There are few things on which there is unanimity. One is, however, that sport is an ideal vehicle for brands’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

In a world where many of those who aren’t starving need help to avoid obesity and where nations, tribes and gangs focus on what separates them from the rest of humanity rather than the things they have in common, it is easy to present sport as a panacea for social ills.

Play sport and you’ll fall in love with an active lifestyle and its raft of attendant health benefits. Play sport and you’ll learn how to abide by the rules of the game and respect your opponents - a respect that will extend into life away from the competitive arena.

These are easy concepts to grasp and there are some remarkable programmes around the world which are successfully putting them into action with the backing of brands from many sectors.

But is the notion of social responsibility slipping down the corporate agenda as companies struggle to make profits and keep their staff in jobs?

At last year’s SportBusiness Sports and Social Responsibility Summit in London, one presenter insisted there was already plenty of evidence that consumers were voting with the contents of their shopping baskets and selecting not simply on quality and price but on the ethical and social profile of the brand.

That said, the next time you walk around a supermarket, take a look and ask what’s really changed. More or less every offer and every pitch is based on price. It would be a brave store chain that promoted a brand on the basis of its excellent work encouraging African children to play football rather than the fact you can get two for one this week.

There’s no question that social responsibility is important but is it as important in today’s tough economic climate? And are the people running and communicating brand-backed programmes delivering messages which help build the brand and foster customer affection and loyalty?
This is what our experts had to say.

Angus McGougan Business Director, Fast Track: “The message is clear: consumers want brands to invest more responsibly.”

Neil Dobson Managing Director, Sow Consulting: “If sport wants to continue to be the recipient of the bulk of sponsorship funding it must demonstrate a continued ability to be a vehicle for positive brand transfer.”

Jamie Cunningham Founder and CEO, Professional Sports Group: “Sporting rights which combine the best of new media reach with CSR will prove increasingly attractive. The industry just needs to become more collaborative and more creative in its approach.”

Kevin Roberts Editorial Director, SportBusiness Group: “As the world of sport stops talking about social responsibility in terms of why - and addresses the question how - the communications component is of prime importance.”

For the full debate see the latest edition of SportBusiness International published February 1.