Daily CSR

AI Visibility Tracker for Brand Reputation Management

Debashish Mukherjee — Mon, 11 May 2026 15:03:00 +0200

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become the go-to source for information, quietly replacing traditional search engines for many users — and most companies have yet to recognize the shift.

Today, millions of people consult AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini before using conventional search platforms. Around half of consumers now prefer AI-driven answers over traditional search results, and those responses heavily influence purchasing choices, employment decisions, and brand trust. The impact extends even further: 94% of B2B buyers now rely on AI during purchasing decisions, while more than three-quarters of investors worldwide use AI-powered insights to guide investment strategies.

Despite this growing dependence on AI, many organizations still lack visibility into how their brands are represented in AI-generated responses. Are they appearing in results at all? If they are, is the portrayal accurate, balanced, or potentially damaging?

When existing tools failed to provide clear answers for clients, we decided to create a better solution.

“Communications leaders usually know their media coverage and search rankings, but very few understand how AI platforms currently describe their company,” said Charlie Wilkie. “That’s the visibility gap we designed this tool to solve.”

Introducing the AI Visibility Tracker from 3BL — a platform specifically created to measure and manage brand reputation within AI systems.

Key Features
Unlike many AI tracking tools focused mainly on product visibility, the AI Visibility Tracker concentrates on reputation — helping organizations understand how AI platforms interpret, discuss, and frame their brands.

Comprehensive AI visibility insights
Gain a detailed understanding of where your brand performs well and where it lacks visibility, segmented by platform, topic, and user intent.
Competitive comparison tools
Evaluate your brand’s AI presence alongside key competitors in the areas most important to your business reputation.
Reputation-focused query analysis
Access a database of thousands of real-world prompts related to trust, governance, and corporate reputation, curated by experts in corporate responsibility.

The platform also delivers more advanced sentiment analysis than traditional tools. Instead of relying solely on positive or negative keywords, it evaluates the broader context of AI-generated discussions, capturing nuanced perceptions even when responses contain both praise and criticism.

“The foundation of public relations has always been that outside perspectives carry more weight than self-promotion,” Wilkie explained. “AI has amplified that reality even further, but many brands are still unprepared for it.”

As AI increasingly becomes the primary source of information for consumers, employees, investors, and business buyers, understanding how your brand appears in AI-generated content is no longer optional — it’s becoming a business necessity.

Click here to sign up to see your AI visibility score.

Whirlpool Mentors Benton Harbor Students Through JMG Career Immersion Program

Debashish Mukherjee — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:50:00 +0100

Whirlpool Corporation recently welcomed the 2025–26 Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG, powered by Youth Solutions, Inc.) cohort from Benton Harbor High School for an immersive half-day career experience. Students explored a range of career opportunities at Whirlpool, including Sales, Innovation and Design, Corporate Communications, and Product Marketing.

Through interactive business simulations led by Whirlpool team members, participants strengthened essential skills such as collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving.

The Future of Corporate Citizenship: CSR and ESG Priorities for 2026

Debashish Mukherjee — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 13:29:00 +0100

Corporate citizenship is experiencing its most significant evolution in more than ten years. Today, it’s no longer sufficient for organizations to simply operate social impact initiatives. Companies are now expected to prove that their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are purposeful, tightly aligned with business priorities, focused on measurable outcomes, and genuinely embedded into everyday operations.

Insights from the Benevity Impact Labs 2025 State of Corporate Purpose Report—which analyzed proprietary data from the giving, volunteering, and grantmaking programs of over 1,000 global companies—show that nearly two-thirds of organizations meaningfully recalibrated their purpose strategies in the past year. Heightened stakeholder expectations, increasingly polarized social conversations, regulatory uncertainty, and intensifying competition for talent are all driving this shift. Together, these forces shape both the risks and opportunities organizations must address as they plan their CSR and ESG strategies for 2026.
The 2025 findings highlight several key takeaways for senior leaders and impact practitioners as they look ahead.

Navigating the new risk landscape: Finding balance between restraint and resolve
As purpose strategies become more sophisticated and regulatory scrutiny grows, companies are confronting a widening disconnect between executive caution and employee activism.

