From the committed company to the engaging company

Over the past few decades, consumer and employee expectations have evolved considerably. Individuals are no longer content to buy products or work for a company that limits itself to maximizing profits. They’re looking for a real connection with brands, shared values and a desire to make a positive difference in the world. It used to be that people joined a company because of its products; now they join because of its corporate commitments. It was in this context that the idea of a committed company emerged.

A committed company is characterized by its commitment to social and environmental causes, its transparency, its responsibility and its desire to contribute to the well-being of society. But today a committed company is no longer differentiating, it has become the norm, an essential criterion for ensuring its sustainability and proving its resilience.It is considered that today 90% of CAC 40 companies have a CSR committee according to the 2023 IFA study.

Despite their commitments, which are initially intended to have a positive impact on the common good, most companies have a rather “egocentric” posture: they do it to enhance their image, have a good conscience and anchor themselves in the minds of consumers. Moreover, today with this “most committed company” race, greenwashing, green hushing and French washing (among others) are omnipresent and feed the distrust of consumers.

But today the engagement is taking a new path, moving from the engaged company to the engaging company.

The engaging company goes beyond mere declarations of intent and implements concrete actions to embody its values and engage its stakeholders. It strives to create an ecosystem where all stakeholders, whether employees, customers, suppliers or the local community, are involved and considered active partners in achieving its mission. This marks a shift from a purely declarative approach to an active one. An illustration of this vision is the case of The Future is Neutral, a subsidiary of Renault Group which is the first company dedicated to the circular economy in the automotive industry, federating complementary entities to respond in the best way to the industry’s transformation. In the luxury sector, it was Gucci with the support of Kering that launched Italy’s first circular hub, which supports disruptive innovations to accelerate the circular transformation of fashion and luxury.

With the democratization of “consom’actors” we’re seeing a rise in individual commitment. Consumers want to take part in the fight for a fairer society, and to do so they don’t need committed companies that put them in a “passive” posture, but they do need engaging companies that will involve them in societal transformation and make them “active”.

But even today, commitment strategies are numerous and take many different forms. They are not opposed to corporate commitment, but are in fact a metamorphosis in the perception of commitment. It’s a silent transformation that has been going on for several years, and will continue to evolve in line with emerging issues and new uses.