Winner: Leadership

Viacom’s Leadership in the Fight against HIV/AIDS
For more than 25 years, Viacom has taken a leadership role in fighting HIV/AIDS. With the strong support of its MTV Networks, BET Networks and Paramount Pictures divisions, the company has made an enormous, fundamental commitment to public education about AIDS prevention, as well as created groundbreaking programs to reduce stigma and raise resources to fight for a cure.

Viacom’s leadership has made HIV/AIDS a company-wide priority both domestically and internationally. Leveraging the extensive reach of this entertainment giant’s media platforms, brands, and star power, Viacom has found great success with programs such as MTV Networks International’s Staying Alive, MTV’s Move Your Lips Campaign and BET’s Emmy-winning Rap-It-Up program, which celebrated its 10th year of achievement in 2008. As founding members of both GBC and the Global Media AIDS Initiative, Viacom has long been a leader in shaping broad global business action on HIV/AIDS. The company’s remarkable achievements underscore the potential for high impact when business strategically deploys its core competencies for social good.

Philippe Dauman, CEO, Viacom
Viacom's early engagement with and long-term commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS is exceptional. How and why did the company sustain this commitment in the face of other potential competing social issues?

Viacom’s social commitment leverages the power of its brands and the strength of its audience relationships to encourage action on a variety of pro-social issues that are important to our partners, employees, audiences, shareholders and communities alike. Viacom and its employees have a long history of donating substantial time, money, and energy to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The passion for this runs deep in the Viacom culture, among our employees and through all of our brands worldwide. Viacom and its divisions support a variety of other important pro-social initiatives, but HIV/AIDS awareness and education is a key priority and inexorably linked to the Company’s commitment to giving back to the communities it lives and works in.

HIV/AIDS is a fully preventable disease. At the heart of prevention lies education about the transmission of the disease and the ways to avert its spread. As a media company, with the power to inform and influence our viewers, it is Viacom’s responsibility to make HIV/AIDS awareness a priority until the disease is eradicated.

How would you characterize the responsibility of media companies to act on HIV/AIDS?
The media industry is in a unique position to make a critical difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We have the ability to reach people in the rhythm of their daily lives, at home, at play, with their families. And we have an unmatched ability to help shape the perceptions, dialogue, and—in some cases—even the actions of our audiences. Through programs like BET’s Rap-it-Up, MTV Networks International’s Staying Alive, MTV’s It’s Your (Sex) Life and Paramount’s

Good leadership requires collaboration and strategic partnerships. How do Viacom and its divisions select and work with partners to maximize impact?
Viacom and its divisions work vigorously to identify partners with whom we can develop initiatives and address issues that are important to our viewers and their communities. Working with those partners, we strive to identify ways that we can use our brand attributes and influence to make a measurable difference. We have been able to tap into our partners’ knowledge, experience and expertise and link that with our creative, distribution and digital assets to develop innovative campaigns to combat HIV/AIDS.

If you could advise businesses not currently engaged in the global fight against HIV/AIDS on why they should get involved, what would you say? Why does business have a role to play?
HIV/AIDS is everyone’s problem, but there is hope. Every business can contribute to ending the spread of this disease. Regardless of the industry a company operates in, it can contribute to this global fight. Helping to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS is a key priority for our company and linked to our core businesses success. For a company to be truly socially responsible, the mandate must come from the top. I would encourage all companies to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As a media company, Viacom is uniquely positioned to empower, engage and educate our audiences about important social issues. I urge other companies to use their strengths, expertise and skills to make a difference in the battle against this disease by forging meaningful partnerships with organizations like GBC.

Natalia Cales, MTV Staying Alive Foundation grantee

As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Carolina Empowerment Group (CEG),Natalia Cales is committed to fighting against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Losing her mother to this deadly disease has motivated Natalia forever. As an MTV Staying Alive Foundation grantee, CEG provides sexual health education to youth, primarily reaching young African American females.

“As a young person, MTV has given me an opportunity to have my voice heard and represent those affected by HIV/AIDS. The Staying Alive Foundation enables me to reach and educate those who are most vulnerable to contracting this deadly disease: young people. The majority of youth I interact with have never had an open conversation about sex or HIV/AIDS, especially with their parents. Witnessing a young participant learn how to protect themselves and gain more self-confidence, is priceless! I encourage more companies to invest in youth. This is critical to the success and overall leadership potential of our future generation.”