There are few brands with the guts to host a summit bringing together 80 former extremists, including IRA terrorists, jihadists and neo-Nazi skinheads. Google, however, paid for such a group to fly from all corners of the earth to Ireland in June. It was an appropriate location, given that Google's European headquarters is based there, and that the island's history has been affected by terrorism; but why would a search company organise such an event?
Google rejects any suggestion that the summit was a PR stunt or aligned with a formal CSR strategy. According to Google's senior manager for communications, William Echikson, who helped organise the event, the motivation was to debate how to deal with extremism and to 'increase understanding of a tough topic'.
'There was no strong link between this summit and the business. We don't view this as CSR. We don't even have a CSR director at Google,' he says. 'We encourage all our people to take on tough subjects so we can advance our understanding in any way that would be considered important. We want to rethink how "think tanks" work and whether they have some way of activating change.'
This particular initiative came out of Google Ideas, an experimental hub which launched in October. It was the pet-project of Google Ideas director, Jared Cohen, who formerly worked for Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and Condoleezza Rice, her predecessor.
While Google denies the summit had any underlying business objective, it undoubtedly fitted neatly with its professed belief in freedom of expression.
Echikson concedes the link. 'The summit shows we're not afraid to take on uncomfortable issues. We have a strong moral stance on freedom of expression over censorship, which is something that gets us in trouble, but it's something we believe in. The idea that we can pre-screen content is not practical or right. There are 48 hours of material going up every minute on YouTube. It's not right that we should be in a position of censorship,' he says.
Google's summit also hits on a trend that some are calling 'social CSR', that of harnessing social media to bring people together for the greater good. Reporters and CSR experts have applauded Google for its bravery and innovation.
'This is a very smart move by Google,' says Simon Hodgson, senior partner at CSR consultancy Acona, which works with the Media CSR Forum. 'A lot of people naively think CSR is about conveying the moral conscience of a corporation, but it is not. It is about having a sophisticated understanding of the collective moral view of society; what "we" (society) think is acceptable or not. Judging public opinion is critical for planning and businesses need to know what will be "acceptable" tomorrow and plan for it in the same way as they would plan for currency fluctuations and political change.'
The advent of social media, particularly its ability to mobilise people to express their view quickly, has meant that public opinion can change overnight. The News of the World phone-hacking scandal is testament to that (see box, below left).
So, how on earth do brands predict public opinion in advance, to make provisions for it?
According to CSR experts like Hodgson, the answer is to talk to people on the fringes of society, such as extremists. Brian Millar, strategy director for strategic consultancy Sense Worldwide, says his company regularly brings them together for clients such as Nike and Vodafone.
'When you listen to your core consumers, you get the same old stories,' explains Millar. 'When you engage extremists in the right way, you can start to understand the future. We've recruited pagan witches, extreme Death Valley ultra-marathon runners and fetishists for our clients. Google has a great position as the neutral arbiter of the world's data. Why not use and consolidate that position by reaching out to conflicting extremists?'
Greater good
Social networks are obviously well placed to lead this trend, but it isn't only social brands that can use their assets for the greater good of society. Becky Willan, co-founder of brand communications agency Given London, has also identified this fresh 'wave' of thinking in CSR, which goes beyond sustainability.
She cites Starbucks offering a free coffee to any US citizen who casts a ballot on voting day as an example. 'CSR has been quite an operational discipline, about reducing environmental impact, for instance. But now, brands are thinking about how they can create value in their communities or the world at large, and they can have a bigger role to play in contributing to social change,' she says.
However, Willan adds a caveat. The only brands that can use this trend are those that counteract their negative impact on the environment and show themselves to be committed to sustainability.
'Google has showed this, and now, creating positive social value is a logical next step,' she says. 'But there are very few brands that could take it to the same level as Google has.' When it comes to CSR, Google, Facebook and Twitter are setting the trend. For more traditional companies, it may take a while to join in this alternative way to boost their brands.
NEWS OF THE WORLD SCANDAL - THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The News of the World phone-hacking scandal shows how quickly society's view on a subject can change due to the influence of social media.
As Simon Hodgson, senior partner at CSR consultancy Acona says: 'People knew that journalists were hacking phones to get stories. No one cared until it was Milly Dowler's phone. Then, society's view changed overnight.'
People vented their anger on social networks and pressured brands to pull ads from the NotW.
The implications of this scandal show how important it is for brands to judge public opinion in order to 'do the right thing'. If a brand fails to do this, it could end up boycotted by customers or, like the NotW, could even come to a sticky end.
A spokesman for Ford, one of the brands that pulled its ads, says this does not mean brands ought to become moral watchdogs. 'Consumers have no wish for brands to play the role of moral compass and brands do not have any position or right to take that stance,' he adds.
Nevertheless, the lines are blurred. Rival car marque Mitsubishi pulled its ads too. It denied social media pressure affected the decision, but it donated its intended adspend to Childline, following the suggestion of a Facebook fan.
Rather than lead in taking a moral stance, brands need to become adept at gauging the majority feeling of customers on an issue. Mumsnet, for instance, cancelled a contract with News International on the back of the scandal.
That meant that the social network for mothers lost more than £30,000 in revenue, but founder Justine Roberts says the site had no choice.
'Brands should think carefully about who they partner because social media facilitates public scrutiny,' she adds. 'It is an expensive way to run a business, but it is the only way.'
FROM GHETTO TO GOOGLE CSR OFFERINGS
Google's CSR
- Informal motto is 'Don't be evil'
- Green initiatives It builds its own servers, enabling it to reduce its energy use, and invests in green projects such as its $150m wind technology programme
- Operates Google grants, allowing free ads for charities, and Google flu trends, which helps predict flu outbreaks
- Charitable giving In 2010 Google gave about £150m directly to charities and academic causes
Google's CSR challenge
- China: Google pulled out after allegations that some of its Gmail users' accounts had been hacked
- Italy: three executives were sentenced to six months in prison due to a controversial video, of a boy with Down's syndrome being bullied, which was posted on YouTube
- In February the European Union began an anti-trust action against the company, after allegations that Google prioritises its own services over competitors in its search results
Twitter's CSR
- One of its operating principles is 'Be a force for good'
- Calls CSR 'Corporate social innovation' because of the innovative ways people use Twitter to do good
- The Twitter for nonprofits programme offers pro-bono and discounted advertising products to charities
- Highlights those initiatives, and its own investment in projects, on its blog www.bloghope140.org
Twitter's CSR challenge
- Like Facebook, has had problems with cyber-bullying
Facebook's CSR
- Runs frequent sessions aimed at helping charitable organisations understand the most effective ways of developing an audience
- Runs a Safety Advisory Board, consisting of representatives from Facebook, Childnet International, FOSI (The Family Online Safety Institute), WiredSafety, ConnectSafely and Common Sense Media to improve online safety
- Runs the Family Safety Centre aimed at giving teens, teachers and parents tips on online safety advice
- Recently invested £5m in a campaign aimed at getting education and safety messages out to young people. The push featured celebrities such as David Beckham and The Wanted. As a result, Facebook's Safety page, at www.facebook.com/fbsafety, now has 453,000 fans
- Hosts a page called Peace on Facebook, which presents the connections made between different geographic areas, religious and political groups via Facebook
Facebook's CSR challenge
- Well-publicised examples of cyber-bullying