How CR films helped The Body Shop

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

In 1987, The Body Shop International and Jacaranda Productions produced one of the first CR-led global corporate videos. The idea was to produce regular video programs to convey The Body Shop's desire to communicate its values and sustainable initiatives to all staff. The result was, in survey after survey, Body Shop staff were shown to have the greatest commitment to their company's values of any UK business.

* "Body Shop World," a bi-monthly program aimed at staff in the 1,600 stores worldwide, was seen in 47 countries and translated into 19 languages.
* With Jacaranda, The Body Shop has now produced over 400 films, many focusing on global issues including human rights, animal testing and fair trade.
* Surveys showed The Body Shop to be the eighth most recognized brand in the world.What lessons can be learned from this?

Firstly, that The Body Shop's films proved how a company could integrate CR activity into its brand in such a way that the two became inseparable in the public mind.Another factor is the importance of starting close to home by communicating effectively with your own employees - these are the most powerful stakeholders and ambassadors you can have. Most crucially of all, the films proved that an engagement with CR could be an important driver of commercial success.Adapted from, "Filming credible corporate messages" by Katy Eyre, in the current issue of Corporate Responsibility Management.

Blogged on 1:36 AM by Upay

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