The data illustrates this tension clearly: 52% of leaders anticipate that CEOs will reduce public commentary on divisive social issues, while 76% expect employee-led advocacy to increase in the coming year. Although leadership silence may be intended to limit external risk, it can inadvertently create internal brand challenges. When organizations refrain from taking positions, employees often step in—launching grassroots initiatives without formal oversight, guidance, or compliance support.

As a result, the emphasis must move away from public statements and toward operational integrity—how impact work is executed internally and reflected externally. Benevity’s data shows CSR teams collaborating more closely than ever with other functions, particularly executive leadership, legal, HR, and communications, with the steepest growth occurring in communications partnerships.

Deep integration across these teams is now essential to ensure consistent, credible storytelling around impact results and organizational values—rather than reactive messaging tied to social or political flashpoints. This alignment is especially critical given how quickly both employees and consumers have responded to perceived inaction over the past year.

As Andrew Jones, Principal Researcher at The Conference Board’s Governance & Sustainability Center, noted on the Speaking of Purpose podcast, many leaders underestimate expectations: silence on contentious topics may be interpreted not as neutrality, but as avoidance—particularly by employees, younger consumers, and investors.

Employee-driven priorities: Building resilience through participation
According to SHRM’s 2025 Talent Trends report, hiring challenges remain acute, with 69% of organizations struggling to fill permanent roles. In this environment, purpose programs have become a vital lever for workforce stability and retention. Benevity’s data confirms a strong correlation between employee participation in purpose initiatives and improved retention—especially among newer employees.

Key insights include:

Retention: Employees in the early stages of their tenure who engage in purpose programs are 52% less likely to leave.
Trust and belonging: 91% of employees and leaders consider Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) a key component of the employer value proposition, while 87% see ERGs as a trusted source of information amid heightened DEI debate.

The resurgence of volunteering: Strengthening engagement and well-being
Volunteer programs are increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of organizational resilience, with 94% of companies affirming their positive impact. Notably, volunteering stands out as the only workplace initiative—among 90 evaluated—that demonstrated a positive effect on employee well-being and sense of belonging.

With the United Nations designating 2026 as the International Year of Volunteering, organizations have a timely opportunity to expand their efforts. Benevity data indicates that volunteering participation has grown steadily since post-pandemic reopening and is projected to rise by approximately 11% in 2025. Companies are shifting toward more intentional, high-impact formats, including skills-based, team-based, and virtual volunteering—approaches well-suited to hybrid and remote work environments.

Refining grantmaking strategies: Emphasizing trust and capacity
Grantmaking practices are also adapting to meet evolving needs. Across the ecosystem, companies are placing greater emphasis on flexibility, trust, and long-term capacity building.
Notable trends include:

Changing focus areas: While support for BIPOC-led organizations and climate justice remains important, growth in these areas has slowed as companies expand funding for broader priorities such as STEM education, disaster relief, and community-based initiatives.
Strengthening infrastructure: Funding for nonprofit capacity building and community development surged, rising from ninth to fourth among top grantmaking priorities—reflecting a growing recognition that organizational infrastructure is essential to long-term impact.
Addressing funding shortfalls: As government support fluctuates, unrestricted and flexible grants have become increasingly critical, enabling nonprofits to respond quickly to emerging needs while giving funders greater confidence in overall effectiveness.

Despite progress, the Benevity Grants Confidence Gap Report reveals a persistent disconnect: while 74% of grantmakers follow best practices, only 51% believe they are doing so effectively. Bridging this gap requires stronger trust-based approaches, clearer communication, and closer alignment with stakeholder expectations.

