Benefits And Risks Of Communicating Dannon s Csr At The...

Introduction The Dannon Company is a story of company that did not know what to do with itself. The company wanted to promote its corporate social responsibility (CSR), but did not know how or where to do so. Question arose on whether or not the company wanted to promote CSR communications. Dannon s management team was at a precipice, but how should the company get across? Michael Neuwirth, senior director of public relations for Dannon, was considering what part the company s CSR could act, if any, in the company s advancement (Marquis et al, 2011). This paper s intention is to analyze both the benefits and risks of communicating Dannon s CSR to the public forum on a larger scale, as well as the role of the parent company, Danone. Additionally, this paper will suggest a communication strategy which, I would propose, would fall in line with the company s vision and history of CSR. To Communicate or Not to Communicate? Dannon s CSR focused on three aspects—nutrition and health, people, and nature (Marquis et al, 2011). Despite its efforts, Dannon was not known for its CSR directives. The company s CSR history was mostly internal—not well known to consumers—and a stark contrast to the company s major competitor Yoplait, celebrated for its annual â€Å"Save Lids to Save Lives† campaign (Marquis et al, 2011). Contemplating on the direction Dannon should take, if any, Neuwrith sought council from company stakeholders (Marquis et al, 2011). The responses