I often hear about CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in SMEs and it is often a fashion phenomenon misinterpreted, indeed many SMEs want to "start CSR" as we decide to start a social network presence or a new advertising campaign.
However, for the strategist, the debate is quite different: succeeding in including in the development cycle, taking into account the PESTEL elements that can influence the success or failure of a product and henceforth, the risk related to the lack of images of a product that is not ecological or dangerous for the planet can be an essential criterion for the success or failure of a project.
Having an eco-responsible and socially advanced policy has therefore become above all a vital commercial marketing element for the success of a project.
Example of concrete cases of success or failure
In a recent successful real estate project, the choice of energy autonomy was a determining factor in the perceived value being higher than the economic value, because the ecological value of the project was added to the company's value chain.
In a water purification product, the presence of toxic substances in a component that could have been manufactured otherwise caused the market share to plummet in less than half a year: the lack of prudence and consideration of CSR risk destroyed 25 years of commercial development.
In another project, the fact of having used noble and not plastic materials (domestic greenhouses) allowed to reach 25prc of complementary market shares...
In conclusion
CSR should not be used as a publicity stunt, it should be integrated into research and development in order to anticipate the obstacles.
