Sustainability as part of your communication plan

Therefore, we cannot ignore it. Sustainable business is no longer a "nice to have," but a must-have. We are making more conscious choices for our purchases, our travel and even our choice of employer. Companies are feeling this pressure to act sustainably. From the young generation, but also from investors and consumers.

The perfect opportunity to show off your company, you might think. Unfortunately, in practice, it is not that simple. Where other advertising messages get away with exaggerated statements ('Whiter than white' by Dash or 'The best a man can get' by Gilette) or rely on fear ('Give mold stains no chance thanks to HG') or on the endless repetition of the message, this is anything but applicable to sustainability communication.

Belgians believe only 14% of multinationals when it comes to sustainability communication. And therein lies the paradox: we take the topic very seriously and want companies to commit to it, but at the same time we are not so critical of any other topic. In fact, the bigger the company, the more critical we are.

Take TUI, for example, which last year did a campaign around "vacations with an eye to the future. Well-intentioned, but this green communication did not go down well with consumers. TUI even had to launch crisis communications after being accused of greenwashing. Many companies are afraid the same thing will happen to them and therefore clam up. The result? They share their ESG reports in their communications, but don't go beyond that.

Sustainability communication can indeed make a difference to your business. For example, speaking out about your sustainability strategy can actually speed up the process by confronting your promises. As long as you are sincere about the topic and aware of the critical attitude of the public, sustainability communication deserves more than just sharing an ESG report. In addition, it is best to keep the following things in mind:

1. Be honest. Talk about the actions and ambitions you are willing and able to fulfill, in the short and long term. For example, do you have a sustainable product, but is your packaging still made of disposable plastic? If so, you better admit this honestly to the consumer. Say that this is another step in your greening. This not only humanizes your company, but also shows that you really want to go for it and not just go out on a limb with the "green" aspects. Concealing or disguising certain issues often makes you look worse.
2. Find the right balance between objective reports and stories. Avoid inundating consumers with data. Such reports don't appeal. Instead, use your numbers to tell a credible story about what you stand for and what you're about.
3. Dare to go one step further. Inspire and involve your employees, customers and stakeholders in your approach and see how together you can achieve the ambitions.

Kruidvat recently set a good example. Their iconic candy bags are no longer made of plastic, but of paper. They came out with this striking and concrete application, brought their story with honest numbers and combined it with their long-term (sustainability) ambitions.

Do you also want to take your sustainability communication to the next level but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with us—we’d love to help shape your green story.