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Following the launch this week of Ogilvy PR Worldwide’s guide to Communicating Corporate Responsibility: “Building Trust and Communicating CR Effectively,” Ogilvy PR London’s senior director Ross Cathcart, comments on the news that Aviva will become the first British company to put its ethical policy to a shareholder vote today.

He said: “Aviva has to be applauded for putting stakeholder value alongside shareholder value and making corporate responsibility an issue at its AGM. By doing so it has set a benchmark that other FTSE companieswill find themselves under pressure to match.

“However despite Aviva’s pioneering act, big business in general still faces a deficit in consumer trust. A recent Ogilvy Public Relations report found that only a third of the general public trust companies to remain committed to their social and environmental promises, as they recover from the recession.  This erosion of trust matters as without trust everything about doing business becomes more difficult; brand value deflates, it becomes harder to attract talent and transaction costs rise and in many sectors companies also expose themselves to greater regulatory and compliance pressures.

“By moving CR up the agenda, Aviva has taken an important first step in rebalancing this trust deficit. I hope that other companies will follow its example.”

In the post COP15 era, the world view of the role of business has changed. The need to hardwire a commitment to sustainability into a company’s core  business activity has never been greater and the importance of communicating Corporate Responsibility (CR) in this new reality has become a business imperative.

Communicating Corporate Responsibility: “Building Trust and Communicating CR Effectively” published today by Cranfield University, School of Management and Ogilvy PR Worldwide, aims to share best practice methods via global insight and learnings on communicating CR.

With contributions drawn from across the Global Ogilvy PR network, the guide cites initiatives such as the International Advertising Association’s work on Hopenhagen- the COP15 awareness campaign, Ogilvy PR France’s digital engagement campaign for The Sustainable Development Ministry as well as case studies from global brands.

“If business is to prove itself as a responsible citizen, it must move ahead of compliance and regulation and embrace CR as a central tenet of doing business in the 21st century,” says Ogilvy PR London’s senior director Ross Cathcart.

“Regular and transparent exchanges with stakeholders which communicate CR progress and problems are key to good corporate citizenship. They are also central to good business management as if you fail to communicate your CR message correctly and truthfully, not only will you miss out on opportunities but may find yourself facing a backlash.”

To view the pdf version of the guide, please visit: http://www.ogilvypr.com/en/content/communicating-corporate-responsibility

Ogilvy PR London is delighted to have been appointed to help launch the planet’s first low carbon restaurant – Otarian. The world’s first sustainable restaurant chain opened with a star-studded bash last weekend in New York and is due to hit London in May, with outlets in Shaftesbury Avenue, Wardour and Regent Street.

Otarian, a new, boutique, fast-casual restaurant chain, is set to change the face of the London and New York food scenes this spring, becoming the first global chain to carbon footprint every menu item to internationally recognised standards.

The new concept places sustainability at its heart, fusing a passion for the environment with a passion for great food to create a mouth watering dining experience that is also good for the planet.

‘Carbon Saving Combos’ – Roasted Tomato Soup + Penne O Gratin + Choc O Mousse – saves  4.1 kg CO2e [US = 4.0]. This equation is based on the concept that Otarian will provide at least 3 kg carbon savings compared to equivalent meat based dishes.  Saving 3kg of carbon per week would offset 20% of the carbon created by a typical Brit’s daily food consumption. How deliciously responsible!

Providing communications for an ethical brand like Otarian is a challenge because today’s media is sceptical when it comes to the environment. Partnering with our sister sustainability practice OgilvyEarth, we aim to produce a communications package working alongside environmental consultancy Tomorrow’s Company that advises our clients on bringing sustainability to the core of their business.

Get yourself down there and try their delicious, healthy food. As an added bonus use a water cooler moment to boast about your environmental credentials!

Get that champagne on ice… It’s raining awards, Hallelujah! Ogilvy PR London celebrates with a record number of award nominations for the 2010 Sabre and CIPR Awards. They are a testament to the team’s unwavering hard work and commitment over a challenging period economic period. These nominations serve as a just reward.

“We received a record number of entries from a record number of consultancies and corporate PR departments in a record number of markets,” says Holmes Report editor Paul Holmes, who also serves as chair of the SABRE judges. “But more importantly, the quality was incredibly high…All of our finalists should be extremely proud.”

With nominations across a broad range of categories from trade shows to B2B marketing communications, Ogilvy PR London has done itself proud and proves its ability to produce high quality and diverse work.

Buzzing from the recent news our EMEA MD Ash Coleman-Smith comments: “It’s great to see a team that has worked so hard gain the recognition they so truly deserve. 2009 was a challenging year for PR, so it is reassuring to see such fantastic work still coming from the industry”.

Huge congratulations to everybody here at Ogilvy PR London. Now, let’s dust off the bow ties and sparkly gowns and look forward to the swanky ceremonies – fingers tightly crossed! Check out the Holmes Report article for the full list of Sabre Award finalists.

We are proud to announce the appointment of Kevin Fitzsimons as our new Social Media Director. He will head up the UK hub of Ogilvy Group’s influential and highly-acclaimed 360Digital Influence network. With a focus on digital strategy and innovation, Kevin will play a central role in delivering our UK and European social media offering.