Not long ago, when a company wanted to burnish its reputation it did so by writing a check. While there’s no end to checkbook charity, today’s corporate donors create more awareness for themselves and their recipients with CSR programs that are self-promoting and self-sustaining. Samsung’s own Four Seasons of Hope, started in 2002, created the model, with world-class athletes teaming up with Samsung’s top retail partners to drive a percentage of Samsung sales to charity. Today, Four Seasons is managed by Yoon Lee, director of the Strategic Marketing team at Samsung Electronics America. Since coming to the U.S. to take an MBA at the University of Washington in 1988, Lee has risen through the ranks in Seoul and North America to define Samsung’s planning, sales, and marketing—including the Four Seasons program. —Craig Bromberg | photography by Marc McAndrews

What’s the difference between traditional charity and CSR programs such as Four Seasons of Hope?
Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope is different from traditional philanthropy as it combines the power of influential and reputable voices together with Samsung’s message on giving back to community. This way we provide more attention to consumers, to our retail partners, and to the business community. Four Seasons creates programmatic messaging that represents Samsung’s values and culture and—unlike just writing a check—uses cause-related initiatives to showcase Samsung to consumers in ways that drive emotional connection, mutual respect, and our contribution to society.

What are the determinants of Samsung’s CSR strategy? Do you use standard ROI metrics to guide your decisions?
Samsung’s cause-related marketing can be measured by traditional marketing ROI metrics, including the number of impressions we receive in the media, through our advertising and online campaigns, plus through our retail partnerships. Each campaign is designed to have a number of ways to measure the impact and results of our work. One of which is the dollars raised through the campaign and aided awareness for the brand through associations with such highly recognized celebrities and foundations.

Does Samsung try to balance corporate reputation programs with efforts to build value innovation—for example, selling inexpensive, feature-stripped mobile phones in Africa?
I believe global society as a whole is going through a new wave of changes, in part due to the world’s unbalanced distribution of wealth and people’s pursuit of higher value and meaning for their participation as global citizens. We are just at the fringe of such trends, which certainly will become better defined in the coming years. For now, however, we are taking it just one step at a time.

Does Samsung segment its cause marketing to reach different markets?
Steve Forbes, who is one of our closest friends for Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope, often says at our annual galas that “commerce and charity are flip-sides of the same coin.” A business has to provide a value to people, but so does a charity. Samsung is dedicated to providing the best value to customers in every market, and will give back to the communities that we do business within. Whatever segments we serve through our products is a separate issue from our CSR efforts.

How does the business case for Samsung CSR feed back to the overall health of the company?
Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope cause-related program is very important to the corporate culture at Samsung in North America. Providing employees and business partners with a commitment from Samsung that will make a difference in the communities where we live and work makes a strong statement about Samsung. Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope is also a model program where many different departments and teams interface and work together for a common goal. Both internally and externally, this program sets examples for the ways our traditional business should be managed. Studies have shown that both consumers and employees care about the values of companies they work for or do business with. This is a great way to showcase the health and strength of our company.