CSR Punks

Tired of those people who are always talking about CSR as ‘thinking outside the box’—for me there isn’t even a box (because at some point you’re going to have to get back in to deliver).

I’m tried of the mainstream CSR debate being about ‘environmental-practises’, ‘sustainable-outsourcing’ and ticking those boxes which demonstrate doing just that (all noble, worthy and which has my total support), but the ‘community-investment’ part of that equation is usually the bastard child in most discussions.

The whole CSR movement is punk at its core, but like the music, has been dilluted since it’s conception. What we need now is a new flavour or at least a mashup of components from the old school (for those suits in the audience a definition of mashup can be found here).

If businesses still need to be persuaded and in some cases bullied into action then leave them be. I have a generous amount of faith in ‘the community’ and ‘the consumers’. In terms of business development it’s a simple case of moving with the times as the growing evidence that CSR activities increases the bottom-line the discussion becomes a given.

So is Phatgnat punk? I think so. Wealth Bondage obviously doesn’t. Do I care? About as much as she cares about whether I care ;-)

What’s important to me is not recognition but being part of a movement which is challenging and taking forward an idea that businesses can (and should) make a profit whilst supporting community projects (most of the time as a strategy to increase more profit—that’s allowed people because it means more community projects).

People think I’m either fantastic or stupidly naive and that’s exactly the reaction I want. The best place to be is on the edge. Anywhere else you are just taking up too much room.

Here’s why I think Phatgnat is a CSR Punk (serving suggestion: with a pinch of salt):

1. If I never wear a tie to weddings and funerals why do you think I’m going to wear one in a ‘bored-room’? They are innane pieces of cloth, used to originally cover buttons and physically/metophorically strangle the life out of me;
2. I don’t care if you don’t believe me. I firmly know my intents and care about being passionate plus trying to communicate that to others with respect;
3. You’re either with me or against me, period—if you’re with me then let’s party and if you’re against me, I haven’t the time to persuade you because I’m partying with friends;
4. It’s about an evolution which usually leads to a revolution—I’m doing something totally different and it’s scary (that’s why it’s brave)… are you?;
5. I know who Billy Joe Armstrong is…

A guy walks up to me and asks ‘What’s Punk?’. So I kick over a garbage can and say ‘That’s punk!’. So he kicks over a garbage can and says ‘That’s Punk?’, and I say ‘No, that’s trendy!’
Billy Joe Armstrong

The floor is now yours. Sorry for the ramble but please do ‘ping me‘ back with your comments…

DK runs socially responsible youth brand agency Phatgnat. This article was previously published on their blog.