“It’s Not an Add-On; It’s One of Our Big Bets”: Shifting Discourse From CSR to ESG

This study compares the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) communication of a restaurant group (pseudonym: Global Restaurant Alliance, GRA), which is the parent company of several globally franchised fast-food chains. Using Hoffman and Ford’s organizational values advocacy framework, we analyzed GRA’s corporate sustainability reports spanning 17 years (2008–2024), during which GRA transitioned its sustainability strategy from CSR to ESG. We also interviewed key employees driving sustainability efforts at GRA to understand the discursive strategies they employed when communicating the purpose and value of CSR and ESG at GRA. Communication in reports and interviews framed CSR as an overarching ethical obligation, while ESG was a performance data-driven approach to risk management. We offer insights and recommendations for those preparing and deploying sustainability-related messages. By proactively addressing the challenges GRA faced, companies can integrate ESG into their communication strategy, build trusting relationships with stakeholders, and ultimately achieve greater buy-in for ESG initiatives.