Communicating Sustainability Using Social Media

Speaker · Webinar · Agrion · Online · 28 September 2011

Webinar on communicating sustainability with social media: internet and social platform trends, why transparency and authenticity suit sustainable business, and how to avoid greenwashing.

Part of Earthsite

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Communicating Sustainability Using Social Media by JoeyShepp.com
Presenter • JoeyShepp.com • Founder Earthsite.net and GreenMaven.com
Social Media Today
Information Age • The industrial age filled the world with Stuff • The Information Age is Filling our world with Information. • Cheap, Accessible, Abundant • potential limitless growth
Disruptive Technology • Free • Mobile • DeCentralized • Real-Time • Hyper-local
Closing the Digital Divide • Internet to reach 2 Billion Users this year, Representing 30% of global Population • 70% of Developed Countries • 21% of Developing Countries Source: http://mashable.com/2010/10/19/internet-2-billion/
Moore’s Law • Speed of computers Doubles every two years • “Singularity” is coming… Computers transcend Biology ~Ray Kurzweil
Facebook: Global Citizenship • 500,000,000 Active users • 700,000 New Users Daily! • 70% outside the US • 380,000 Likes / minutes • Accounts for 25% of all USA page views
YouTube: You are the Media • 35 Hours Uploaded every Minute! • Hundreds of the most popular users make 6 Figures a year • Lady Gaga and Eminem surpass 1 billion hits
Twitter: The Pulse of the pLanet • New Record Set: 8,868 Tweets/Second • 40% USA 60% international • In the USA, 87% awareness, yet only 7% use it • Sentiment Analysis Proven as accurate as Exit Polls
3,339 Texts Per Month
Born into this world • 92% of U.S. Toddlers have an online presence • The vast majority of children today will have online presence by the time they are two years old — a presence that will continue to build throughout their whole lives.
Why use Social Media for Sustainable Business?
The New Marketing Landscape • Earned Media (Public Relations) • Owned Media (Website) • Advertising (Paid) • Social Media (Community)
Social Media Is DIFFERENT Old School New School B2C C2C Top Down Bottom Up Closed Open Print Media Digital Media One to Many Many to Many Privacy Transparency Advertisement Conversation
Four out of five NEW MEDIA USERS interact with companies and brands online source
Belief that Social Media Provides an Opportunity to Reach New Customers Source: MiresBall and KRC Research interview Brand Marketers
Two-thirds of American new media users Feel they can influence business practices by voicing opinions online. source
What people Want From Sustainable Businesses • 85% what’s in products and how they’re made • 83% additional details about labels and claims seen offline • 82% providing a forum for consumers to voice concerns over business practices • 82% reporting progress on social and environmental issues • 80% advocating for social or environmental issues source
Social Media is perfect for Sustainable Business • Sustainable Businesses have an authentic story • Sustainable Businesses are fine with transparency • Social & environmental responsibility is what community wants to hear Openness Transparency Authenticity Full Disclosure
Greenwashing Today
TerraChoice Marketing
More Green • Between 2009 and 2010 the number of “greener” products (products claiming to be green) increased by 73% • As consumers demand greener products, companies are attempting to meet that demand with more green products.
More Greenwashing • In 2010, over 95% of “greener” products commit one or more of the seven “Sins of Greenwashing”
Greenwashing Progress • Companies are improving with practice • Big Boxes Stock More Green • Eco Labeling Good and Bad • BPA Claims Rise • Toys and baby products poor
Avoiding Greenwashing
Hidden Trade Offs • Paper from Sustainably Harvested Forests • Need to tell the full story
No Proof • Tissue paper claiming recycled content, but not how much • Need to show proof to claims
Vagueness • Food claiming to be “all natural” • Use specific sustainability terms or certifications to describe your product quality
False Labels • Giving the impression of third-party endorsement • Be clear with endorsements and certifications
Irrelevance • CFC-Free, despite it being banned by law • Make your sustainability claims meaningful and relevant
Lesser of Two Evils • Organic cigarettes • Sustainability isn’t about less bad, it’s about going to the root of the issue
Fibbing • Claiming to be Energy Star certified when you’re not • Honesty as a practice
Focus on Accountability
News Travels Fast • People trust people, not companies • Many to many communications speeds up information transfer • More people connected more time in the day
Radical Transparency • many to many communications accelerates sharing • people trust their peers • Brands no longer control the message
Reputation Sticks • Every review and comment builds reputation • People trust reviews • One good or bad review can make or break reputation
Sustainable Marketing Tactics
Reposition Sustainability 1. High Performance 2. Affordable 3. Good for People and Planet
Think Community • No longer “Consumers” • Community manager • About Engagement • Acknowledged Power Dynamic • Customer as a Stakeholder
Localize
Encourage regional Independent Social Media
Independent Media List of WholeFoods Regional Twitter Accounts
Local Benefits Special Offers with Foursquare Checkins
Deliver Social Good Use Social Media to Deliver Social Good
Million Baby Crawl • Seventh Generation • Consumer Activism Campaign • Toxic Chemical Policy Reform
Crowd Sourcing Sustainability Draw innovation from your customer community.
Starbucks Sponsors EcoCup contest
CSR Evolution Tell your company’s responsibility story every day
Seventh Generation CEO, JEFFREY HOLLENDER What the world needs is… "Media mavens who can leverage social media into political change." • CRS Innovation • Open Feedback • Contests for Innovation
Environmental Impact Social Media is Reduces Environmental Footprint
Social Media is Sustainable • Reduced Travel • Many to Many Communications • Paperless Office • Energy Use… getting better
Measuring Sustainability Communications
Conventional Measuring of Social Media ROI • Direct (sales/lead gen) • Baseline: 6-12 month process • Brand Sentiment • Engagements
Engagement as the basis for Social Currency • Responding • Engagement / Participation • Sharing / Thanking • User Generated Content
Few Sustainability Standards • There are no mandatory sustainability reporting standards • All existing standards are voluntary • GRI, Natural Step, ISO 14001
Carbon Offsets • The universal patch • A good start, but better to solve underlying problems
Common Sustainability Measurements • Commuting Miles Saved • Energy/Water Conservation • Product Lifecycle Analysis • LEED Standards
Sustainability Dashboard Vision • “Quickbooks for Sustainability Measurements” • Many attempts at Sustainability Dashboards, but none have succeeded • A Complex Task
B Impact Rating System • The B Impact Rating System is a useful management tool to: • 1) to assess your company's impact on each of its stakeholders and • 2) improve your social and environmental performance
Good Guide • Measures environmental impacts of common products • Search online and with mobile apps
Klout • Measures Social Media Influence • Combines many social networks • Influence as a basis for reputation
Communicating Sustainability Goals and Progress
Set a Roadmap • People understand you can’t be Sustainable overnight • Admit to where you’re at • Make achievable goals against a timeline • Report on those goals
Tell Your CRS Story • CRS Reports are not interesting for consumers • Break down your CRS report into an ongoing story • Provide daily/weekly updates of your Sustainability Story
Sustained Engagement • Ask employees to report on how sustainability impacts them • Ask customers for feedback on how sustainable your company is
Where are we going?
Growth in both Social Media and Sustainability
Create a Sustainability Roadmap
Use Social Media to Tell Your Sustainability Story
And remember to Stay Human
Resources
Twitter Accounts @JoeyShepp @Earthsite @SocialGoodMedia
Tweet me your Questions @JoeyShepp [Your Question]
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