Corporate Social Responsibility Videos: Demonstrating the Importance of Giving Back
Everyone loves purchasing products from a company that supports charitable causes. It makes us feel like our dollars are multiplying when our purchases help invest in a better society.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) videos are an effective way to help your customers know how your business invests in societal change while at the same time shining the spotlight on your company as a whole.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the impact CSR videos can make and share 10 examples of some videos that are spot on.
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Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is a concept businesses adopt to improve society in ways that help:
- The environment
- People
- Animals
- And more
CSR videos highlight the ways a business strives to make an impact in the world. Businesses then use those videos to connect their brand to their solutions to social issues, so their customers — and potential customers — can know they are supporting a company that is eager to give back.
Companies can share their CSR efforts through different media platforms like social media or written text on their website. But a CSR video is a fruitful and powerful way to promote their work and let their customers see and hear moving stories.
Using video to help others see the work being done and hear the success stories that result is a compelling way to make a company’s work seem more personal and to promote its values and mission.
When customers see your work and share your values, they are likely to keep buying your product or using your services and share their experiences with others.
If you’d like to make a CSR video for your company but don’t know where to begin, Houston Video can help you with the project from start to finish. Contact us today for a free consultation.
There are four main types of CSR videos aimed at enhancing a company’s brand and engaging in societal change:
- Ethical
- Environmental
- Economic
- Philanthropic
The type of organization and the goals of the project will help determine which type of CSR video to use for the most impact and benefit.
#1: Ethical Responsibility
Ethical responsibility includes ethical business practices that support human rights.
To show ethical responsibility, a business may endorse:
- Fair treatment
- Equal pay
- Fair trade practices
In addition to endorsing these principles, ethical responsibility may also involve exposing injustices like child labor and discrimination.
#2: Environmental Responsibility
Environmental responsibility highlights a company’s endeavors to promote practices that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
An organization may strive to be environmentally responsible by:
- Attempting to decrease pollution
- Reducing the carbon footprint
- Utilizing recyclable materials
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- And more
#3: Economic Responsibility
To practice economic responsibility, a company will strive to use its financial resources to improve the community and support worthy causes. Their financial decisions may be driven more by how they can make an impact and less by how they can save money on operations.
Using alternative forms of energy, donating to charity, and investing in educational resources are ways that an organization may model economic responsibility.
#4: Philanthropic Responsibility
Philanthropic responsibility refers to an organization’s endeavors to promote the welfare of others and society as a whole.
One of the most popular ways companies practice philanthropic responsibility is by donating money to worthy causes in the community. They may promote donation matching as a way to get employees involved in the action.
Organizations may also donate funds by using trusts or foundations.
Focusing on philanthropic efforts may be one of the best ways to promote a positive public image for your organization and brand.
To get an idea of what makes a CSR engaging, effective, and powerful, we’ve compiled a list of ten of our favorites.
#1: TOMS — One for One
TOMS is a company that started donating shoes to children in needy countries — one pair of shoes donated for every pair of shoes sold. Their giving eventually expanded to supporting economic development and providing medical care for people across the globe.
This video tells the story with warmth and endears viewers to their company.
#2: Lego — Protect the Planet
In this video, the Lego company explains how they want to make an impact on the planet by reducing energy costs.
Partnering with the World Wildlife Fund, Lego aimed to reduce the energy costs of manufacturing Lego bricks by 10% as well as reducing energy costs in their offices and factories. In this colorful and active video, Lego highlights its goals and how they were achieved before their targeted date.
#3: Starbucks — College Achievement Plan
Starbucks is investing in its employees by helping them earn a college degree — free of charge. This video does a masterful job of explaining their CSR endeavors by telling the stories of several Starbucks employees who are following their dreams and getting a college education.
Starbucks employees can work part-time and earn a college degree at the same time. The video ends by sharing Starbucks’ goal of graduating 25,000 students by 2025.
#4: IKEA Foundation — My Place To Play
The “Let’s Play for Change” campaign is designed to help kids across the world escape from the difficulties of life and have safe places to play.
This CSR video makes use of footage of those who have benefited from the initiative, so viewers can see the happy faces and active interaction of the children. It’s colorful, has engaging background music, and a voice-over that effectively explains the goals and successes of the campaign.
#5: Equinox — The Heroes Project
This CSR video is done in the style of a documentary with the founder of the project, Tim Medvetz, telling how his journey of rehabilitation after an accident led him to create a program to help wounded and disabled war veterans. The footage of wounded veterans climbing some of the tallest mountains in the world is both exhilarating and inspiring.
This moving video does an exceptional job of showing how Equinox gym and trainers worked together with one man to make many soldiers’ dreams come true.
#6: Pfizer — Global Health Innovations
This video begins with footage of a woman in a remote and underserved community and the narrator asking the question, “What if you or a loved one needed to see a doctor, but the nearest health center was hours away?”
This makes the message personal and relevant, urging the viewer to keep watching to learn how Pfizer is creating solutions to meet these global health challenges head-on. This video makes a statement with its vivid and colorful images and astounding statistics.
#7: Honda — Project Courage
This video is both fun and heart-wrenching at the same time. Honda created a masterpiece here that pulls at the heartstrings while leaving a smile on your face. The producers make use of upbeat music and the stories of parents, children, doctors, and engineers.
With the creation of Shogo, a motorized car that kids can ride in a hospital instead of using a wheelchair, Honda engineers share their dreams with kids and parents and let them know that “Honda is with you, and we want to help you get through it.”
Corporate Social Responsibility videos can be an influential resource for your company’s success and reputation.
To produce a quality CSR video that clearly presents your message and social responsibility efforts, you’ll want to hire a professional with experience, expertise, and access to the best filming equipment.
Houston Video is an award-winning video production company specializing in creative, affordable, and effective videos aimed at helping you achieve your goals.
Whether you want to create a CSR video to highlight your community impact efforts or a video designed to drive leads and increase sales, Houston Video works with you to produce professional videos to meet your specific needs.
Discover our specialized services and request a free consultation.