How Should My Brand Talk About Sustainability During the Pandemic?

2020 was set to be a big year for corporate sustainability initiatives, with brands across sectors scaling up commitments and becoming increasingly outspoken on climate change. But in the face of COVID-19, many are forced to reallocate their resources, making it difficult to finance sustainability agendas and leaving many unsure of how they should talk about sustainability in this new landscape.

However, there’s an increasing recognition that the coronavirus pandemic is an intersectional issue–one that’s inextricable from gender equality, socioeconomic divides, and environmental justice. Plus, market research indicates that consumers have become more attuned to the environmental impact of their purchases since the pandemic. A recent survey by consulting firm Kearney found that nearly half of consumers say COVID-19 has made them more concerned about the environment.

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In short, the issues people were looking for brands to act on before coronavirus still stand today, and they’re only set to increase in urgency.So don’t let the current environment paralyze your sustainability communications. We’ve pulled together five key tips for planning sustainability comms and announcements in the coming months, highlighting both the potential pitfalls and the emerging opportunities.

1. Revisit Your Core Sustainability Messaging

With sustainability comms you’re always dealing with the hugely politicized issue that is climate change–and COVID-19 adds another layer of complexity. Before you get into the nitty gritty of a new sustainable product announcement or partnership, make sure you’re clear on your overarching brand or corporate stance on sustainability, and anything that’s changed in recent months.

• Our advice: Work with leadership to ascertain how COVID-19 impacts your topline sustainability messaging, initiatives and goals. Build out a core messaging handbook to inform all upcoming announcements in the sustainability space: Can we still make the same claims as before? Are we on the same timeline to meet our goals?

2. Consider Your Blind Spots

COVID-19 has revealed cracks in many companies’ operations, in particular the supply chain, where essential workers have been exposed to vulnerability, and suppliers are facing financial hardship. With the “S” in ESG increasingly in the spotlight, now is the time to consider where your environmental initiatives may have social blindspots, and how you can address them.

• Our advice: With sustainability announcements in the coming months, it’s crucial to think about the repercussions not only for the planet, but for the people at every level of your company’s value chain. If you’re launching a new sustainable product: How are the manufacturing workers being protected? What about delivery personnel? Even if there’s still work to be done to safeguard the people in your supply chain, it’s essential to demonstrate awareness with clear messaging. Even better, take action. Can a portion of profits from the new product finance a relief fund for suppliers impacted by COVID-19?

3. Lead Where You Can

The questions you’re asking yourself about the sustainability landscape amidst COVID-19 are the same that media, brands and business leaders are asking too. There’s a need for strong thought leaders with a clear sense of how the business community can continue progressing toward its sustainable goals.

• Our advice: Comms teams, consider how you can insert your executive leadership and sustainability leads into the conversation via bylines, targeted media outreach, or even hosting your own virtual sustainability forum. Those who take the lead on sustainability now will show the value of their business beyond just profit, and come out on top as the economy recovers.

4. Do it Right, Not Fast

One of the main impacts of COVID-19 on companies’ sustainability agendas is the need to reallocate budgets due to financial strain. For many, investment earmarked for environmental projects has had to be diverted elsewhere, in many cases delaying progress toward sustainability goals.

• Our advice: It’s better to wait until you’re able to finance programs that make a real dent in your carbon footprint than to find shortcuts in order to hit sustainability goals on time. If you’re struggling to fund environmental initiatives, chances are others in your industry are facing the same setbacks. Though milestone targets may be unattainable right now, think about areas where you can make a meaningful, localized impact; for example, supporting a community or minority group within your supply chain impacted by COVID-19.

Finally…Educate Yourself + Be the Voice of Reason

In today’s landscape, comms leads are facing a huge amount of pressure to showcase their company’s efforts to respond to society’s biggest challenges. At the same time, journalists’ inboxes are overflowing, and many are working with reduced staff.

On top of that, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how media are covering awareness days such as Earth Day; reporters have their spikes up, and there’s little appetite for commercialized efforts that don’t map back to a broader sustainability commitment.

In this new context, it’s vital to be able to discern which announcements warrant a PR push and say yes or no with conviction. Make sure you are constantly educating yourself on the sustainability space: know what media is covering, where your competitors are showing up, what consumers are responding to.

Now is a moment to really show your value as a comms pro. Educate yourself, be assertive and be the voice of reason everyone needs.

Looking to workshop your strategy? Drop us a line at Hello@praytellagency.com