You can’t escape corporate sustainability messages these days. You’ve probably seen a company’s net-zero pledge framed on the wall off a bus shelter, and a 100% recycled plastic commitment advertised on the side of the bus that stops there. Meanwhile, the podcast you’re listening to breaks for a diversity, equity, and inclusion message from a financial institution and as you look up and there’s a billboard announcing that a company’s electricity sources are now emission-free.

These messages are everywhere because that’s what consumers and investors want to hear — they want to support a company with a purpose. The overflow of messaging though tends to drown each other out. You see the messages but how much do you really pay attention? Most of these messages fall flat, in one ear and out the other – or the words are read but not even a trace of a thought is given to them.

How do you stand out when people are becoming numb to the sustainability overload? Let’s look at 5 ways you can connect with your consumers that will get them to stop and think even for just a second, hmm, that business really does care about the planet and its people.

1. With no strategy, there is nothing to communicate

Too many companies are quick to make sustainability claims without actually developing strategies. This is how companies get into trouble with calls of greenwashing, and once labelled a greenwasher it takes A LOT of work to relinquish that tag.

To avoid greenwashing you want to be communicating successes that you’ve been working towards, not just things that fell into your lap. If your company is based in a region that has emission-free electricity, don’t get on the rooftops to shout out how sustainable your company is. It can be part of your messaging, but because this is a matter of location over effort, don’t make it your focal point.

Develop a strategy that engages internal and external stakeholder priorities, conduct an assessment to identify the areas of your business that could be improved, benchmark against your competitors, develop goals and targets along with metrics to measure your progress, and once everyone is agreed on your sustainability strategy, then we’ll climb up onto that rooftop to share your story.

2. Transparency is everything

This is the golden ticket. Be open, be honest, and be transparent. There’s not much worse than finding out that someone you trusted had been lying to you, or unfaithful, or obscuring the truth. Consumers and businesses work the same way — if you lose trust with your consumers, that’s a hellish road back I wouldn’t wish on many people.

Don’t run that risk. If you’ve discovered a part of your business that emits more greenhouse gases than originally thought, don’t ignore it or cover it up, own it. Finding extra emissions is all part of the sustainability journey. Acknowledge the emissions and develop a plan to lower them. You might be the dirtiest company in the world, but if you make open and honest commitments about where you stand today, where you want to be in one, five, ten years, and how you plan to get there — that’s what people want to hear.

Even if you miss your targets, tell people that you missed your targets. But investigate into why that happened and what steps you’re taking to correct it. Honesty and transparency are what consumers, and people, respect.

3. Commit to your communication

It sounds easy and everyone will be on board at the start, but sometimes that spark fades. Pressure from shareholders about hitting sales targets, or unforeseen bumps in the road can test your commitment to the cause. Stay determined and continue communicating.

Public communications act as an accountability mechanism as well. If your sustainability targets are out there publicly, it’ll drive your team to do everything they can to hit those targets. Don’t underestimate the motivating power of public sustainability targets.

4. Go where the people go

Know your customer demographics and know through what medium you can reach them. Is it television commercials, Facebook ads, TikTok videos, product packaging, news coverage, or somewhere else? Like any advertisements, sustainability messaging is only successful if it finds the right people.

Do you want to know the top 3 locations where consumers prefer to learn about a company or brand’s sustainability programs? I have demographic data by age, gender, income, and geographic location. Send me an email, introduce yourself, and I’ll let you in on some industry secrets.

5. Words have more value than numbers

When filing reports or mandatory disclosures you’ll have to break things down by numbers. How many tons of carbon did you emit, directly and indirectly? How many litres of water did you use? How much did your inorganic waste weigh? The problem is that numbers don’t resonate with people.

Saying that you’ve reduced deforestation by 25% is significant, but it doesn’t connect with people as much as a story of how a single person has been impacted. Instead of just posting the numbers, talk about Maria, the Colombian woman from a small town in the southern Amazonas region, and how her life has been impacted.

Make Maria’s story the focal point. Numbers are important but they have a difficult time eliciting an emotional response from people. Put a face in front of the numbers and your messaging will be exponentially more effective.

6. Find someone who knows how to tell your story

I said five secrets but if you’ve come this far, I’m giving you a bonus.

It’s a tricky balancing act. You’ve likely got people who know how to sell, and who know how to write great copy, but how much do they know about ESG, DEI, net-zero strategies, and sustainability reports? If you’ve got someone in your organization that fits that bill, hold on to that person tight and pay them right, they don’t come around often.

It might serve you to look externally to find the right storyteller. External hires have experience in sustainability communications and have likely worked with many other companies, amassing a wide range of knowledge, perspectives, ideas, and expertise. However, these pros aren’t always easy to find, and they can be in high demand.

Luckily, I know just the right person for the job. And if they’re already booked, I can refer you to other trusted sustainability copywriters. Make sure you stay ahead of your competitors. It’s not the most sustainable company that consumers will flock to, it’s the company that communicates their sustainability the best. Send us an email and we’ll find the right person to tell your story.