Study: 87% Of Aussies Say Brands Have A Responsibility To Do Social Good

New YouGov Omnibus research has found that 87 per cent of Aussies think businesses have a responsibility to do social good, suggesting that corporate social responsibility (CSR) remains an important consideration for Australian brands.

According to the research, 41 per cent of business owners and those in senior management believe businesses have a responsibility to prevent environmental damage.

Overall, six in ten (58 per cent) Australians believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure their supply chain does not harm the environment. However, this falls to just four in ten (41 per cent) among business owners and those who work in senior management (including CEOs), suggesting a gulf of opinion between those at the helm of Australian brands and the wider public.

Compared with the wider region, Australians are more likely to believe that businesses have a responsibility to ensure their supply chain doesn’t harm the environment than most. Across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) half of all consumers (50 per cent) believe businesses bear such a responsibility. This rises to nearly two thirds (63 per cent) among Filipinos, the highest in the region, and falls to four in 10 (42 per cent) in Thailand, the lowest in the region.

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Some 57 per cent believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their supply chain is free from harmful practices such as forced labour

A majority (57 per cent) of Aussie consumers also believe businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their supply chain is free from damaging practices, such as forced labour, while more than four in 10 Aussies feel that businesses have a responsibility to assist upskilling members of the community (48 per cent) and giving to charity (45 per cent).

A further 55 per cent of Aussies would be more likely to recommend a brand that gives even a small portion of its annual profits to charity.

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The study also finds that if consumers were aware that a business was giving even a small portion of its annual profits to charity (up to five per cent), two thirds (66 per cent) would have a more positive opinion of the business.

At a regional level, 62 per cent of APAC consumers would be more likely to recommend a brand to their friends and family if it gave a small portion of its annual profits to charity. This rises to 75 per cent in Indonesia and 70 per cent in Thailand but falls to 51 per cent in Singapore and 55 per cent in both Australia and Hong Kong.

Overall, nearly six in ten (56 per cent) of Australians surveyed believe business should be doing more to help charities as a whole.

Jake Gammon, Head of Omnibus, commented, “The latest YouGov Omnibus research shows a considerable proportion of consumers give weight to a brand’s ethics when making purchasing decisions and would be more likely to both consider and recommend a brand that gives even a small amount to charity. Furthermore, that a majority of consumers believe that businesses have a responsibility to ensure that they have ethical supply chains suggests consumers expect ever more from brands. In order to get ahead, brands now have to go beyond simply proving that their given product is a cut above the rest; smart business looking to distinguish themselves need to work hard to showcase their values as well.”

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