Consumers now commonly engage in a cultural audit of [product and service] providers. People want to know your value and ethics demonstrated by how you treat employees, the community in which you operate

According to Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz, "Consumers now commonly engage in a cultural audit of [product and service] providers. People want to know your value and ethics demonstrated by how you treat employees, the community in which you operate." Discuss the concept of social responsibility marketing and how it impacts both companies and consumers.

Marketing is a social process. Its activities are designed and deal with identifying and meeting the human needs and expectation of the society. The marketing activities are directed at creating, communicating and delivering value which benefit organization as well as its customers, suppliers channel members and the larger public. The marketing effect is extended beyond the company and the whole larger public. The values and culture of the society is affected by the market so one must be cautious in preventing or preserving the social norms and values. The societal marketing concept helps in understanding the socially responsible marketing by taking seriously the ethnical, legal, environment and social concern of people and society. The societal marketing concept holds that the organization's task is to determine the needs, wants and interest of the target market and to deliver the desired satisfaction more efficiently and effectively than competitors in a way that enhance the consumers and society's well being. It explains how the marketers carefully consider the role that they are playing could play in terms of social welfare and how well they are able to establish market of their product and services. Marketing becomes inefficient and ineffective if their activities are against the social norms and belief and if they do not benefit the society. The societal marketing concepts must balance between the company's profit, peoples want and satisfaction and their policy working under the rules and regulation in a changing environment.

In the present context, we find many companies active involvement towards the corporate social responsibility programs in order to attract the large number of customers as well as to motivate the employees. Due to the increasing competition most of the companies are focus on adding social responsibility to differentiate themselves from large competitors. Also the consumers are becoming more socially conscious. The companies are showing their concern in the society by involving in different activities. The consumers are interested in using and demanding those companies' product or services who are more involved for the society's betterment. This has made the marketers or the company feels the people will be more attached to them and become the long term customers if they are more concern towards people and the society. This as a result helps in differentiating the company from the larger competitor raising brand awareness, increase reputation, increase customer loyalty and achieve company's goals. They believe that customer will increasingly look for signs of good corporate citizenship that go beyond supplying rational and emotional benefits.

Reference:

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

Piercy, F.N., (2008).Market Led Strategic Change: Transforming the Process of Going to Market.Butterworth-Heinemann, Burlington, USA.