Preparing for 2026: A strategic roadmap
To successfully navigate this period of transformation, corporate citizenship leaders should prioritize data-driven decision-making anchored in accountability and engagement.
Key strategic actions include:

Integrating purpose into talent strategies: Embed participation data into HR metrics such as performance reviews and retention analysis, and provide ERGs with dedicated funding and influence over grant decisions.
Expanding high-impact volunteering: Invest in structured skills-based and pro bono opportunities, leverage the UN Year of Volunteering for momentum, and ensure programs are accessible to hybrid and remote employees.
Strengthening grant confidence: Adopt trust-based grantmaking practices, including multi-year and unrestricted funding, while improving tools to track and communicate outcomes.
Using communications as a strategic asset: Collaborate early with corporate communications to clearly articulate why specific issues matter to the organization and how employees are driving impact—prioritizing outcomes over statements.
Ensuring sustained support: Move beyond seasonal giving campaigns by promoting year-round payroll giving, recurring donations, and enhanced peer-matching to amplify employee contributions.

The transformation of corporate citizenship into a fully integrated, enterprise-wide strategy is now complete. In 2026 and beyond, the organizations that lead will be those that harness real-time data to activate purpose at work—delivering authentic, employee-driven programs that align with core values, strengthen communities, engage stakeholders, and contribute meaningfully to business performance. These companies won’t just succeed in the near term; they will position themselves to thrive well beyond 2026.

Loree Elswick Named New President of the Duke Energy Foundation

Debashish Mukherjee — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:38:00 +0100

Duke Energy announced today that Loree Elswick has been named the next president of the Duke Energy Foundation.

“Loree is stepping into this role at a crucial time for the communities we serve,” said Pepper Natonski, Duke Energy’s senior vice president of federal affairs, sustainability, and philanthropy.

“As we work to support rising energy demands and maintain affordability for our customers, the Foundation’s contribution to strengthening our local communities is more vital than ever. Loree’s longstanding dedication to service and her passion for community involvement make her an exceptional choice to lead this effort.”

Elswick has spent more than two decades at Duke Energy, consistently advocating for customers and communities across the company’s footprint. Her work in corporate communications, customer experience, and emergency readiness reflects her commitment to public service and her belief in the importance of strong partnerships.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to take on this position and continue fostering resilient, thriving communities across our service regions,” Elswick said. “Philanthropy isn’t simply part of the job—it’s something I deeply value. I look forward to advancing the Foundation’s strategic efforts and expanding our impact in the communities we support.”

Natonski continued, “Loree recognizes that people are at the heart of our mission. Her talent for building relationships and her dedication to giving back will help us continue our legacy of engagement and service.”

For more than four decades, the Duke Energy Foundation has supported community-focused initiatives across the areas the company serves. The Foundation contributes over $30 million each year, and in the past decade alone has directed more than $280 million toward community programs. Duke Energy employees also volunteer time valued at nearly $4 million annually to nonprofit organizations.

Most recently, Elswick oversaw the company’s operational, customer, and emergency communications. Prior to joining Duke Energy, she held roles in public affairs and nonprofit leadership. She will begin her new position on Nov. 1 and will continue to reside in Charlotte, where she has been a longtime community member.

Top 25 Voices Shaping Corporate Sustainability in 2025

Debashish Mukherjee — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:51:00 +0200

3BL Unveils “The 25 Voices Defining Corporate Sustainability in 2025”
This initiative honors the innovators, storytellers, and strategists transforming the way organizations communicate about sustainability.

Today’s sustainability leaders go beyond sharing progress—they’re reshaping how businesses engage, inspire, and lead. That’s why we’re recognizing the individuals setting new standards for clear, authentic, and impactful sustainability messaging.

We’re assembling a definitive list of the voices influencing the sustainability conversation in 2025 — and we want your nominations.

Nominations are open until July 30, 2025. Submit yours today!
Who Should Be Nominated:

Corporate communications and sustainability professionals
Purpose-driven storytellers and brand strategists
Rising and established leaders helping companies communicate their impact with clarity and credibility

What Selected Voices Will Receive:

Evaluation and selection by the 3BL executive team
A feature in a sponsored article on TriplePundit—a leading platform for responsible business journalism—produced by 3BL Studio
Promotion through 3BL’s extensive distribution network to reach an engaged, impact-focused audience

Key Dates:

Nominations Close: July 30, 2025
Final List Announced: August 2025
Editorial Feature Published: Late August on TriplePundit.com

Nominate a peer or yourself here .