CorpComms Magazine

Eight out of ten consumers believe businesses should tackle social and environmental issues beyond their local communities, according to research conducted by Cone Communications and Echo Research.

The 2011 Cone/Echo Global CR Opportunity Study, states that more than 90 per cent of respondents think companies must develop their corporate practices in order to create the most positive impact.

The poll found that 93 per cent of consumers would boycott a company for irresponsibility, and more than half say they already have. More than a third have researched a company's business practices or support of issues, and 32 per cent have given their feedback about a company's responsibility efforts directly to the company.

The research shows that consumers would prefer to invest in a brand that supports a particular cause, versus one that does not support any cause. And almost all of the respondents (94 per cent) would buy a product that had environmental benefits.  More than six out of ten had purchased a cause-related product in the past year.

Overall the respondents rated economic development as the most important issue for a company to address, with 96 per cent considering it central.  More than a third (34 per cent) considered it the most important issue of all. Nine out of ten rated education and health and disease as an important issue, while 94 per cent rated human rights highly. And 95 per cent considered water a key issue.

Three out of ten said that the best way for a company to tackle social and environmental issues is to change the way that they operate.

The report studied ten different countries from around the globe which included North America, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, China, India and Japan.

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