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Langdale Leisure is a timeshare and hotel business employing 200 staff with a turnover of approximately £5.5 million a year. Based in Langdale in Cumbria, the company is involved in a number of community initiatives including the Lake District Tourism & Conservation Partnership which is the first Opt-In scheme to raise funds - £72,000 so far - to pay for a full-time footpath repairman working for the National Trust. The company is also involved in the Langdale Valleys Initiative Network formed during the Foot and Mouth crisis to unite all local businesses behind a range of community development projects. Langdale Leisure also supports its staff to participate in projects with a wide variety of community groups.
The Results
The marketing initiatives undertaken during the Foot and Mouth crisis and their close customer relationships were so successful that business trebled. Langdale recognised that true PR value is in the relationships built between the business and its customers and now its shareholders. When recent market research was carried out on the value of the Langdale brand, it was identified that the business is unique in its two-way loyalty between its staff and its customers, largely due to its community programmes. Langdale achieved the CommunityMark standard in 2003.
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Many companies throughout the UK understand the real business benefits that can be gained by establishing better relationships with their local communities. Here are just two:
HMG Paints Ltd is a family-owned paint production business based in Manchester. HMG focuses on education and environmental programmes such as helping local initiatives with materials/facilities, provision of outdoor classrooms, work experience opportunities, mock interviewing, industry challenges, career fairs, creating urban community forests. They are also making their surrounding woodland accessible to schools and the community.
The results: HMG Paints has a greatly enhanced presence locally, regionally and nationally. The company strives for stability and success and its support for community projects has helped to boost morale and sales. In 2000, HMG Paints was awarded the Coatings Care Award, given by the British Coatings Federation for responsible care in Health, Safety and the Environment. HMG was cited as having made outstanding contributions to the community.
Lime Marketing Ltd is a marketing, PR and design agency with eight employees. This Brighton-based company embraces the principles of community involvement by forming long-term relationships with local arts and educational organisations. It uses these relationships to help develop the agency's creative edge through a combination of sponsorship and training. Staff volunteering is supported by a range of other activities including mentoring, work experience, team building days, fundraising, donating materials, brokering support from other businesses and suppliers, and drawing media attention to community partners.
The results: Lime Marketing won a contract with the Barbican directly as a result of its community programme. Other gains include positive media coverage, increased networking opportunities, enhanced reputation and customer recognition, and improved staff morale. The company has also been short listed for Sussex business award.
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- 40% of business leaders get new business ideas through community activities. Source: Roffey Park, 1999
- Employees involved with a company's community investment activities are significantly more likely to feel pride about their workplace, and this is shown to have an impact on motivation, skills development, team working and likelihood of staying with the company. Source: Employees of nine companies, Corporate Citizenship Company/MORI, 2001
- 90% of the British public want companies to communicate their community or social activities. Source: Annual CSR Study, MORI, 2000
- Over half (55%) of community organisations and schools say that business support is crucial. Source: Impact Assessment, Business in the Community/MORI, 2002
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