Actually, our first choice was Pixar. Recently this company became the most famous animation company in the world, but other groups also chose it, so we had to change. We researched about successful cases in enterprise management and uniqueness. Finally we found a company, Benetton, which fits our requirements. Benetton is well known as a big company in fashion, but its beginning was very shabby and unique in character, and history. Benetton is a typical family business. Four Benetton brothers and sisters established this company.
Maybe it is similar with Korea’s many old companies in terms of making own fortune by their own, but it was interesting that they’ve maintained their management system. Generally after certain success, companies become crazy about more profit or have close relation with political influence in Korea, but Benetton was different. They tried to not only just develop products in better quality, but also be larger sized and more globalized. Moreover they have grown to a company that deals with global problems.
We think that it is because of the people in Benetton who have never forgotten the early spirits. Benetton family seems that they still remember hardship and effort of old days. These visions of Benetton can be seen in their various CSR. The spirit did not just stop, they are practicing it! Among various CSR, the most interesting thing is advertisement campaign. Through these shocking pictures in posters, Benetton tells socially sensitive problems and carves them to people’s memory. Surely, we think its first purpose is to advertise.
But it has more meanings. As Luciano Benetton said in interview, they respect humanity, and object to racism. It means they do the campaign because they believe it is the right way, not compulsorily just for promotion. Also in social campaigns, Africa Works, they are acting in real by supporting ‘micro-credit’. It is very realistic and concrete CSR. Fabrica also supports poor students and the students can be helpful for Benetton’s future. We thought that it is an expressed thing of early hard life of Benetton family.
They know it is hard to start business without any capital or education. We were impressed that Benetton made their thoughts to be real, not just stopped as a dream. However, Benetton is criticized because of these sensational advertisings, and even in America, there was a boycott by people who were object to Benetton’s stimulating ads. So, still it is told that profit in America is low. So we could see that CSR can make good images to the company, but sometimes provocative campaigns would rather become poison to the company.
Broadly, we learned 2 things; Benetton’s sprit and importance of CSR. It was very interesting that Benetton expresses their vision and early sprits on CSR, and we felt that Benetton is consistent centered by vision. And, we easily think that CSR always make good effect on the company, but it was not. We learned that it needs to use CSR strategically. We are expecting to know and learn more about Benetton and also about management properties.