Communicating Sustainability Using Social Media

Companies today are able to engage in dialogue with their consumers through a variety of mediums, from traditional methods such as product packaging, to newer methods such as social media. However, according to a recent study by Carbon Trust, only a small percentage of consumers place confidence in companies’ sustainability claims. Additionally, hesitations in integrating social media into communications strategy still exist alongside a lack of understanding of how effective these tools can be. Our session today will examine how synergies between social media and communication strategy can have a tremendous impact by restoring consumer confidence, creating two-way dialogue, and promoting green practices. We investigate cost, return, strategy, transparency, and benchmarking for these communications campaigns, within the greater conversation of how this form of new media and globalization have compelled change in the corporate- consumer relationship.

• With the advent of social media, how has the relationship between companies and their customers changed? How can this be leveraged to combat the notion of “greenwashing”?
• How can Sustainability and Communications Directors work together and set end goals in their communications strategies? What are additional levels of employee and stakeholder engagement?
• How can CSR communications and marketing plans become a differentiator among companies?
• Calculating the costs and ROI of social media investments focused on promoting green practices: What technologies are available and what has been the consumer response thus far? (Measure reach, frequency and traffic, conversions, influence, conversations and transactions, sustainability, sentiment)
• How can Sentiment Analysis be used to calculate qualitative social media ROI? What are the best programs to use?
• How can the scalability and reciprocity of communications be monitored and managed?
• In which cases should sustainability marketing and communications campaigns be led by a third party?
• Strategies for ongoing consumer engagement and maintaining content ownership

Speaker: Joey Shepp, Earthsite Founder
Agrion Website