Burnishing a Corporate Reputation: Smart Move by Microsoft

Being one of the biggest companies all too often also makes you an easy target so. So, inevitably, Microsoft catches a certain amount of flak. However, the software giant recently undertook a corporate social responsibility initiative — “Elevate America's Veterans” — that not only enhances its reputation, but makes also good sense in terms of Microsoft’s business.

Microsoft is providing $2 million in cash and $6 million in software to help U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — who are coming home to a depressed job market and double-digit unemployment — to find new jobs. Over the next two years, the contributions will be divvied out to veterans’ service organizations, workforce agencies and community colleges through a competitive application process. Returning vets will also receive training and help with job placement, child care and housing.

Like all the best corporate marketing and communications programs, Microsoft’s initiative:

• Answers a real need,
• Touches the heartstrings,
• Enhance the company’s image and
• Demonstrates the value of its products/and services.

The initiative is part of Microsoft’s “Elevate America,” a corporate social responsibility program that provides a million vouchers for e-learning courses and select certification exams free-of-charge, with the goal of helping to train two million people over the next three years.

Environmental Alert: New Garbage Island Found in Atlantic

A few years ago, a huge island of garbage (twice the size of Texas!) was found in the Pacific between California and Hawaii, poisoning the ecosystem and posing a major health risk to fish, seabirds and other marine animals.

Then, another environmental disaster made the news: two months ago, National Geographic announced that a second floating vortex of trash had been found in the Atlantic Ocean

Like vast icebergs of garbage, as much as 70% of these “islands” lie beneath the surface of the sea.

As much as 10 percent of the 260 million tons of plastic produced annually wind up in the world’s oceans. Green technologies that convert plastic to fuel or clothing or more sustainable packaging could give consumers a good reason to pick up all that plastic and make a profit from it … while preventing other environmental nightmares.

Tallying Customer Complaints: Bad News for Banks

Americans sought help from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) 10% more often in 2009 than they did in 2008. And where did they focus their ire? On cell phone companies, cable and satellite TV providers and banks, according to Stephen Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureau (via The Consumerist).

• The cell phone industry received the largest number of complaints in 2009 with 37,477, a 2.1% increase over last year.

• The cable & satellite TV industry ranked second with 32,616 complaints, up 8.7% over the previous year.

• Banks received 29,920 complaints, an astonishing 42.3% increase over the previous year.

“For the second year in a row, banks experienced a significant increase in complaints coinciding with 140 bank failures in 2009,” said Cox. “Trust in the financial sector is already extremely low and the dramatic increase in BBB complaints against banks reflects the growing discord between consumers and the industry.”