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Corporate Social Responsibility is not just a buzzword. It is a tool to build goodwill amongst the employees to retain them further. It is also a way to improve the perception customers have towards your brand. Out of all the CSR initiatives of different brands, Samsung’s “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People” stands out because of its multifaceted approach. Samsung positions itself as a global technology brand that can leverage its resources to address challenges in the environment and society with a special focus on education, sustainability, and innovative technologies for a better tomorrow.
Empowering Education for Future Innovators
Samsung’s CSR initiative aims to promote and equip the upcoming generation with all the necessary STEM skills to solve real-world problems. This initiative was launched in the United States in 2019 and ever since then, it has expanded its presence to over 30 countries and plays a key role in influencing over 1.5 million students globally. Some of the examples include addressing gender bias in STEM fields in India or even solving the lack of access to clean drinking water for the Indigenous communities of Canada. The entire approach aims at defining real problems by asking unbiased questions, identifying the resources needed to solve the problems, and improving the approach through constant trial and refinement. Samsung also launched the Innovation Campus aiming to train students in skills related to IoT, AI, coding, and programming. This initiative was also backed by Samsung engineers and partner companies.
Pioneering Sustainability Initiatives
Samsung focuses a lot on sustainability in its business operations and the manufacturing cycle of its products. The brand has an aim to rely completely on renewable energy by 2027, and right now, the brand has achieved 92% of its goal. From solar installations, power purchase agreements, and renewable energy certificates. Samsung also has a circular economy i.e., a model of production where resources are reused, refurbished, and recycled using existing products. For example, the Galaxy Upcycling program turns old smartphones into IoT devices, saving more than 2 million phones from ending up in landfills in 2024. Samsung also relies in packinging made from recycled products to cut down a lot on cardboard production.
Driving Product Efficiency and Innovation
By focusing on efficiency and innovation, Samsung also aims to cut down on the energy consumption of its products. Today, Samsung products use relatively less water and electricity compared to its previous models. Additionally, ocean-bound plastics in its mobile devices have saved millions of tons in 2024 only.
Key Takeaways
Samsung’s CSR initiatives demonstrate the importance of having a strategy that brings together issues like education, sustainability, and innovation simultaneously. The emphasis on creating meaningful change and commitment to long-term sustainable initiatives is worth making a note of. To make a difference and create meaningful change, one must leverage core competencies. Regardless of where you are, you can support by knowing more about such initiatives by supporting the companies that implement them. For companies, promoting your initiatives internally and externally is crucial as it can help build goodwill amongst your stakeholders, be it your employees or customers. As a PR professional, this underscores the importance of public relations- build trust in the long term by letting the people know what you are doing.
