07 Nov Sustainability Sweet Spot #4
Ever since sustainability became embedded in the business and corporate culture, so did the fear of overstating sustainability efforts. No company wanted to be the next one called out for opportunism, hypocrisy or greenwashing. As a result, companies have held back from sharing the full picture of their sustainability platform with their most valued stakeholders and communities.
Yet, not telling your story has created its own consequences, such as distrust in the marketplace, climate change risks, increased investor pressures and ultimately, reduced or lost revenue. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by Mind Over Markets, sustainability professionals ranked “not telling their sustainability story well” as their second-highest concern, only behind “securing C-suite buy-in”.
So, what’s a company to do?
Sustainability Sweet Spot #4:
Own Your Sustainability Story and Communicate It Over and Over Again.
For a southwestern utility, that’s exactly what they did. For years, their customers criticized them for “not doing enough” around sustainability and the environment. But the truth was there were volumes to be told but they just weren’t telling it cohesively. That is until their CEO gave the greenlight to a sustainability portal to authentically communicate all their efforts and put them in one place.
It took some well-spent time to curate the content for them. There was so much of it, we decided to call their site “Our Sustainability Story” and organize their efforts into “chapters” such as “Energy Efficiency”, “Renewable Energy”, “Reducing our Impact”, “Conservation and Preservation”, Tribal Relations” and more.
We launched the portal and shared their stories on Facebook and Instagram through a short video. At community events, we displayed the portal on a big, interactive screen where their customers could step right up to the display and dive into all the locations around the state where their solar, wind and geothermal sites reside. This not only had a positive ripple effect on customers but with employees as well. Who knew there were so many sustainability stories to tell – and share?
It’s never been more important for businesses to step up their sustainability and tell their stories with gusto. After all, the Greta Generation is watching.
How are you telling your story?