25TH GATHERING, ZURICH 8 APRIL 2014

BEYOND THE BUZZWORDS:

MAKING SENSE OF TRENDS IN DIGITAL

&

LESSON LEARNED FROM

KWD WEBRANKING SWITZERLAND 2013 Zurich, 8 April 2014

SUSTAINABILITY STORYTELLING IN A

DIGITAL AGE (Starting with the experts to make sense to Aunt Agatha)

JAMES OSBORNE

#DIGITALBITES

@JABOSBORNE

2014-04-14 | 2

The new sustainability challenges:

• Report on what matters

• Ask stakeholders what they

think is important

• Talk about your sustainability

context and broader trends

• Consider all issues where you

have an impact, even if you

don’t control it

WHY IS STORYTELLING RELEVANT NOW?

WHAT INFURIATES READERS?

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“Cherry picking; lack of

performance data; bla bla”

“I hate it when companies stick to GRI

and do not communicate in an

appealing and educational fashion”

Fonte: Lundquist CSR Online Awards survey 2012

Readers put on their “anti-PR goggles”:

What does this mean? Is this all? What are they NOT telling me?

Does this really matter? What about the future?

THE RISK OF A SUPERFICIAL, ONE-SIDED STORY

Source: Lundquist CSR Online Awards survey 2013 (165 non-corporate responses)

52% “extremely” or

“very” frustrating

71%

Stakeholders’ and experts’ experience is severely impacted

by the way companies choose to communicate online

14/04/2014 | 4

4%

10%

4%

11%

21%

28%

25%

26%

46%

26%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Self-promotion & PR style

Too brief / superficial

Least frustrating Most frustrating

“extremely” or “very”

frustrating

YES, THE “EXPERTS” WANT STORYTELLING TOO

Source: Lundquist CSR Online Awards survey 2013 (175 non-corporate responses)

1. See a case study or project in

action (56%)

2. See examples of strategy in

day-to-day business (50%)

3. Hear point of view of

stakeholders (39%)

4. Get expert opinion on

company activities (31%)

5. Better understand broader

issues relevant to company

(30%)

6. Get strategic overview from

company leadership (29%)

14/04/2014 | 5

8,7

6,5

10,5

6

28,5

25

33,3

32,9

30,8

34,5

30,4

34,1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Watch video

Use interactive data tools

Use diagrams and charts

Consult infographics

Every day Every week Once or twice a month

How often do you use the following for CSR or sustainability

issues when online? (%) MOST WANTED VIDEO SUBJECTS

BUT SURELY “AUNT AGATHA” WILL NEVER READ A

SUSTAINABILITY REPORT?

14/04/2014 | 6

We studied surveys of consumer trends globally: they may not know what “CSR”

or “sustainability” mean but expectations are closely aligned with “experts

•They don’t trust grand claims and generic commitment

TRUST

•They want credible data and concrete evidence of environmental performance

CREDIBILITY

•They are keenly aware of the importance of sustainability to the core business of selling products & services

INTEGRATION

•They want to see how companies are ensuring the wellbeing of employees, suppliers and consumers

PRIORITIES

•They are connected, social, mobile… and impatient

DIGITAL

2014-04-14 | 7

7 PILLARS OF CSR ONLINE AWARDS: NEW APPROACH

Providing a core set of environmental, social and governance information,

from policies and guidelines to data and objectives

Allowing users to see “under the bonnet” with more detailed disclosure (for

example on stakeholder engagement and target achievement)

Speedy, intuitive navigation, reporting formats, search functionality as well

as the user experience more generally (even giving penalties!)

Keeping stakeholders updated on a regular basis (through news, blogs, etc.)

and remaining open to feedback and comment

Leveraging social media to listen, inform and engage both in generic

corporate accounts and in accounts specifically geared to audiences

interested in CR or sustainability

Taking the CR message to stakeholders across the corporate website (as part

of “about us”, information aimed at investors, journalists and jobseekers…)

Using digital to tell an engaging, unique story that focuses on the most

important issues and shows what strategy means in day-to-day, concrete

contexts through storytelling, video and visual communication

Concrete

Transparent

User friendly

Ongoing

Social

Integrated

Distinctive

HOW SOME COMPANIES PITCH CSR

2014-04-14 | 8

EXAMPLE: SAB MILLER’S 10 PRIORITIES

2014-04-14 | 9

SAB MILLER: ORGANISED AROUND ISSUES

14/04/2014 | 10

SAB MILLER: ENGAGING ON KEY TOPICS

2014-04-14 | 11

Via San Maurilio, 23 | 20123 Milano

Website: www.lundquist.it/

Blog: www.lundquist.it/blog/

James Osborne

Partner Lundquist

Head of CSR & content

james.osborne@lundquist.it

@jabosborne

LUNDQUIST SRL CONTATTI

SOCIAL PRESENCE

Lundquist company page

@Lundquist

Lundquist page

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