KB국민카드의 브랜드 비전과 연계된 사회공헌활동 사례

This paper reviews how the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) has evolved and as a case study we review KB Kookmin card (KB card)’s CSR activities that are linked to the brand vision. The concept and scope of CSR has been evolved throughout the time. Nowadays CSR is considered as an investment rather than increasing business costs. Current CSR emphasizes “connected with competence” by creating shared value with customers and various related parties. Firms need to first recognize societal needs which will eventually yield productivity benefits to the firm. To make a societal innovation firms need to corporate with customers, other institutions, and build a open network. Firms need to view customers as their business partners and make customers to participate in their CSR activities. Firms can also share CSR roles with other institutions, and by building open network other institutions can volunteer in CSR activities. KB card’s brand identitity provides direction to not only the marketing communication but also CSR activities. KB card’s CSR activities focus on four key themes: the youth, the elderly, the environment and global. They provide financial education to the elementary, middle and highschool students. They support elderlies living alone by giving them phone calls regularly, and refurbishing their residences. On the environment, volunteer employees clean Cheong-gye- cheon and the surrounding areas. They support children of disadvantaged non-Korean mothers with plans to support overseas volunteer works. In addition to these activities, KB card runs three social donation projects – “Wish Together”, “Wish Leader” and “Wish Supporters”. KB Card’s CSR activities have four unique aspects: participation by beneficiaries, close integration with brand slogan, targeted at specific segments of the population, and focusing on activities related to their businesses. Based on their current activities, we make a few additional suggestions: specialization of CSR activities by developing more programs that are related to their business, developing open network that enables other parties’ involvements, and establishing a separate CSR management system. For future development of KB card’s CSR activities, we make the following suggestions based on Samsung Economic Research Institute’s conditions of a successful CSR program, namely “SPRIT (Social Investment, Positioning, Integration, Review, Involvement, Transparency)”: 1) Social Investment: CSR should be a social investment rather than a charity. This can be achieved through the creation of shared value with the society. 2) Positioning: Focus on activities related to their business. 3) Integration: Establish a separate task force within the company that focuses on strategy development, leads, and evaluates CSR activities. 4) Review: Develop key achievement goals and management system for CSR. 5) Involvement: Facilitate involvement of employees and third parties. 6) Transparency: Open CSR activities to the public and build credibility for its CSR plans.