Sustainable Retailing: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Sainsbury's Success

Introduction

Corporate social responsibility is the practice, which helps the organisations to operate in the society ethically by fulfilling their economic responsibility as well as philanthropic and legal responsibility (Schrempf-Stirling, Palazzo and Phillips, 2016). The practice of corporate social responsibility is effective for all the businesses to operate in the market efficiently and maximise the values for all the stakeholders, engaged with the organisational activities (Yakovleva, 2017; Jamali and Karam, 2018). The aim of the study is to develop clear understanding about the practice of corporate social responsibility and green practice of conducting the business ethically in the market. The study also helps to discuss the green practice of the organisation Sainsbury’s as well as it provides an opportunity to develop marketing planning for the firm to promote green practice and influence the society towards the exercise of green strategic planning in the market to stay healthy and enhance the values for all the stakeholders including the social communities, government, employees and managers as well as customers and the shareholders, who lay crucial role in running the organisational operational activities ethically in the market by improving green environmental practice. Sainsbury’s is a multinational retail chain and super market store and it is efficient to serve the customers efficiently with high quality products and efficient services according to the needs and preferences of the customers. In this regard, the organisation focuses on running their super market chain and gain high competitive advantages in the global retail industry by conducting their operational activities ethically and green practice to maximise the customer’s values as well as create values for overall social communities across the globe (Sainsbury’s, 2020a).

Reason of the organisation behind choosing green life style

The organisation focuses on green practice in order to run the business ethically and establish effective green practice to create values for all the stakeholders, engaged with the business. The main purpose of the company is to serve the shoppers little better every day. The vision of the company is to be the most trusted retailer by putting the customers at heart of everything by delivering better quality of products and services in the market at affordable price. Hereby, the company aims at creating values for the customers and in this regard the company Sainsbury’s focuses on greener practice to maximise customer’s values. The values of the company are,

maximising health and wellbeing of the stakeholders

Be the first to meet the consumer’s requirements

Managing environmental green footprint

Act responsibly to the social community

Understand the customers and colleagues

These are the major values for which the organisation focuses on green practice in the environment so that it is possible for the firm to maximise the values for all the social communities across the globe. Additionally, the company Sainsbury’s treated the people fairly and trust and respect them at the organisation. Listening and continuous support to the people further helps Sainsbury’s to retain the experienced staff and employees in the firm to serve the customers efficiently (Sainsbury’s, 2020a). Sharing knowledge and experience and retaining the staff and employees for long run are the strategy of Sainsbury’s, through which it tries to maximise the green practice of the brand in the market (Sainsbury’s, 2020b). Sainsbury’s focuses on serving better and maximising green strategic management in the environment and also serving the customers efficiently with quality basket of products so that the consumers can live healthy. The company aims at helping the people by reducing food waste globally and ensuring surplus goods to those in needs. Additionally, the organisation tries to source great quality, affordable and sustainable products and this is the major aim for which the company focuses on green practice. On the other hand, making easier for the people to live healthily be another aim for which green management practice is adopted by the organisation which in turn helps the firm Sainsbury’s to strengthen their position in the global retail industry. Making positive contribution in the society is another objective for which Sainsbury’s tries to develop green practice in the market which helps the organisation to maximise the operational efficiency of the organisation (Sainsbury’s, 2020c).

The practice of utilising paper packaging, using renewable resources like solar panel and others as well as utilising electric cars for successful reduction of green house gas emission and serving the food to the needy people through road side refrigerator in order to minimise food wastage are the crucial practice of the organisation to create values for the social communities as well as enhance the organisational tactics to run their business through a green management in the market (Sainsbury’s, 2020d). Hereby, the company tries to develop green practice and enhance greener lifestyle to promote positive and healthy environment as well as help the social communities to maximise their wellbeing. The sustainability and the affordability of the products further help the firm to maximise the standard of living of the individuals (Schrempf-Stirling, Palazzo and Phillips, 2016). The firm also focuses on green lifestyle by investing in charity program and social developmental activities which further enhance the quality of life of the people across the globe. The practice of green supply chain management and utilising electric cars are also effective which further influence the firm to develop effective tactics to provide green environmental footprint (Sainsbury’s, 2020d).

