Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, means companies aligning their values with a greater good and taking action to have a positive effect. They often do so through “cause marketing,” joining forces with nonprofit organizations and focusing ad campaigns on those philanthropic relationships.

Corporate social responsibility marketing is the practice of combining a company’s charitable activities with its marketing campaigns. Instead of just writing a check to a selected charity, the company would tie the amount of the donation directly to sales, and would make the fundraising campaign the focus of its advertising. Corporate social responsibility can benefit the company in more than one way. It can improve the public perception of the company, increase sales and improve employee morale. With so many companies advertising their socially responsible activities, just making a gesture isn’t enough. You’ve got to show that you mean it, and you must keep the public updated on your progress and do more than expected to get noticed.