Our new white paper, 7 keys to connecting with your audience: how brands can make sustainability more compelling, relevant and valuable, outlines the essentials to a successful CR communications strategy. Ready to learn more? Dive in!
7 keys to connecting with your audience
How brands can make sustainability more compelling, relevant and valuable
By Christian Hicks
Too often, communications about sustainability fall flat. They either come across as something you’d hear in a lecturehall, or they make people feel guilty or fearful, with predictably poor results. So rather than helping advance sustainability for businesses and with consumers, communications are getting in the way.
The solution? Appeal to imagination as much as intellect. Make sustainability desirable. Turn it into something we want to do rather than something we have to do.
What a plum opportunity for great brands. All of these strategies are right in their wheelhouse.
As communicators working on behalf of brands, we need to present sustainability in ways that make it approachable and appealing. Here are seven ways to do that authentically and effectively.
1. Be positive
The drum has been banging for years, and it’s only getting louder: If we don’t do something about [pick your crisis of choice], the world will end up in the ditch. While the message may have some truth, its delivery is counterproductive. People are tired of hearing about intractable problems. It’s overwhelming and seeds cynicism.
So do what brands do best: Focus on solutions. Training the spotlight on what’s going right and celebrating progress can help audiences see—and be interested in—the way forward.
This isn’t to say we should downplay problems. Rather, it’s often more effective over the long term to engage stakeholders with examples of opportunity and positive impact than berating them into giving a damn. Education is essential, but how brands frame sustainability—whether an inspiring opportunity or a dizzying challenge—influences how it’s received.
2. Keep it simple
From mitigating climate change to improving global health to eliminating poverty, making a clear link between sustainability and a brand’s values and behavior can be challenging. It’s up to us as communicators to make that association accessible to mainstream audiences.
That means setting aside research reports and reams of data. It also requires avoiding sanctimony, inflammatory language and jargon. The goal is inclusion. When you’re passionate about something, it’s tempting to show how much you care—and demonstrate your expertise—by delving deep into the details. But if you’re preaching to an empty room, you’re getting nowhere fast.
Instead, be straightforward. Ensure the issues you spotlight are aligned with what your brand stands for—and what it can meaningfully do. For example, Coke focuses on water conservation. Nike tackles human rights in its supply chain. Intel dedicates itself to promoting science, math and technology education.
It’s also a good practice to rely on natural language that builds common ground. Use analogies to translate complex concepts. Choose boundaries wisely; begin with the smallest bits necessary to make your case, and then build from there. As with most things, simpler is better.
3. Build trust
We all know the cautions against greenwashing. It kills a brand’s credibility, turns off audiences and invites blowback.
Yet greenwashing persists, with far-reaching repercussions. In poll after poll, a majority of consumers say they don’t believe what many brands say about sustainability. Many also complain they’re confused by conflicting claims, so they’re more likely to tune everyone out.
To counteract skepticism and build trust, don’t be afraid to reveal where you fall short. Invite feedback—and respond promptly when your audiences take you up on your invitation. Don’t deceive through omission, and realize that it’s OK to admit when you don’t know something. By presenting a realistic view of sustainability, you’ll make it easier for your audiences to relate to your challenges and respect your position.
The UK-based smoothie and juice company Innocent is particularly good at this. On its website, through itsblog and in its e-newsletter, Innocent uses clear and concise language to describe its sustainability ambitions (see point #2 above) while acknowledging that the devil is in the details. For example, consider how it talks about responsibly sourcing ingredients:
Of course, we can’t promise our suppliers are perfect. We’re certainly not perfect, so we can’t expect them to be either. But we do ask that they abide by fair, minimum standards, and work to improve their social and environmental performance year on year.
By being blunt, Innocent bolsters its credibility. The company has set a high bar for itself, but has also set realistic expectations, giving it the latitude to describe its shortcomings—as well as a stronger platform to share its successes.
This approach is consistent with how Innocent talks about all aspects of its business. From its products to its promotions, Innocent expresses a consistent brand voice. Sustainability happens to be an integral part of its overall persona.