Designing a social media marketing campaign for Sainsbury’s

Purpose of the social media marketing campaign

The major purpose of the organisational marketing campaigning is to maximise the quality of life of the social communities across the world. The company aims at creating values for the social communities and influence others to encourage green practice in the environment so that they would be able to contribute positively in the environment to make it sustainable for others (Jamali and Karam, 2018). The activities of the organisation and green strategic management further influence others to contribute positively in the environment by green management. The aim of the marketing campaigning is to influence and motivate the individuals across the globe to participate in managing green practice in the market as well as maximise the values of the society. Additionally, the firm aims to reduce pollution and make the environment pollution free in future by reducing the greenhouse gas emission and enhancing the renewable resource usage which in turn helps the firm Sainsbury’s to save natural resource of the earth (Wang et al., 2016). On the other hand, the objective of the marketing campaign is to raise concern among the individuals across the globe to contribute positively in the environment by green management exercise in the market, where every people matters in the market to create positive environment for the benefits of the overall social communities (Sainsbury’s, 2020e). Hereby, the purpose of the marketing campaign of the company Sainsbury’s is to maximise the quality of life of the individuals around the globe as well as maximise the values of the social communities across the international countries (Leipziger, 2017).

Posts for social media platform

Social media marketing tactic is one of the effective ways to promote green management practice and influence the individuals across the globe successfully. In this regard, FaceBook and Instagram is popular social media site to influence others across the globe. In this regard for Sainsbury’s, the marketing campaigning would be described further.

FaceBook post:

The FaceBook posts are effective for the organisation to influence the social communities across the globe and influence the individual successfully and this is also effective to improve engagement of the people across international places and motivate them to contribute positively in the environment by following green practice.

1. “Earth provides us enough to satisfy everyone’s need and now it is our responsibility to protect the earth from global warming”. Our approach is to utilise electric cars to reduce greenhouse gas emission.

2. “Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problems unless it is serious about the green lifestyle”. Our approach towards the society is to utilise ecological products and services which helps the individuals to improve green practice and in this regard we support to utilise organic goods which are sustainable and affordable so that our aim of making the customer happy everyday by serving them quality products at competitive rice will be fulfilled.

3. “Nature provides us a free lunch, if we control our appetites”. Our approach towards it is to provide free lunch and dinner to the individuals who are in need by setting road side refrigerator, and this is effective to tackle the issue of food waste and improve greener practice in the society.

The above mentioned posts are effective for Sainsbury’s to have successful FaceBook marketing campaigning and influence the young generation as well as old people across the globe to improve their contribution towards green management in the society.

Instagram post:

Instagram is another major social media platform to share the information and message to the social communities across the world and this is effective for digital marketing campaigning.

1. “Utilising renewable resources to protect our natural resources is the responsibility of us to create green environmental footprint”. With the picture of paper packaging and sustainable organic products, Sainsbury’s can post on integral which would influence the shoppers effectively to contribute in green management.

2. “Charity begins at home and it is our responsibility to invest on charitable program and social developmental arrangements to create values for the social communities”. It is necessary to post the pictures of the children in educational institution and charity homes and show their happy moments which in turn influence the individuals to invest more in green practice and contribute positively in maximising social values.

3. “We are blessed to have natural resources and now it is our role to protect the environment and natural resources by utilising renewable resources”. In this regard, the pictures of using solar panel and the use of renewable resources are effective to influence the individuals across the globe.

The above mentioned posts are effective for positive marketing campaign on social media and in the recent era of globalisation and digitalisation, the social communities across the world are engaged with each other and they try to make the environment sustainable to maximise the quality of life of the individuals. Together, it is the responsibility of the company Sainsbury’s to contribute positively in the society and influence others through social media marketing campaigning for creating green practice and sustainable environment to live healthily (Crane, Matten and Spence, 2019).

Discussion over greener practice

Going green refers to the practice which is efficient to lead the individual towards environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decision and lifestyle which can protect environment and sustain its natural resources for currency and future generations. It is the responsibility of the businesses and also the individuals to adopt the green practice in the society to protect the social communities and maximise the quality of life by enhancing the practice and management of positive environmental footprint. In the recent years, all the individuals including the younger and old people try to behave ethically in the society and they are willing to have greener practice so that they could contribute positively in managing the green and positive environmental footprint (Grayson and Hodges, 2017; Jamali and Karam, 2018). Additionally, the organisations try to influence the individuals across the globe by the social media marketing campaigning in order to raise concern about being healthy and maximise the quality of life of the individuals (Schrempf-Stirling, Palazzo and Phillips, 2016).

