One 72-year old’s heartbeat from the presidency…

Nothing to do with CR, I just love this clip. Check out Jack Cafferty’s reaction immediately after the VT stops rolling – I haven’t laughed this hard at any piece of political broadcasting since Jeremy Paxman’s infamous interview with Michael Howard a few years back…

British Gas: not the brightest bulbs in the box

Those nice chaps at British Gas mailed me 4 energy efficient light bulbs this week. What a sweet and responsible bunch they are. Well, that’s the reaction I’m guessing they were hoping for. Sadly, I suspect the money they save me just might be offset by their July announcement of a record 35% increase in my gas bill!

Can’t afford free range? Don’t talk #^@*!

One of the few joys of commuting into London is the opportunity to catch up on my favourite podcasts.

This week, I drew more than a few dirty looks from my fellow passengers, as I narrowly avoided snorting latte down my nose whilst listening to another of Marcus Brigstocke’s inspired rants on the Now Show.

The king of corduroy was on top form as usual, chewing over reaction to Channel 4’s Chicken Run series featuring Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Gordon Ramsay, and aiming a few choice words at those who claim not to be able to afford free range…

“It’s not a question of not being able to afford free range. It’s a question of there wasn’t enough money left after you’d bought over 3,000 Lambert & Butler, every flavour of Pringles on the market and 50 value pizzas in the shape of Shrek’s face!”

Some will no doubt view this as elitist, leftie drivel but I, for one, agree with him. And it’s got nothing to do with animal rights (a worthy by-product though that is); I happen to like knowing the provenance of my food and, bottom line, it just tastes better.

What’s more, it’s not as if it takes a whole lot of effort, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth either. Thanks to sites like BigBarn.co.uk, you can go direct to the source and find fantastic, great value food right on your doorstep.

That’s what my wife and I did last weekend – we literally drove right up to the farmer’s door and were able to pick up a beautiful 1.5kg shoulder of lamb for a ridiculously reasonable £6.90.

If you’re a full-on foodie like me, I really urge you to give it a go. What’s not to love? Top quality food, very reasonably priced, and you get to support your local producers in the process.

Why start a blog on CR strategy and communication?

A pretty straightfoward question and the obvious post to open with. The answer’s pretty straightforward too…

For me, Corporate Responsibility has emerged as one of the most interesting and complex communication challenges for business in the 21st century. I’ll  leave my fellow professionals to bang on about Web 2.0 and all that technical stuff. For someone who’s interested in shaping corporate strategy (not just implementing it), CR is where it’s at.

And let’s face it, it’s not as if most companies out there are doing a bang-up job.

As the demand for responsibility has developed from an ethical niche and into the mainstream, so companies have recognised the need to communicate a clear stance on ethical and environmental issues, and many have sought to stake a claim to market leadership.

The simple truth, however, is that the vast majority have failed to establish these claims with any great credibility.