Only a third of businesses integrate CSR into Corporate Communications Strategy

19 March 2013

Despite major impact on Corporate Reputation

Grayling has released the latest results of Grayling PULSE, its quarterly global survey of in-house communications professionals, and can reveal that under a third (28 per cent) of organisations with a CSR / sustainability strategy are integrating it into their corporate communications strategy. This is despite the fact that organisations are saying that CSR and sustainability has the greatest impact on their corporate reputation: most cited answer at 30.1 per cent, with employee relations selected by just 17.7 per cent.

In the Middle East, this figure falls substantially below the global average with only 8.3 per cent of respondents stating that their organisations integrate CSR and sustainability strategies into their wider corporate communications strategy.

However, Grayling believes that this is set to change with CSR / sustainability beginning to move up the agenda of many countries in the Middle East. For example, in Qatar, the host country for the COP18 conference in December 2012, has also recently introduced mandatory sustainability reporting as a requirement for industries seeking to align with the country's national vision.

Tamara Bullock, Grayling Regional Director, commented: "The PULSE survey findings, especially those for the Middle East, confirm that we have to continue and increase our efforts to integrate CSR / sustainability practice into corporate communication programs for organisations in this region. Any organisation that wants to ensure sustainable growth and safeguard a sustainable future should embrace CSR / sustainability and fully integrate it into the heart of its business."

The PULSE survey also revealed:

• Globally only 15 per cent of organisations have a fully developed CSR / sustainability strategy and 26 per cent have no official strategy at all

• 37 per cent of organisations (39 per cent in the Middle East) assign just 10 per cent of their total communications budget to CSR / sustainability communications

• 52 per cent of respondents (54 per cent in the Middle East) believe that the media is interested in CSR / sustainability issues

• Globally, the sectors that believe they have the best performance in CSR & sustainability are Consumer & Retail (58%), Transportation, Automotive & Logistics (53%) and Energy, Environment & Industry (53%)

• Globally, the top three areas of focus for CSR / sustainability programmes are; Community and Corporate Social Responsibility (16%); Waste and Recycling (13%) and Philanthropy and Volunteering (11%)

• The most common ways for CSR / sustainability activity to be communicated are; through Media Relations (25% / 31% in the Middle East) and Employee / Internal Communications (24.6% / 26% in the Middle East)

• Only 12 (14 in the Middle East) per cent of organisations are using social media as the main way to communicate their CSR / sustainability activity

Over 1,300 communications professionals worldwide participated in the third PULSE survey, the objective of which is to provide valuable data and insights upon which communications professionals can respond to, better plan and benchmark their organisation's approach to communications activities and their own internal PR resources.

-Ends-

For media enquiries or for further information about Grayling please contact Rami El-Yashruti on +974 5538 9036 or email rami.yashruti@grayling.com

To read the full PULSE Report visit: www.graylingpulse.com/issue3

About Grayling PULSE
Launched in April 2012 for the first time, Grayling PULSE is a free quarterly HTML report which provides a global snapshot of current and emerging communications industry trends - essential reading for anyone leading or working in an in-house PR or communications team.

The reports track important changes in PR spend against key metrics, such as, by geography and sector, investment in digital and CSR communications and the changing level of visibility and perceived value of PR and communications, at a board level, in some of the world's leading organisations.

The objective of PULSE is to provide valuable data and insights upon which communications professionals can respond to, better plan and benchmark their organisation's approach to communications activities and their own internal PR resources.

For further information and to read the full reports visit: www.graylingpulse.com

About Grayling:
Grayling is a leading global communications network, combining national champion businesses across the areas of Public Relations, Government Affairs, Investor Relations and Event Management. Grayling has offices in 70 locations in over 40 countries across Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Key industry sectors in which Grayling operates are: Energy, Environment, Industry; Healthcare and Pharmaceutical; Financial and Professional Services; Technology, Media and Telecoms; Consumer Brands; Government and Public Sector.

www.grayling.com

BREAKDOWN OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS

Global Participants: 1,318

Respondents: The PULSE survey is open to anyone from the global communications industry to complete; the sample will include Grayling clients, non-Grayling clients and wider industry professionals

Geographic breakdown: 44.8% - Western Europe; 27.4% - CEE, SEE & Eurasia; 9.1% - North America; 5.8% - APAC; 2.8% - Africa; 3.9% - Middle East; 0.2% - Latin America; 5.7% - Other

Sector breakdown: 16.6% - Government, public sector & NFP; 15.7% - Tech, media & telecoms; 13.3% - Financial & professional services; 11.5% - Energy, industry & environment; 9% - Consumer & retail; 7.1% - Healthcare & pharmaceuticals; 4.3% - Transport, auto & logistics; 22.6% - Other