The first-mover advantage in the net zero race has long been surpassed. Now, the market is ripe with organisations flaunting their questionable sustainability strategies, “eco-friendly” products, carbon-neutral supply chains, and trite green pledges. Here are some tips to help you cut through the noise and demonstrate your impact.
Films based on real life events often rush to the top of the award nominations lists. That’s because people respond to authentic, real stories.
While it is important to include hard data and evidence in your sustainability strategies, there are still ways to communicate this in the form of a story that matters. Polished PR pieces don’t hit home as effectively as transparent stories that share your organisation’s emotion, highlight challenges and lessons learned, and promote the people behind it.
Take the example of a tree-planting pledge. There is an abundance of organisations out there who claim that they will plant a tree for X number of their products sold, but very few of these businesses explain why. An authentic presentation of this pledge would highlight an area of land for tree planting that means something to the organisation, or perhaps your staff actually go out and plant the trees themselves, providing photographs of familiar faces to go with the pledge.
Corporate sustainability strategies are often regarded as stuffy and insincere; authentic tales turn heads and get people listening.
The concept of “place” is essential to writing green policies that stand out. Every book you ever read will be firmly rooted in a detailed setting or environment, and this underpins the entirety of the novel.
The same can be said for sustainability strategies. By building a sense of place into your sustainability plans, you are placing your finger on the map and connecting with a real, tangible environment.
Community engagement projects and connections with grassroots organisations are highly effective ways to show that your commitments extend far beyond your company’s walls and actually have value in a broader setting. It also has the added benefit of highlighting your organisation’s contributions to social value. You are invested in the community you are in, and your story is about this.
A slightly bolder idea involves inviting your audience to get involved in the experience.
Individuals are far more likely to connect with stories that they have been a part of. It’s why families tune into the news all day if their son has been interviewed, or the stories you share with your friends are always far livelier when they reminisce on time spent together.
As an example, you could invite this collaboration by crowdsourcing your strategies. For example, offer up a range of sustainability ideas and invite your customers to vote on which strategy they’d most like to see you pursue. That way, when you move forward with this strategy and make your progress public, it is more likely to resonate with audiences who contributed from afar.
Next time you’re ready to shout about your sustainability policies and progress, remember to focus on authentic storytelling, relatable content, and projects with a sense of place and community.
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