250 Hudson Street New York New York 10013 Tel +1 212 768 0550 Fax +1 212 704 0117 www.edelman.comA Daniel J Edelman Company
Edelman Launches New Global Practice, Business + Social Purpose
Carol L. Cone, Thirty-Year Citizenship Veteran, Appointed Global Practice Chair
April 26,
2012, NEW YORK, NY: Edelman, the world‟s largest public relations firm, today announced
the launch of its eighth global practice, Business + Social Purpose. Led by global practice chairCarol Cone, Business + Soci
al Purpose will consolidate the firm‟s global CSR, sustainability and
citizenship capabilities into a comprehensive offering. Cone, whose decades of expertiseencompass groundbreaking work and intellectual property in the field of brand, corporation and NGOsocial issues engagement, will partner with a team of regional practice leads from around the globeincluding Ashley Hegland
–
Asia Pacific, Sharon Hess
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Latin America, Pia Garcia
–
UK, andMichael Holland
–
North America. Together they will direct a global team of 125 professionals withexpertise ranging from CSR and sustainability to brand and corporate citizenship and NGOmarketing.
“Currently, leading brands, corporations and NGO‟s are transforming how they operate, shaping
consumer and civic engage
ment, and smart public policy in a complex global environment,” saidRichard Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman. “
Imbued with a deep Purpose, theseorganizations address business and social imperatives through powerful, integrated strategy andexecution. This practice will provide comprehensive business and social solutions to maximize
clients‟ commercial success and social impact.”
Alan VanderMolen, vice chairman, DJE Inc., and president and CEO, Global Practices, Edelman,
added: “In our globalized wo
rld, organizations cannot work in isolation, nor can they solely focus onprofit. How an organization makes profits is equally important as the profits themselves. What anorganization stands for
–
their Purpose
–
is now critical in our transparent world. The 2012 Edelman
Trust Barometer confirms the critical need for organizations to earn a „license to lead.‟ Commercial
and societal interests have converged and Business + Social Purpose is a practice that offers ourclients a significant way to earn that lic
ense.”
The Power of Purpose
For more than two decades, Edelman has been at the vanguard of helping leading brands and
corporations create lasting connections between business and society. StarKist‟s dolphin
-safe tuna
and the Chiquita “Better Banana” proj
ect were early campaigns that demonstrated the power ofaligning with social issues. More recently, the company, with client Dove, helped launch a global
women‟s self
-esteem movement, and with client Brita, created a movement to reduce plastic bottledwater waste.
“This exciting work demonstrates our deep experience aligning the expectations of shareholders withthe values of stakeholders for mutual benefit,” said Cone. “We define Purpose as an organization‟s
2
reason for being beyond just making profits. Purpose expresses their values in action through avariety of strategies and programs engaging stakeholders to create positive social change andorganizational growth. Purpose helps organizations create differentiation; fuels product innovation,growth and sales; builds trust and protects reputation and engagement; and it inspires employees,customers and consumers. With Purpose, organizations and brands have a more important place in
peoples‟ lives.”
Why Business + Social Purpose?
Business + Social Purpose will provide a spectrum of services that includes: brand and corporatecitizenship strategy and initiatives, CSR strategic planning, programming and reporting, reputationand issues management, public affairs, environmental sustainability, employee engagement,strategic philanthropy, cause
–
related marketing, public-private partnership development, NGOpositioning, engagement and fundraising, and digital engagement.
“
We call ourselves Business + Social Purpose because business can no longer stand on the
sidelines of our collective future,” said Cone. “Bringing social and environmental issues into
business, in a relevant and authentic way adds energy and a reason for being beyond profits. Ourgoal is to help clients crystallize, integrate and activate their commitments to CSR, sustainability, and
citizenship throughout their operations and their brands.”
Growing Purpose Commitments
Over the past 18 months, Edelman has enhanced its global Purpose capabilities. When Cone joinedthe firm in April 2010, the company added a global leader in cause branding and citizenship whosework has helped clients raise more than $1.2 billion for social causes. In September 2010, Edelmanacquired Significa, the principal social issues strategy firm in Latin America, increasing its existingBrazil operations to more than 100 professionals. And more recently, Mike Krzus, an internationallyrecognized independent sustainability and integrated reporting consultant, joined the firm as a senior
counselor. Krzus will work to enhance the agency‟s integrated reporting capabilities for clients.
Edelman also committed to its own Purpose agenda, appointing John Edelman as global director ofEdelman Citizenship in July 2011. Edelman Citizenship was
responsible for the firm‟s first FY11
Global Citizenship Report;donated $5.1 million in FY11 in cash and pro bono services; establisheda global diversity advisory board; implemented a global carbon footprint and environmental reportingsystem; developed a global policy for employee volunteerism towards UNMDG of eradicating hungerand poverty, and awarded $150,000 to local organizations through the Edelman CommunityInvestment Grant Program.
“It was critical for us to walk the ta
lk, as we were advising clients,
” said John Edelman.
Current Business + Social Purpose clients include: Adobe, American Heart Association, BectonDickinson, Brita, Darden, Dove, Girl Scouts of the USA, eBay, Exelis, Humana, Levis, Natura, OMO,PNC Financial Services, Samsung, Southwest Airlines, Western Union, and Xylem, among others.
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Press Release: Edelman Launches New Global Practice, Business + Social Purpose
Edelman, the world‟s largest public relations firm, today announced the launch of its eighth global practice, Business + Social Purpose.
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