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Marketing Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Marriage of Convenience or Shotgun Wedding?

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Abstract

This paper aims to examine the role(s) that the various vehicles of marketing communications can play with respect to communicating, publicising and highlighting organisational CSR policies to its various stakeholders. It will further endeavour to evaluate the impact of such communications on an organisation’s corporate reputation and brand image. The proliferation of unsubstantiated ethical claims and so-called ‘green washing’ by some companies has resulted in increasing consumer cynicism and mistrust. This has made the task of communicating with, and more importantly convincing, an organisation’s stakeholders vis-à-vis its CSR credentials even more difficult. This paper argues that marketing communications tools can play a major role in conveying a company’s CSR messages and communicating a more socially responsible image.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bradford Business and Law School, Bradford College, Westbrook Building, Great Horton Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1AY, U.K.

    Khosro S. Jahdi

  2. Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey

    Gaye Acikdilli

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  1. Khosro S. Jahdi
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  2. Gaye Acikdilli
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Correspondence to Khosro S. Jahdi.

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Jahdi, K.S., Acikdilli, G. Marketing Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Marriage of Convenience or Shotgun Wedding?. J Bus Ethics 88, 103–113 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0113-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0113-1

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