4. Engage rather than explain
For most, learning by doing is more effective—and satisfying—than sitting through a lecture. Much like animating a brand promise, modeling ways to incorporate sustainability into lives and businesses makes it more tangible and relevant. The idea is to step away from the soapbox and put commitment into practice and ideas into action.
PG&E presents a good example of education through engagement. Through its Energenius program, the California-based utility distributes materials designed to teach K–8 students how to conserve energy and other natural resources. By providing teachers with free lesson plans, activity books and other exercises that emphasize fun, how-to learning, PG&E making sustainability relevant and accessible to the next generation.
Not every communication lends itself to a classroom setting or providing helpful tips and tricks. But highlighting how others have adopted sustainable business practices or changed their habits can also be compelling. Particularly if the subject is someone your audience relates to or respects. Bonus points if the story comes directly from them—such as a first-person narrative or video interview—rather than interpreted by you.
5. Go against the grain
In a culture where embellishment is the norm and the race to be louder/bigger/flashier is ever accelerating, going against the grain can be the way to go. It’s the adage that to be heard, it’s better to speak softly than scream at the top of your lungs. You want your audience to lean forward, not cover their ears.
There’s a critical difference between being modest and being meek, though. So rather than have your brand assert leadership, model it. Show up where others go missing. Promote results over intentions: The grandest vision carries less weight than on-the-ground impact. And talk less about yourself while empowering others to speak on your brand’s behalf.
Method is the poster child for this approach. In just 10 years, the company has almost singlehandedly pushed the detergent and cleaner industry on the path toward greater sustainability. While Method was founded on the premise of sustainability—its innovative products use plant-based materials rather than ingredients made from petroleum and are formulated to require significantly less packaging—it doesn’t tout its green credentials. Instead, the company distinguishes itself with bold packaging and products that outperform conventional alternatives. Its goal is to attract customers, not gain converts to sustainability.
But once in the fold, Method’s customers often become ambassadors for the brand, sharing the company’s sustainability leadership at a higher volume—and with more credibility—than the company could do on its own. By downplaying sustainability, Method stands out.
6. Borrow a halo
Sustainability suffers from an image problem. It’s not sexy. It doesn’t point to fame or riches. And it sounds more like work than fun.
One way to get over this hurdle is to associate sustainability with things—experiences, values, goals and, ultimately, brands—that people enjoy and care about. The halo effect can make sustainability more enticing.
For example, one of the chief reasons more companies are taking sustainability seriously is because they’re recognizing its business benefits. By making their operations more energy efficient, they save money. Similarly, partnering with communities to address social challenges can lead to innovative products and open up markets.
Put another way: On its own, sustainability is a lofty ideal. Paired with the opportunity to save or, better yet, make money, sustainability becomes key to running a successful business. Or, for the rest of us, living a more fulfilling life. Which approach do you think will catch the CEO’s (or consumer’s) attention?
In practice, begin by recognizing what moves your audience and look for ties to your brand promise. Tap into positive feelings, and appeal to dreams and desires. Show how sustainability is already embedded in their jobs and daily experiences instead of something that’s foreign or difficult. The goal isn’t to trick people into doing something they wouldn’t otherwise: It’s to help them embrace sustainability as relevant and desirable.
7. Create a social communications platform
It’s vital to recognize that social media and sustainability are a natural match. Principles of sustainability—community, authenticity, transparency—also drive social media. Your communications should reflect that overlap, or you risk being ignored and dismissed. Broadcasting top-down messages just doesn’t cut it in the era of Twitter and Facebook.
Neither does the once-and-done nature of the annual sustainability report. While the report is important, it serves a specialized purpose—to disclose policies and performance to a relatively narrow audience.
Brands aren’t about disclosure. They’re about engagement and dialogue. So rather than rely on a sustainability report, they should reach out to diverse audiences in multiple ways with a communications platform.
Think of the communications platform as an ongoing stream of content that translates goals and data into human-sized stories of insight, action and impact that are customized for specific audiences. It’s going beyond a static, meticulously controlled accounting of performance to create a forum for education and engagement.
