Darias PR Collective

Corporate Social Responsibility, abbreviated to CSR, is a business model that many companies incorporate to integrate social, environmental and ethical concerns into their departments or operations, as well as stakeholder interaction. We know that in PR, CSR is typically used to help build a company’s reputation, increase brand image and provide value-driven initiatives toward the public. There are many other reasons companies incorporate CSR, but I was curious about the ways travel companies have been using CSR recently.

It is extremely important for travel agencies using CSR practices to highlight sustainability efforts as well as community investments while also driving their brand image in a more positive direction for their target audiences and the overall public. There is one travel PR agency I was curious about, as I noticed that a large portion of its website ensures audiences can see its CSR tactics and what they are used for.

FINN Partners was launched in 2011 and is a prominent global, independent marketing and communications agency whose specialties are primarily public relations and digital content. The agency focuses on sectors like health, technology, travel and consumer brands.

Its core services include public relations, influencer marketing, digital content, social media and, as noted in the PR services section, specializations in crisis management and public affairs.

As the company has more than 35 offices around the globe, it must have a specific CSR practice that operates within the organization, and it does. When you check out the page description on how the agency uses CSR, you can see how it has become a major direction within the company. For example, the agency uses CSR for brand strategy and development, content marketing, corporate communications, crisis communications, digital marketing, influencer marketing, PR and research insights.

Its CSR statement reads: “FINN helps clients create results-generating campaigns around complex social issues, such as sustainability. Our CSR and social impact communications experts know what it takes to accomplish crucial goals. Those include: strengthening brand reputation, supporting marketing goals, elevating initiatives, communicating purpose, shifting public thinking and driving immediate action.”

The agency also has a corporate communications team, and these experts partner closely with company leaders. Some of these services include corporate reputation strategy and planning, c-suite communications and content development, investor relations, messaging development and workshops, crisis planning, management and communications, diversity, equity and Inclusion (DEI) counsel, strategy and programs and public affairs.

The most prominent CSR work that reaches various audiences includes the agency’s case studies.

FINN promotes awareness by publishing articles and case studies for organizations like The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, focused on advancing health equity for disadvantaged populations around the world, and WinCup, Inc. (manufacturer of phade), Inc., a company focused on more sustainable food-service products, among many others. All of these case studies stem from clients the agency works with. FINN works to promote many nonprofits, which definitely falls into its CSR initiative. Case studies I enjoyed learning more about included Sustainable Greece and Business in Iceland.

FINN used CSR practices with its Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation case study by driving awareness of the foundation’s new strategic approach and overall impact on improving health equity. FINN explained that its team worked to re-optimize the website, fix communication strategies and rebuild from the ground up to ensure the foundation was no longer neglected in order to continue promoting efforts to close the health equity gap.

The agency did this by “creating compelling content that raised awareness of the Foundation among key stakeholders, developing a comprehensive communications approach for major initiatives, and elevating the company’s reputation through Foundation integration and thought leadership opportunities.”

It seems as though PR agencies and CSR practices are more than just compatible, but groundbreaking, no matter what specialty many PR agencies focus on. For travel agencies like FINN, this is a great way not only to promote brand image toward target audiences and investors, but also to focus on more than profit, focusing on impact instead.

About the Author

Hi there, I’m Daria, a public relations student at the University of Oregon, columnist and passionate traveler. I’ve worked in Tokyo’s media industry creating and strategising content for international audiences, with a love for how travel shapes communication and storytelling.