Many CEOs are taking a deeply personal interest in CSR today: Nimmi Sebastian

In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital, especially in the pandemic period. At the same time the industry has been facing stiff challenges, moreover client expectations have also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears.

In conversation with Adgully, Nimmi Sebastian, Head - Corporate Brand & CSR, Tesco Bengaluru and Tesco Business Services, speaks about how CSR activities have come to the fore in the pandemic times, enhance corporates’ engagement strategy, role of PR for CSR initiatives and more.

You joined Tesco about a year back. What’s the mandate given to you on the PR and CSR front for Tesco and what are some of the challenges that you are facing?

In 2021, the Tesco Group purpose was revised after an extensive and exhaustive process. ‘Serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day’ is a reflection of our commitment to a sustainable future. It is, therefore, imperative for all our actions and endeavours, not just our CSR activities, to align with our global purpose. Obviously, the biggest challenge to meaningfully living that purpose has been Covid. While technological enablement has been relatively easy in a work scenario, moving meaningful CSR activities to the digital domain has been incredibly challenging, because ‘digital inclusion’ has mostly been the preserve of urban India. Delivering meaningful, impactful change to underprivileged communities, who do not have digital access, has required a shift in strategic thinking.

How is your company adapting to digital? What are some of the steps taken by you to keep pace with the rapid digital transformation and how do you plan to leverage digital for your engagement strategy?

Agility has been critical. With Year 3 into the pandemic, our ability to move projects, engagements and resources to a digital world was only about how fast we could do it. Adapting to digital from a corporate sense was far simpler, the toll it took on the NGOs, however, was far greater. CSR is about the impact we create in communities and the society at large and this was challenging with no physical on-ground support. While we grappled with the ‘how to’s’ in Year 1, we also leveraged our expertise in technology to help our NGO partners bridge the gap. Consistent communication, agility and adaptability, in my opinion, are how we will enhance our engagement strategy.

CSR today forms an important part of the overall vision and mission of any organisation. How are corporates embracing CSR today, especially after the pandemic?

Indeed CSR, and all that the term encompasses, has evolved considerably in the recent past. There is no question whatsoever that we are at an inception point in history. Climate change is the single greatest challenge we now face and it behooves companies to take on the onus of responsibility for not just their own people, but for the society and the planet as a whole. What Covid has done is to exponentially accelerate that process of taking responsibility and action. What was sometimes seen as a ‘feel good’ set of initiatives, has become imperative. And if it wasn’t enough that it’s an ethical obligation, consumers, employees and society at large demand it. From implementing zero-waste systems to energy efficient campuses and offices to reducing or offsetting carbon footprints – organisations are finding myriad ways in which to give back to both society and the planet.

How do CEOs view CSR initiatives? Are they open to investments in CSR campaigns and do they value the importance of CSR for the company? 

Many CEOs take a deeply personal interest in CSR today. It is a chance to create meaningful change and that resonates at both a personal and institutional level. To view them as ‘campaigns’ is somewhat limited, in my opinion. CSR is about genuinely having a positive impact on one’s society and in recent times there has certainly been a shift from viewing it as a financial obligation to an impactful social opportunity.

What is the role of PR in CSR campaigns? How do corporates leverage CSR activities through PR?

I’d say that arguably the biggest and most positive role of PR for CSR initiatives is to help motivate organisations across industries to match and outdo each others’ efforts. If we can inspire more companies to strive to greater heights in giving back to society, ultimately people and the planet win.

Any memorable CSR campaigns that you can share as a good case study and which did wonders for the brand? 

At Tesco, our commitment to CSR and the planet goes far beyond campaigns. In line with our global commitment, as mentioned above, we aim to reach net zero in our group-wide operations by 2035. From upskilling local youth from marginalised communities to empowering local farmers – ours is a long-term view to help uplift society as a whole.