It’s time for Social Value, Sustainability and CSR to move from the fringes into the core of business strategy

As the post-covid, AI enlightened world emerges, businesses are starting to realise that the only change that can be guaranteed is that the pace of change will continue to increase. However, there is one strategy that if adopted and implemented correctly will align your organisation with the rate of change rather than chasing it, leading to increased sustainable growth.

Make your competitive advantage, your social advantage. The Social Value Advantage will not only help to improve the lives of everyone within your sphere of influence, help to strengthen local communities, create new jobs and skills and reduce our impact on the environment, but it will also naturally lead to increased profits, secure future-proofed supply chain relationships, tender success, improved recruitment and staff wellbeing and retention and improved brand reputation and market positioning. The Social Advantage is truly a win/win!

Businesses are increasingly moving from testing the waters of CSR, ESG and sustainability to the more holistic approaches social value & triple bottom line – understanding that people, planet and profit are intrinsically linked.

The first iteration of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 was brought in to ensure that suppliers to the public sector behave responsibly, sustainably and offered good value to the taxpayer. Whilst this initially affects those working alongside the public sector, this is now filtering down as best practice across all businesses looking for growth. In order for businesses to thrive in the future these previously considered ‘nice to have’s’ and ‘good for PR’ activities need to move from the fringe into the core of business strategy.

“CSR is not PR – CSR, Social Value & ESG are strategic business choices that when implemented authentically and with transparency, offer businesses and organisations long-term sustainability and growth” said Shropshire marketing consultant, Ruth Martin.

Inspired by organisations such as B Lab, who are on a mission to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet, three Shropshire businesses have come together to help promote the value of establishing high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability at the core of every business.

“We won’t stop until all business is a force for good” – B Lab

After months of being asked the same questions, Johnny Themans (Good2Great), Ruth Martin (Martin & Jones Marketing) and Liza Freudmann (BLA Sustainability) decided to come together collaboratively to champion the forward-thinking social value strategies being implemented across the UK to companies in Shropshire.

Johnny Themans said, “Shropshire has always been at the forefront of innovation – the industrial revolution, the steam train, even evolution itself! We want to inspire businesses and organisations to adapt these human friendly strategies that are good for people, place, planet AND profit”

“We all shared the same frustration, in that there was a lack of understanding around CSR, sustainability and Social Value, so it made sense for us to come together and share our individual experiences and diverse knowledge collaboratively so that Shropshire businesses can keep their competitive advantage.

Working with organisations across London, Manchester and Birmingham we have all witnessed firsthand how keeping Social Value at the heart of business is the future direction of travel for all organisations and we don’t want businesses in Shropshire to fall behind”, sustainability expert, Liza Freudmann explained.

“Many people view CSR as a cost and overlook the competitive advantage created, we would like to change that” Ruth Martin added.