Case Studies

When a botanist discovered lumber companies were cutting down South Pacific Island rainforests to pay villagers a penny a tree, we created a root-cause solution.  The villagers needed to build schools and their forests were their only assets.  We started an environmental organization (Seacology.org) and then teamed with a NYSE skincare company to use ingredients derived from the forest’s plants to start a new skin care line.  At .25 cents per bottle royalty, it pays for schools, medical clinics, clean water supplies, and community centers.  Nearly 200,000 acres of rain forests have been put in preserves and over a million acres of reef have been saved.  We started all this in 1993 before sustainable abundance was a “cool idea.”  It just made sense.  After 15 years, it is growing bigger than ever.

A large private education company was searching for a brand message that would stand out in a jungle of competitors.  We conducted live and internet research with future employers of their students as well as potential students, parents, girlfriends, boyfriends and even competitors.  We identified their invisible brand.  The brand they already had, but wasn’t famous for.  In large group meetings that included stakeholders, we selected one primary virtue and it’s iconic identity (HERO) and developed their brand in action.

We started a corporate philanthropy that presented a unique solution to the single biggest threat their students faced.  We created free education and a Web 2.0 strategy to engage their youth market and redesigned their sales message to embody their life changing cause.  We helped unite marketing, sales, finance, product development and education delivering into one unifying brand value.  We exaggerated the day lights of their difference.

They are trying to save the future of the students “left behind” and aren’t shy about doing whatever it takes to do it.  This isn’t a marketing message, it’s a bone-deep strategic commitment that came from illuminating what they most wanted to do…change the world.

From Vegetable Oil to Bio-Fuel

A small chemical business that supplies custom cleaning chemicals to other small businesses was having a difficult time growing against a national competitor who was always lowering prices and making deals.  We helped the owner consider how to use his business plant and his own expertise to create a Triple Bottom Line strategy.

Within months he went into the clean energy business.  He refines used vegetable oil into bio-diesel and sells it to small business fleets.  Business is on fire and his margins eye-popping.  And, yes, his bio-fuel DOES smell like french fries.

As the University of California San Diego’s global extension surveyed the educational interests of their long list of corporate clients, the resounding results was the need for leadership education on Corporate Social Responsibility.  Leaders also wanted the practical know-how to implement sustainability into their business.  UCSD turned to REALeadership founder, Will Marre, to be their consulting director and help develop a comprehensive solution.  The result is the Responsible Enterprise Forum and a region-wide initiative called ENRICH San Diego.  The forum is a university sponsored organization linking CSR, marketing, philanthropy and HR with CEO’s of San Diego based companies to share best practices and blaze new trails of community collaboration.

We laid out a challenge to the regions leaders in a series of forum meetings to make San Diego the most “Sustainable Community in the World” within ten years.  As consulting director, Will leads executive seminars and teaches a college-level class in Learning for CSR.  He is now working closely with corporate executives, the media and UCSD’s extension to bring the vision of sustainable abundance to the San Diego region.

CSR Begins with Your Employees

Many research polls reveal that both corporate reputation and Corporate Social Responsibility starts with how well employees are respected.  A great company fosters collaboration, innovation, and uses judgment among its workforce.  A great company must be a great place to work.

When we interviewed the finance department of a NYSE company, we found the new pressures of Sarbanes Oxley compliance was ripping the group apart.  Petty bickering had created a “junior-high school” culture and closings were late, messy and clogged with rework.  Overtime was mounting and people were leaving. The “People” part of the Triple Bottom Line was threatening the “Profit” part.  After interviewing every person in the organization, we found the root cause was a lack of respect for people’s real lives.  The employees felt used and abused.  The CFO fired a few key managers who were chronically treating people badly.  We introduced flex-time and tele-commuting.  The two things employees most wanted.  Productivity and accuracy soared.

In 12 months the department’s “Great Place to Work,” survey ratings went up over 20%.  Achieving the highest morale in the company.  It’s true…Corporate Social Responsibility does begin with your employees.