Managing Brand Reputation through Corporate Social Responsibility

The Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation has taken over the sugar belt in Swaziland as the most recognized company and most popular brand. It is also the 2^nd most recognized brand in the country as it raked in a hefty 8.3% in the Top Brands Swaziland 2016 survey conducted by Yati Marketing.

RSSC has never displayed visible efforts to build its brand in the market. It has always been a Swazi company engaged in the production, processing, and export of sugar in millions of units. Yet through its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, managed to get the company a near top spot in the minds of the public.

RSSC is heavily steeped in educating its employees and members of the community, health and the maintenance of the community’s natural environment. According to www.rssc.co.sz/csi/overview RSSC has made it a point that the community has access to quality education through the Thembelisha Preparatory School. The company further boasts of the “five Ribbon” status that it attained for its fight against HIV and AIDS amongst its employees. RSSC also ensures that the production and processing of the sugar cane is environmentally friendly and a contributor to the environment’s health.

Furthermore, the company also initiates and performs community services that further boost the morale of its employees. With easy accessibility to facilities such as the country club and various other facilities, RSSC has left no stone unturned in a bid to fully partake in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Others may disagree about the fact that CSR is a form of marketing, but the use of CSR to leverage brand equity can yield far-reaching results as shown in the case of RSSC. With employee wellness, a new trend that is sweeping the corporate world, they are constantly remodeling their corporate citizenship in order to stay aligned with what matters to both internal and external stakeholders.