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White Paper Topics: Stakeholder engagement Sustainability CSR
Developing Multi-level Communications Strategies on Sustainability By Graham Sprigg FRSA FRMS MCIPR Executive Summary Although many organisations have made a public commitment to improving the sustainability of their operations, few are communicating their intentions and progress clearly to their target audiences. Clear communication with customers, staff, suppliers and other influencers – stakeholders – plays an important part in the success of a business or enterprise. Communication strategies that involve and engage multiple stakeholders, delivering messages relevant to groups and sub-groups within a target audience, should be properly planned and developed. Identification of the stakeholder groups, clear messaging and subsequent analysis of the opinions formed provide valuable opportunities to strengthen an organisations licence to operate. Improving the understanding and knowledge of important and influential third parties enables an organisation to perform effectively and profitably, while increasing the transparency with which it operates.
Selection of an Audience The starting point for all communications programmes is, or at least should be, the proper identification of the audiences. This is particularly important when one is communicating messages about an organisation’s actions with regard to sustainability. The reason is simple; most organisations want to broadcast their actions and achievements to a wide range of stakeholders. Straightforward, business to business marketing often targets a narrow range of people. The audience in this case may be; customers, suppliers, staff or investors. In most instances where sustainability messages are involved, the sender wants to engage with a wide number of stakeholders. This makes the planning phase of communications extremely important. Different stakeholder groups will have differing views of the originator of the messages, they will almost certainly have different levels of understanding and comprehension of sustainability and they will all want to take something different away from the communication.
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Who Are Your Stakeholders? Let’s examine the potential stakeholder groups your campaign or communication intends to target. But first, a little more about stakeholders. One definition of a stakeholder (which is about as good as any) is: a person, group, organisation or system who affects, or can be affected by, an organisation’s action. Depending upon your business, the stakeholder groups will vary, but there are a number that will remain broadly constant. These are illustrated below. There are a couple of important things to remember about communicating with anyone in the 21st Century. Firstly, it is virtually impossible to channel messages, with any degree of certainty, to one stakeholder group while excluding others. Secondly, the internet now means that if you publish anything, it has the potential of being in the hands of everyone, around the world, within a few seconds. There is little point in trying to restrict information to certain stakeholder groups. Messages destined for suppliers will find their way to customers; those aimed at investors will end up with the media. This need not be a problem, particularly where information on achievements or policies related to sustainability are concerned (there should be no secrets) but it is an important consideration in terms of message content. Information must be clear and unambiguous. Technical terms should be explained and examples put into context.
Who are we talking to?
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Next: Decide What You Mean by Sustainability The biggest problem with communicating messages related to sustainability is the word itself. What does it actually mean? How do your customers, coworkers or suppliers interpret it? (More importantly; how do you?). The word has been hijacked by marketers. The concept and meaning of sustainable development is not widely understood, yet the word appears in everything from in-flight magazines to double glazing advertisements. As a result, the word is likely to have very different meanings, depending upon the particular audience. Another potential complication is the way the phrase Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seems to have become interchangeable with the word sustainability; particularly in company literature and on websites. They are not, of course, the same thing and their apparent interchangeability adds further confusion to messages that should ideally be crisp and clear. What is Meant by CSR? CSR is a concept whereby companies voluntarily integrate social, environmental and human rights considerations into their business operations and their interactions with suppliers, customers, shareholders and regulators (their stakeholders). Example: in the construction industry: ..CSR involves considering the social, environmental and local economic effects of their activities, as well as the activities’ influence on society, environment, human rights and fair trade. What is Meant by Sustainability? Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Example: in the construction industry: ‌applying the principles of sustainability to materials selection and use, energy consumption and conservation, waste management and recycling helps to minimise the impact of construction projects on society and the environment. Where Are You Now? If you are considering embarking upon a communications campaign, to educate and inform stakeholders about your sustainable credentials, policies and achievements, the likelihood is that you believe there is something worthwhile to say. Greenwash (putting an environmental spin on a statement or story to make it more appealing) is of course to be avoided at all costs. It’s disingenuous, dangerous and, given the earlier observation about news travelling fast, you will be found out; and live to regret your actions. However,
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not all companies are at the same point on the path to perfection. Similarly, they are not all equally positioned in terms of their understanding or practising of sustainability. This is best illustrated by what I call the staircase of competence (See figure 2).
