At the forefront of identity is reputation. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can enhance brand reputation of luxury hotel brands if the primary priority of the brand is ethically aligned with investing in communities and the environment. Due to COVID-19, global changes in perception of travel and luxury hotels have caused brands to take a closer look at CSR strategies and tactics and ask vital questions. Are brand tactics and goals environmentally ethical? How can CSR campaigns build loyalty and stakeholder engagement? Although luxury hoteliers and suppliers do not have total control over their reputation, the responsibility of managing messaging, stewarding accountability, investing in communities, and building stakeholder relationships are tied to long-term reputation success. Authentic CSR can be a solution to help narrow the communication gap and influence a brand’s reputation if appropriately in alignment with overall corporate strategy, goals, and values.
Environmental Ethics
Honoring and demonstrating respect for human beings, animals, and plants are at the core of environmental ethics. CSR for luxury hotel sectors can have a global impact by establishing a connection between people and the earth. In stewarding brand reputation, luxury hoteliers can prioritize campaign strategies by creating and cultivating opportunities that contribute to environmental safety, sustainability, and renewable renewability. Environmental ethics as a priority highlight and increases positive public perspectives while building consistent recurring brand confidence. Currently, environmental ethics has become a major concern for mankind (Kukreja, 2022).
Environmental ethics is not a new concept in the luxury hotel sector. Now more than ever, corporate social responsibility and brand reputation are linked to consumer perspective. Brand reputation and CSR behavior are indisputably linked. Brand commitment to the environment, stakeholder expectations, experiences, and long-term engagement all contribute to its capacity for global sustainability.
A CSR campaign must have a clear mission or value statement and articulate how it aligns with the brand’s purpose, beliefs, and standards. When it comes to successful decision-making, reputation management, organizational ethics, and environmental ethics are three key factors. Every CSR strategy brings risks and opportunities to manage reputation differently, more authentically. Consumers are now more than ever interested in the authenticity and environmental ethics of brands not only practiced in the US but globally.
Stakeholder Engagement
A key reputation management function is internal and external communications. These communities play a pivotal role in the growth or stagnation of the luxury hotel industry. Today, the responsibility of brands to cultivate, build, and intentionally invest in stakeholder relationships within an organization has proven to be crucial. There is not a shortage of people to contribute to the success and sustainability of the hospitality industry. There is a communications gap between stakeholders, management, and the organization’s commitment to its obligation to protect and enhance its social environments.
A primary area of CSR includes both internal and external stakeholders’ engagement. Consumers, employees, and investors all contribute to brand recognition, reputation and public image. Social issues and charitable contributions that benefit these primary stakeholders can build brand loyalty. Enhancing the safety and welfare of internal citizens is a mutually beneficial relationship that expands into society at large. Management must partner with stakeholders to build engagement, generate profit, and involvement to reduce conflicts.
It would be advantageous for brands to conduct environmental scans to assess social causes within the organization to create communication strategies that are aimed to reduce conflicts of interest, narrow gaps, and stewarding accountability. This can help to manage social programs, assess needs, gaps, and structure CSR campaigns that build relationships versus negatively affecting business.
Advocacy in Action
A key priority of enhancing luxury hotel reputation management through CSR is the ability to take an accommodative stance through consistency, long-term social interests, and relevance. An authentic advocacy approach that is centered around people, planet, and ethics to CSR can reduce the risks associated with implementation, execution, and evaluation of outcomes. According to Hospitality Insights, (2021), “ CSR means that a company is implementing socially responsible practices into its business and is responsible for its actions related to society, based on a triple-bottom-line approach: people (community), planet (environment) and ethics.” The capacity of influence can be expanded with a proactive approach and complementary causes to the mission, vision, and standards of the organization.
Attempts to build brand awareness and increase engagement will require a proactive, value-driven ecosystem. Successful CSR efforts will value its stakeholders, communities, customers, employees, environments, and investors. Effective advocacy builds brand capacity for longevity and the wellbeing of society.
About the author
A native of Detroit, MI, Mytecia Myles is a creative, bold, and innovative leader. She is the founder and Global Head of PR and communications of Supernatural Success, LLC., a PR & communications consulting firm, specializing in beauty, spa, lifestyle, wellness travel, and hospitality sectors. Myles is a corporate communications speaker and trainer. She consults brands and organizations on how to influence success in their sphere of influence through relevant inclusive strategies. She is the author of Success Shifting, a forthcoming book. Visit www.supernaturalsuccesspr.net, email her at: [email protected], and follow her on Twitter @speaks_pr
