When sponsorship is not enough

BRITISH GAS, energy utility supplier to 15.7 million British homes must love the Christmas-day swimmers. The thicker the ice they have to break to take their traditional festive wake-up, the higher BG’s profits. This year, though, freezing temperatures have pushed profits so high that the company has been forced to take out full-page newspaper adverts to counter criticism. The ads, which emphasise support for the vulnerable, jobs and the economy, are designed to deflect away from profit margins on domestic energy supplies approaching double figures. The CSR sponsorship of British Swimming was a good deal all round but on its own could never provide sufficient positive PR. - 25/2/2011