{"id":54959,"date":"2022-10-06T10:48:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T14:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=54959"},"modified":"2022-10-06T21:50:04","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T01:50:04","slug":"csr-support-local-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/csr-support-local-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Grow Local: Supporting Your Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture this: you really want an amazing dinner but have no time to cook it yourself. You know the night when you want good home cooked food, but are not really interested in being the one to slave over the stove. You remember this hole-in-the-wall place you\u2019ve gone to a few times and it\u2019s just what you need. It\u2019s known locally as a \u201cmom and pop\u201d location, and everyone talks about how amazing the food and service is, and you can\u2019t get it anywhere else.<\/p>\n

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That moment is community.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s local, a bit small, and is more of a resident spot than a tourist location, and that\u2019s perfectly fine! Those places really add something to the local community, and people rally behind keeping their doors open. You can do much of the same thing in business, supporting the community your company resides in and building it up.<\/p>\n

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Why? Because it\u2019s a good thing to do as a human being<\/a>, but it\u2019s also very good for your business. Follow along as we discover why community support is the next stop in our Know Better, Do Better series!<\/p>\n

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So, what defines your local community?<\/h2>\n

At the base, a local community is defined as a group of interacting people who are living in a common location. Note a couple of things in this definition: \u201cinteracting\u201d and \u201clocation\u201d. It can\u2019t be much of a community without feedback, and that open communication is very important. Secondly, location can be as small as a street someone lives on or a neighborhood they\u2019re situated in, or as large as a country. They are all varying degrees of community. Getting more local typically shrinks a larger community to those that have more of a chance of direct interaction.<\/p>\n

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For example… a local McDonalds selling Szechuan Sauce in only particular regions. Or a\u00a0credit union providing scholarships to the nearest high school graduates.<\/p>\n

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Any company that wants to invest in their local community will find several different benefits from this endeavor, even beyond corporate social responsibility<\/a> initiatives. It\u2019s about getting to the essence of being about people. Many companies tout customer-centric philosophies, but do it with a focus on their bottom line. Changing this narrow scope to even those who are not your direct customers feels more authentic and selfless\u2014the base of true CSR.<\/p>\n

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Benefits of supporting local community<\/h2>\n

There are many obvious ways of providing local community support: brand awareness, visibility, positive PR, marketing outreach, acquisition of new customers. These are more operations or business-focused benefits, however. When it comes to customer-centric\u2014and honestly more sustainable<\/a>\u2014benefits, they may not be as recognizable.<\/p>\n

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  1. Expansion revenue<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 Of course we want to point out the direct business connection between community support, and that is revenue generated through current customer base versus acquisition. CSR initiatives<\/a> can increase customer loyalty, especially when they see your support of \u201cthe little guy\u201d.<\/li>\n
  2. Talent acquisition<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 Sometimes corporations can seem unattainable or even untouchable to people. Showing a human side, getting to know what your community can offer you, can lead to uncovering surprising talent to bring into your business. Not only would you be supporting the local economy by providing jobs, but you also gain engaged talent invested in your success!<\/li>\n
  3. Stimulating Local Economy<\/strong> \u2013 Beyond jobs at your organization, support of the community influences entrepreneurship, social relationship building, and growth in the area that translates to more dollars funneling into the area. This can give this area sustainability<\/a> as well as economic advantage\u2014something imperative in economically uncertain times.<\/li>\n
  4. Building well-being<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 A more intrinsic benefit, for both employees and community, but one that certainly brings the community together and creates more profitable relationships from every angle. A web, if you will, of connected people and specialties, that strengthens the foundation of the area by its very nature.<\/li>\n
  5. Reduce environmental impact<\/strong> \u2013 By working with local infrastructure and setup, you can find fewer costs and disruption through this form of expansion than opening other locations elsewhere. The community is already built for you, and you\u2019re supporting it while also increasing your own market share. The lower costs that are possible can also turn into further wins for your organization.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Companies that are inspirational<\/h2>\n

    When looking for inspiration to support your local area, you should really think outside the box and listen to what members there truly need. It can be as simple as job offerings or gift cards to local shops, or only catering lunch from locally owned establishments. Or you can get bigger and build recreational centers or support major donorship. The sky is the limit here. But for starters, let\u2019s look at some companies that have done other cool things, too!<\/p>\n

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