S01E13 - The Anatomy of A Corporate Campaign (Part 3)

Welcome to the Wild Side, a podcast that discusses the world of modern employee relations ten minutes at a time. This is the third of three podcasts dealing with international trade unions and international framework agreements. In this episode, host Alan Wild discusses the anatomy of a global corporate campaign, how they are organized, and how to identify your company's vulnerabilities. Alan is the Global Affairs Director of the HR Policy Association, the leading voice in chief human resources offices today.

Global corporate campaigns began in the early 1990s and are designed to pressure a company to change its behavior. Global campaigns can be researched and well-planned or based on a mishap at a company. Often, the campaigns have catchy titles and they don't use industrial action or involve strikes or loss of pay for employees. They are directed at a company's reputation by impacting its clients, customers, investors, and governments. This is an overview of what is a complex and important issue for many companies.

Key Takeaways: 

• An example of a well-planned and executed, targeted global corporate campaign. [1:16]
• Global Union Federation websites are the best place to learn of active, current campaigns. [4:25]
• Trade union recognition via corporate campaigns in the United States. [5:02]
• Global campaigns are directed at a company's reputation by impacting clients, customers, investors, and governments. [5:59]
• The core issues of most global corporate campaigns and how companies can avoid being targeted. [8:07]
• Resources exist to help companies analyze their risk profile and understand their vulnerabilities. [9:48]
• The most powerful corporate campaign in current history compelled brand owners to address building code regulations in Bangladesh. [12:57] 
• A powerful lesson around reputational risk protection for a company’s internal and external supply chain. [14:52]