Figure 2 Building a Database of Evidence and Achievement Having defined your target audiences and decided on the most appropriate way(s) to communicate, it is important to develop a comprehensive database of achievements and case histories. These can then be used to deliver proof of your organisation’s commitments and achievements to stakeholders. Communicating aims and objectives, ideas and aspirations, is not enough if you really want to convince stakeholders that your organisation is truly experienced in delivering sustainable solutions. While all credible businesses will avoid “greenwash” at all costs, many are still unable to provide meaningful proof of their expertise. Numerous CSR and sustainability statements are peppered with phrases pledging a company’s commitment; far fewer actually provide any firm proof of activity. Building a database of evidence and achievement does not need to be complicated. In its simplest form, a library of case studies, produced in templated format and available in hard copy could be the basis of an evidence bank. Moving information online and providing a search facility will significantly increase the relevance and usability of information. The Skanska Case Study Engine (http://skanska-sustainability-case-studies.com/) is a good example of a dynamic database of evidence of sustainable achievement; at its highest level. Gathering Stakeholder Views and Feedback Communication with stakeholders should be a two-way street. All too often, campaigns are planned and implemented without paying sufficient regard to 4 IMS Marketing Communications Group White Paper: Delivering Multi-level Communications Strategies on Sustainability
the views of the audience. Not only can these help to shape the way in which communications programmes are rolled out, they can provide valuable information on the market, competition and customer needs. Traditionally, stakeholder views have been gathered using round table discussions and face to face dialogue. In many instances this provides the best solution, particularly when stakeholder dialogue forms an important part of an engagement process; for example in conflict resolution or when reaching consensus on a complex environmental issue. However, communications campaigns often benefit more from relatively straightforward, flexible engagement with a broad range of participants. Online dialogue and exchange provides an excellent alternative to face-to-face discussions and focus groups. The dialogue can be more inclusive; engaging interest groups who would not normally be either willing or able to attend physical meetings. Of course, from a sustainability viewpoint, online dialogue is ideal; because of the significantly reduced carbon footprint. Until recently, the tools available for multi-stakeholder dialogue were usually complex and expensive. Often more suited to detailed statistical analysis, rather than straightforward polling of opinions or providing a snapshot of stakeholder views. Working in partnership with The Environment Council (the UK’s longest established and most experienced stakeholder engagement organisation), a toolbox of online utilities has been developed by IMS to fill the void. StakeholderTalk provides organisations with a quick and easy means of requesting, gathering and interpreting stakeholder views. A good example of StakeholderTalk in action is the recent deployment by Aggregate Industries to solicit views on the company’s latest CSR Review. The tools have also been used successfully for internal dialogue. One recent example is its application within a business that was restructuring. Staff engagement and buy-in at all management levels was crucial. In this case, multi-stakeholder communication took place entirely within a company’s own workforce. Conclusion There are five important points to consider when developing a strategy for multi-level communications on sustainability. First; it is important to start by identifying and agreeing precisely which audiences you want to communicate with. Next, the messages need to be constructed so that they are relevant and – most important- meaningful to the particular stakeholder group. Thirdly, the method of communication needs to be chosen that will deliver information in the most effective, efficient and memorable manner. Fourth; an evidence database – proof- of an organisation’s sustainable performance needs to be developed and made available as a natural extension to any communications campaign. Finally, wherever possible feedback should be obtained to gauge interest, understanding and usefulness of information. IMS works with NGOs, corporates and organisations internationally helping to deliver multi-level communications campaigns on sustainability. IMS also provides project based 5 IMS Marketing Communications Group White Paper: Delivering Multi-level Communications Strategies on Sustainability
services focused on improving corporate communication of CSR and sustainability messages and information. These include; researching, writing and producing CSR and Sustainability Reviews and Reports, media relations campaigns, online delivery of news and information, the provision of web tools and the research, development and delivery of evidence databases. About the Author Graham Sprigg is an expert on business to business communications; with particular experience in energy, environment and sustainable development. He has worked with a wide range of organisations, including multi-nationals and SMEs, developing and delivering communications programmes. He has authored over 500 articles for environment and business media. About IMS IMS works with corporates, NGOs and government agencies; helping to communicate the major environmental and social challenges and opportunities faced by businesses today. The information in this white paper is drawn from Communicating Sustainability, an in-house training and education presentation developed and delivered by IMS. Communicating Sustainability is available to your organisation, on request. Contact Roxanne Ratcliff. Roxanne.ratcliff@imsplc.com
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