Two thirds of consumers say they’d have a more positive impression of a business that gives even a small amount of its profits to charity
New YouGov Omnibus research finds that 87% of Aussies think businesses have a responsibility to do social good, suggesting that corporate social responsibility (CSR) remains an important consideration for Australian brands.
Just 41% of business owners and those in senior management believe businesses have a responsibility to prevent environmental damage
Overall, six in ten (58%) Australians believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure their supply chain does not harm the environment. However, this falls to just four in ten (41%) among business owners and those who work in senior management (including CEOs), suggesting a gulf of opinion between those at the helm of Australian brands and the wider public.
Compared with the wider region, Australians are more likely to believe that businesses have a responsibility to ensure their supply chain doesn’t harm the environment than most. Across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) half of all consumers (50%) believe businesses bear such a responsibility. This rises to nearly two thirds (63%) among Filipinos, the highest in the region, and falls to four in ten (42%) in Thailand, the lowest in the region.
57% believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their supply chain is free from harmful practices such as forced labour
A majority (57%) of Aussie consumers also believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their supply chain is free from damaging practices, such as forced labour, while more than four in ten Aussies feel that businesses have a responsibility to assist upskilling members of the community (48%) and giving to charity (45%).
55% of Aussies would be more likely to recommend a brand that gives even a small portion of its annual profits to charity
The study also finds that if consumers were aware that a business was giving even a small portion of its annual profits to charity (up to 5%), two thirds (66%) would have a more positive opinion of the business.
At a regional level, 62% of APAC consumers would be more likely to recommend a brand to their friends and family if it gave a small portion of its annual profits to charity. This rises to 75% in Indonesia and 70% in Thailand but falls to 51% in Singapore and 55% in both Australia and Hong Kong.
Overall, nearly six in ten (56%) of Australians surveyed believe business should be doing more to help charities as a whole.
The latest YouGov Omnibus research shows a considerable proportion of consumers give weight to a brand’s ethics when making purchasing decisions and would be more likely to both consider and recommend a brand that gives even a small amount to charity. Furthermore, that a majority of consumers believe that businesses have a responsibility to ensure that they have ethical supply chains suggests consumers expect ever more from brands. In order to get ahead, brands now have to go beyond simply proving that their given product is a cut above the rest; smart business looking to distinguish themselves need to work hard to showcase their values as well.
*Data was collected online between 15 and 23 November 2017 using YouGov’s panel of over 5 million people worldwide. Sample size: Asia Pacific (n = 9,000; Australia: 1,000; China: 1,000: Hong Kong: 1,000; Indonesia: 1,000; Malaysia: 1,000; Philippines: 1,000; Singapore: 1,000; Thailand: 1,000; Vietnam: 1,000)
Photo source: Getty Image
