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50 Columnist: Toby Webb Ethical Corporation • February 2013
JHORROCKS/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Communications
How to shout about
sustainability effectively
While there are lots of ways to communicate badly, what are the
good things companies can do to stand out? Toby Webb has some
suggestions
here are a number of communi- 5. They use social media to
T cations techniques that corporate
leaders in sustainability and corpo-
communicate on sustainability,
either via a corporate account or by
rate responsibility communication specific accounts. Many companies
use, to various degrees. Here are 15. are nervous about doing this. Social Volume on its own doesn’t work
1. They have clear websites navi- media is risky. But if you have some-
gating readers to clear targets. thing authentic to say, you should how you get there.
Websites change and, if not planned, say it. That doesn’t mean you have 11. They don’t forget to link
can sprawl needlessly. Many compa- to issue a press release and crow sustainability with both social
nies neglect old pages, which about running your business well. issues and governance, global and
continue to turn up on Google Tone is everything, as is personality. local. For many companies in the US,
years later. These can offer a very 6. They publish regular perform- sustainability is all about green. Tell
misleading impression of where the ance data and updates. Publishing that to a Canadian mining company
company is headed. In the world of annual data seems quite behind the or European retailer. Social issues,
Twitter and Facebook, everything times now. What’s wrong with and how you engage with them, are
can unfortunately mean something. quarterly? the number one issue in the rest of
2. They demonstrate both an 7. They offer news feeds on
If you have the world, so no credible company
understanding of the global chal- progress. This is a very simple thing something can pretend they don’t exist.
lenges, and their role in the world. to do. It’s simple to drip-feed progress authentic 12. They host public debates
Getting this right does not simply reports via short news items on your which are streamed online and do
involve quoting WWF on the site. It looks good to stakeholders. to say, you not always have themselves at the
number of planets we will soon 8. They showcase critical stake- should say it centre. There are not many examples
need. Showing understanding is holder voices and suggestions for of companies doing this well.
about demonstrating much deeper improvement. This is vitally impor- Unilever is probably the best known.
knowledge and acknowledging the tant, yet few companies do it this 13. They seek crowd-sourced
“megaforces” driving sustainability well. Patagonia is the best-known solutions and encourage and fund
concerns, and showing how the example. Wal-Mart tries too. Perhaps innovation. Marks & Spencer is a
company is starting to try to tackle Waitrose would have spotted the good example of how to do this, as is
them, and contribute to wider looming disaster of its Shell retail Coca-Cola Enterprises and PepsiCo.
solutions. partnership if it had taken this idea But B2B companies can do this too.
3. They use their reporting as on board via the web. Interface and Desso are well-known
the basis for communications 9. They partner with credible examples.
campaigns, not as the campaign academic institutions and NGOs. 14. They are clear about sustain-
itself. Short, targeted messaging to Science matters. Whether it’s ability as a business opportunity.
key, focused stakeholder groups, on technical research to improve They recognise that stakeholder
top of a main website and regular performance, lower impact and engagement is about listening and
reporting. The report is just a drive efficiency, environmental encouraging intra-preneurs, as
library. Authentic stories from the data, or social science research, much as it is about responding to
report are what will improve your outside parties with good reputa- external trends and pressures.
reputation with employees, tions can really help with both 15. They are clear about their
customers and wider stakeholders. strategy and a reputation for corporate power and influence and
4. They are not afraid of honest authentic communications. have a public debate about how
debate about challenges, progress, 10. They talk about how sustain- that power and influence are used,
missed targets, problems and solu- ability fits with business strategy – and report on progress, positive
tions, online and face-to-face. They and how that will improve. This is and negative. I
value being challenged and seek to hard to get right. What is strategy
use the opportunity to innovate anyway? Most companies seem to Toby Webb is founder of Ethical Corporation and
and improve, rather than becoming confuse it with tactics. Put simply, COLUMNIST: Stakeholder Intelligence. He blogs daily at
defensive. strategy is the destination; tactics is TOBY WEBB tobywebb.blogspot.co.uk.