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A Challenge
Over at the Gift Hub blog, Phil Cuberta raises some interesting points and questions regarding Phatgnat and also the wider issues pertaining to my operations. I decided to respond here as I think they are pertinent to you, my readers, and is also a good opportunity for myself to explore the topics raised.
Phil obviously likes what I'm about and kindly talks about Phatgnat's positioning and focus plus the recent Phatgnat Youth Report 2005, although he does raise an interesting question:
'Who and how will 'Corporate Social Responsibility' audits be done and by whom?'
The plain and simple reason why I undertook the research which culminated in the said report is because no-one else has done it. Obviously it directly reflects Phatgnats focus and explores an area which underpins our operation: young people do care about brands and companies who invest in community propgrammes—something I knew through past experience of working with young people but needed to underline with a high-profile research.
As long as the process and results are transparent, does it matter who these 'audits' are carried out by?
The next question Phil raises pertains to a consumers/customers understanding of 'cause-realted marketing/corporate social responsibility/community investments':
'How, in other words, is a consumer to know the difference between rich branded hoohah and a real commitment to be responsible?'
Great question—in terms of young people, they have a great 'authenticity radar'—they are the most media-savvy and marketing/advertising-literate generation ever. This is not something they have learned but something which has been part of their socialisation from early years. Sure, sometimes people can be fooled but due to the 'collective brain' of the net and also the aggressive media, real commitment is a must.
'I hope that Phatgnat will blog these issues, and be as transparent as he goes along…'
I think it's a given and it's great to see my early developments being 'challenged' in such a way…
'Serving two masters, public good and corporate profit, requires a glib tongue or constant compromise, despite the real points of intersection.'
I am actually serviing three… not only the commercial client and the public sector partner, but also, and more importantly, the young people who are the focus of the projects/initiatives. Great statement though and one which I totally agree with.
'…what is the point though, that he helps you sell to kids?'
That is definitely one of the outcomes in my operations. My main motivation or original intention is directly related to working and creating projects for young people—it's a passion and something I feel deeply about. However, profit is not a bad thing if it means you are then enabling more youth programmes/projects.
Thank you Phil for challenging me and hopefully I have answered some of your concerns. Another illustration of how this medium (weblog) is so effective at creating conversations and opportunities to discuss crucial topics.
Filed by DK on November 6 2005
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