Chapter 53 - Social Alliances: Moving Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility to Private–Public Partnerships

Abstract

In the context of childhood obesity prevention, ambitious novel social alliances of agents in food, physical activity, health, agriculture, and business—defined as multi-agent interventions—are needed. Within these, agents from all sectors must actively participate to create a society where healthy lifestyles are the natural option for both children and adults. This chapter examines whether companies can transcend their currently peripheral and limited funding-related role in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate societal marketing (CSM) projects and become fully active agents in childhood obesity prevention social alliances. Social alliances are presented as a more complex and innovative corporate social responsibility approach than the conventional CSR practices. A case study of an existing “social alliance” intervention targeting childhood obesity is then examined. A well-established framework of strategic alliances is used as a guide for conducting in-depth interviews with all relevant agents: managers and professionals in business, NGOs, and community and health organizations.