Visibility at a very relevant touchpoint... ?

Mr Arnab Sengupta, Head - Projects/Home Entertainment at Living Media Limited, posted an interesting question: "How can companies gain visibility at a very relevant touchpoint?"

Mr Manoj Tiwari, Product Manager, Intel Logic Technologies says: "I found it quite intersting and so sharing with you. I think corporates can gain visibility even while exercising CSR and it's quite successful in western countries. What do you think about it? "

RESPONSE:

Hi Arnab and Manoj,

There cannot be, and there is not, any contradiction when you say that 'corporates can gain visibility even while exercising CSR and it's quite successful in western countries'. Even if you/organisations are modest and want to carry out CSR in one or the other form, and may be also in disguised form ( as some people would like to for whatever reasoning out of their conviction) , it gets noticed because of built in 'tangibility factor' that ultimately leads to visibility in some or the other form/s.

We are talking of CSR only of late, now in reference to some successful organisations in western countries, which is really a tragedy. CSR, may be in a different form with a different terminology , was relevant all over the world in the past and, of course, will be relevant in future as well. Today, CSR has become dominantly visible due to high level of competition, after exhausting all sorts of differentiation games. The practice of CSR by corporate is either out of conviction of good governance or as a challenge posed to the board for survival and then excel!

Some of the well known kings and emperors in the history of the world did practice discharging of State's Social Responsibility (SSR!) and the visibility of their actions was tangible and was experienced by the respective people of the state and the same principle becomes applicable to corporate bodies as well.

A classic case of consciously discharging SSR was diligently and very shrewdly practiced by Sri Krisna Deva Raya, the great visionary and emperor of Vijayanagr dynasty. The 'visibility factor' - good governance- was so dominant that people from all over the world were talking then and it continues to be of relevance even now on the eve of 500th coronation of the great king!

What is the difference between a Corporate and a State and CSR and SSR ? Simply put, corporate is a small entity encapsuled in a big entity called the state. The sum of CSR practiced at corporate and other levels surprisingly leads to gross SSR!

Let me cut it short ( backgrounder in brief is just to put things in proper perspective) and come to the pointed question: 'How can companies gain visibility at a very relevant touchpoint?' :

One needs to clearly understand what are relevant touch points - tangible and not so tangible, as intangible things/feels emerge from a combination of both. While it is not possible to 'touch' the pulse of the internal and external customers/clients, the organisation needs to be sensitive and smart enough to 'feel the pulse' of all the concerned - employees, stake holders, customers/clients. Once this vital touchpoint - feeling the pulse- is done empathically, there certainly will be responses of varying degrees which will positively lead to companies gaining the visibility most effectively.

What are the other touch points to gain visibility , in addition to banners, bill boards, POPs, leaflets/brochcures, ads, events(event management) , attractive show rooms/retail outlets managed by well mannered professionals, good and conducive office atmoshphere etc. ? I think one of the most important touchpoint to drive the visibility in all its daylight glory is the bold vision and mission statements of the organisations. For example, the mission statement of the RED CROSS with a missionary zeal says and 'shows' it all - ''TO HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE''.

Best regards

Mohan Pujar
Zencomm Associates, B'lore