The Importance of Community Relations for Business
Community Relations is the driving soul of an
organization – it is not an afterthought or reactive endeavor but a strategic
undertaking for all companies, big or small.
When a business commits to community relations as
part of its core business strategy, it helps attract and retain top employees,
positions itself positively among customers and improves market and brand
position.
Positive, proactive connections to the community
can translate into a boost to the bottom line.
Here are 10 steps to Community Relations best
practices:
1) Create a written vision statement, which
acknowledges the importance of community issues, and the direct relationship
they have on your company’s future success.
2) Mainstream this vision statement as foundation
throughout the organization.
3) The business leader, boss or CEO must
continually communicate and act on the company's commitment through emails,
presentations, websites and collateral to employees and also take a personal
leadership role in the community.
4) The relationship-building activities,
community programs, charitable benefits and plans must be uniquely tailored to
the company. Focus on the company's goals; unique products, services and core
competencies; and the access to resources, such as money, people, products and
services.
5) The vision statement and the organizational
strategy must become a key part of the business culture. This means a
commitment beyond words, one that is actually used to guide business decisions.
6) The business should create a structure to
allow for the implementation, including ways to involve a cross section of
managers and employees in the plan – like a matching program.
7) The company must allocate resources, including
naming a senior-level community relations director or a person in charge of the
endeavor, to implement the strategy and community relations must become the
responsibility of the entire management team and not just the community
relations staff.
8) The business must establish policies and
procedures for implementing the strategy. Volunteering should be rewarded in
some way.
9) Training activities should be established to
make sure the community relations strategies are implemented regularly.
10) Evaluate internal audits to monitor the
strategy and its progress.
Community relations projects can be as simple as
matching funds donated to charitable organizations or as complex as setting up
your own organization for a cause.
Businesses can start simple by inviting a charity
to set up a giving tree for the holiday season.
Another simple start is donate a percentage of sales from a certain
product towards a community or charitable organization it chooses.
Inform the community of what your plans are, as a
business you have social influence to make a difference and your efforts will
be rewarded.
Written by:
Edan Gelt, CMD, MBA
Marketing Strategist and Child Life Volunteer
Edan
Gelt is an award winning, innovative, energetic, highly creative and
consumer-centric marketing leader with successful results in increasing sales
and traffic.
Her experience includes business-to-business and consumer marketing, advertising, media-buying, branding, e-marketing, public and community relations, strategy creation/implementation, budgeting, direct marketing, grand openings, trade shows, grass-roots marketing initiatives and special event planning.
Her experience includes business-to-business and consumer marketing, advertising, media-buying, branding, e-marketing, public and community relations, strategy creation/implementation, budgeting, direct marketing, grand openings, trade shows, grass-roots marketing initiatives and special event planning.
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