the process. The video features everything from stunning visuals, an engaging voiceover, and tastefully placed text overlays to explain just how momentous the task was how successful the result is.
These examples prove you don’t have to create a simple, by-the-books or generic CSR video. Instead, you can try something new and make a CSR video that captures the viewers’ imagination.
At Toolbox Studio, we can help you make the perfect CSR video to showcase your benevolence to the world in the best possible light. Contact us to find out more.