The major two practice, that organisation Sainsbury’s has to create environmental sustainability are delivering sustainable and affordable products to the customers where using organic materials and ingredients are effective intuitive of the company towards managing green practice in the society and creating values for the customers and secondly, the company tries to serve food and other grocery items to the individuals who are in need in the society. These two green practices are effective for influencing the people in the society and motivate them to contribute positively in creating values for the social communities as a whole (Sainsbury’s, 2020d). Though the younger people fail to invest more in making the environment and society sustainable due to monetary constraint, it is necessary for the organisation to influence them and utilise their financial position in making positive contribution in the society. The activities of the organisation Sainsbury’s are effective to motivate the people to use sustainable products of the firm where Sainsbury’s is known and reputed for delivering quality products at affordable rice at the retail market across the globe. Thus it is efficient for the firm to influence the buyers and motivate them to make effective purchase decision further for the contribution in the society (Sainsbury’s, 2020e).

In this regard, it is necessary for the organisation Sainsbury’s to raise concern more among the younger people though they have monetary constraint. The strategies of using electric cars are one of the effective marketing campaigns which can motivate the individuals to act responsibly in the society and contribute positively in maximising the quality of life. The students or the young generation may prefer electric cars for the benefits of the society through reducing the greenhouse gas emission. Additionally, the company needs to influence the people to make smaller contribution as per their affordability towards the social charitable programs (Jamali and Karam, 2018). This is also effective way to raise concern about green practice among the younger generations. On the other hand, using paper packaging system is another important initiative that would be effective for inspiring the youths to stop plastic usage and utilise the paper packaging system to make positive contribution in the society (Liang and Renneboog, 2017). Additionally, the organisation Sainsbury’s can encourage the students or the young generations to plant trees as it is the responsibility of all the individuals to protect the environment and make effective contribution in the society. Thus, it would be beneficial for the organisation to support the individual and motivate them for greener practice in the society so that they can contribute efficiently for maximising the quality of life and standard of living of the individuals across the world (Lins, Servaes and Tamayo, 2017). Protecting the world from global warming and pollution as well as maximising the social values can be possible where the organisational activities and marketing campaigning are effective to engage with the social communities across the globe and motivate them towards greener practice (Schrempf-Stirling, Palazzo and Phillips, 2016).

Conclusion

It is the responsibility of the organisations and also the individuals across the globe to have greener practice in the society for protecting the environment and managing the sustainability of the business. The practice of green footprint is effective to maximise the quality of life and it further enhance social development with support and cooperation. The organisation Sainsbury’s has efficient green management strategies which are beneficial to influence the world for having greener practice and protecting the environment from global warming and pollution. The organisation needs to raise concern through marketing campaigning in social media platform like FaceBook and Instagram where there are millions followers who can be motivates and contribute positively in protecting the environment and managing environmental sustainability for better quality of life.

Reference List

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Grayson, D. and Hodges, A., 2017. Corporate social opportunity!: Seven steps to make corporate social responsibility work for your business. London: Routledge.

Jamali, D. and Karam, C., 2018. Corporate social responsibility in developing countries as an emerging field of study. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(1), pp.32-61.

Leipziger, D., 2017. The corporate responsibility code book. London: Routledge.

Liang, H. and Renneboog, L., 2017. On the foundations of corporate social responsibility. The Journal of Finance, 72(2), pp.853-910.

Lins, K.V., Servaes, H. and Tamayo, A., 2017. Social capital, trust, and firm performance: The value of corporate social responsibility during the financial crisis. The Journal of Finance, 72(4), pp.1785-1824.

Schrempf-Stirling, J., Palazzo, G. and Phillips, R.A., 2016. Historic corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 41(4), pp.700-719.

Wang, H., Tong, L., Takeuchi, R. and George, G., 2016. Corporate social responsibility: An overview and new research directions: Thematic issue on corporate social responsibility.

Yakovleva, N., 2017. Corporate social responsibility in the mining industries. London: Routledge.

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