GE does a great job of thinking like a publisher and using social media to its advantage. Its GE Reports brings together an array of rich content—feature stories, interactive exhibits, photo essays and videos—that explores sustainability (and other issues) in ways that are both educational and inspirational.
Levi’s is another premier brand following this path. The Levi’s Unzipped site compiles slice-of-life stories, many from employees, that reveal how sustainability is integral to the company and its products. It’s effective because it’s personal. Sustainability is the underlying point, but not the full story. There’s room for real people and their experiences.
A final word
Transforming sustainability from something that’s for our own good into something that’s just plain good is essential to its broader adoption. Tackling this challenge can give forward-thinking brands an edge. By rethinking how they’re communicating sustainability to make it more accessible, relevant and desirable, brands can better engage with stakeholders and reap the benefits of leadership.
CHRISTIAN HICKS leads creative strategy and content development for AHA!’s corporate responsibility practice, guiding sustainability reports, corporate messaging and communication programs from inception to execution. He has led AHA! teams in helping leaders such as Microsoft, HP, Hasbro, ESCO and Tiffany & Co. align their CR communications with their brand and business goals. Christian has a master’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Binghamton University.
Mark, Bridget, her son Dillon and Michael joined 250 Comcast and NBCUniversal employees last week for Comcast Cares Day, a nationwide volunteering event. The AHA! team helped clean up Faubion School in NE Portland. 
We’ve added some powerhouse clients to our roster. We’re working with Comcast and NBCUniversal on their CR report. And we’re keeping it local with Cadet, one of the region’s largest manufacturers, on a brand refresh. Look for new work examples to hit our Portfolio section soon!
It’s no secret we’re big Timbers fans. Last week, we expressed our love in almost 12,000 stickers on our graffiti wall. The design, inspired by Brent Diskin’s captain’s arm band, was brought to us by our own Rachel Harrison. It was a true team effort, and a lot of fun, but most of us won’t be doing any craft projects involving stickers again for a while.
This month, we collected 1,200 items for the Walk & Knock food drive, benefiting Clark County families. Three AHA! teams battled it out to knock on doors and collect food donations. The winning team gets a free lunch served up by the rest of us. What a great way to combine three things we love: food, a little competition, and the chance to help our community.
We sponsored the Net Impact 2012 conference October 25–27 in Baltimore. We had the opportunity to work with Net Impact on this infographic earlier this year, and we’re looking forward to the insight and innovation that’s sure to come from the conference. The organization describes itself as a community of 30,000 changemakers who use their jobs to tackle the world’s toughest challenges. Obviously, we’re big fans.
Congratulations to HP, winner of the 2012 Clarion Award for best website from the International Visual Communications Association. We wrote key sections of HP’s winning global citizenship site, including content highlighting environmental performance and social innovation, and a gallery showcasing HP’s sustainable technology. We also contributed to HP’s full global citizenship report, which received a nod in the strategic communications category.
We’re honored to be named one of The Oregonian’s 2012 Top Workplaces in Oregon and Southwest Washington, based on survey results from our employees. In fact, we were in the top 20 of small employers (fewer than 150 people). As one (anonymous) AHA!ian said, “The people and attitude make all the difference … I feel appreciated in my position and take great pride in the success of AHA!.”
Betsy is quite the hot ticket on the speakers circuit this fall. On September 12, she presented at an event hosted by the Oregon Columbia International Association of Business Communicators. On the 27th, she’ll regale an audience of 600 at the Greater Portland, Inc 5th Annual Economic Summit. Finally, she’ll deliver a 10-minute lightning round presentation about tricky transparency at the Commit!Forum in New York, October 2. Phew, get the throat spray ready.
We’re once again packing our bags for a flurry of conferences this October. We start the month at the Commit!Forum in New York. AHA! is proud to sponsor this gathering of corporate responsibility officers for the third year. Then we’re off to SXSW Eco in Austin. After a visit to our own backyard for GoGreen Portland, we’ll wrap up October at Net Impact in Baltimore.
We’ve been certified by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to write corporate responsibility reports, a distinction that underscores our commitment to corporate responsibility for the long term. To date, we’ve developed CR reports for Hewlett-Packard and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Up next: Microsoft.