Marketing Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility

This chapter examines the multi-faceted and reciprocal influence of marketing on corporate social responsibility strategy and practice, especially in light of consumer concern about company social and environmental impacts. As well as potential harmful consequences of marketing to consumers, the authors highlight that society and the natural environment can also be significantly impacted negatively by consumers and their consumption practices. More positively, the authors illustrate how marketing, through consumer demand for responsible products and services, can also be a key driver for companies to create beneficial social and environmental impacts. They propose that the marketing function avoid marketing myopia by adopting a broad stakeholder orientation that acknowledges its role in engaging with multiple company stakeholders, as well as customers. The authors suggest that by using marketing methodologies and expertise (e.g., market research, market segmentation), it occupies a privileged organizational position in helping companies respond to the diverse social and environmental challenges they face.