Welcome back to our blog series on revolutionizing how you communicate your sustainability journey. In this final blog article of the communication series, we dive into the essence of a communication plan, its objectives, significance, and key considerations for crafting one for your organization. To support you in approaching your next Sustainability Communication Plan methodically, we've created a template for your convenience.
As already noted in our blog article 2 "Sustainability Communication: Do's & Don’ts" of our series, it is important to have clear goals and intentions for sustainability communication, to know the target group exactly, identify the most important key messages, select the right channels for communication and constantly monitor the development of exciting content. Last but not least, define and review the performance (KPIs) of sustainability communication.
We know that creating a Sustainability communication plan can be a real challenge if you do it for the first time. That is why we are happy to show you, in a few steps, how you can create a strategically sensible sustainability communication plan for your company. Let's get started.
Step 1: Define Your Communication Objectives
First and foremost, you must establish clarity on what you want to achieve with your communication strategy. Your objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and directed towards advancing your company's sustainability goals. For instance, you might want to raise awareness about your new eco-friendly product line or promote the sustainable practices employed in your production processes.
Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience
Understanding your audience is crucial in tailoring your message effectively. Identify the demographics, psychographics, and behaviors of those currently interested in your sustainable efforts, and those of potential consumers you want to attrackt. Aside from your customers, consider other stakeholders, such as investors, regulators, local communities, and employees.
Step 3: Craft Your Key Messages
Based on your objectives and your understanding of your audience, the next step is to craft compelling and concise key messages. These messages should explain your sustainable goals and highlight the benefits your audience can derive from them. Does not matter how much effort you make, if your consumers dont see the impact of your efforts in their lives, they will not care. Ensure your messages align with your brand identity and express your commitment to sustainability authentically and transparently.
Source: Oatly Website: https://www.oatly.com/oatly-who/sustainability-plan
Step 4: Select Appropriate Communication Channels
Different channels resonate differently with various audience segments. Choose channels that your target audience uses regularly and trusts. These can range from traditional media like press releases and TV ads to digital platforms like your company's website, social media and email marketing. In recent times, sustainability storytelling has been particularly effective on visual platforms such as Instagram and YouTube.
More and more companies are creating their own landing page to communicate their sustainability engagements. This is because they can createa space to communicate direclty with their target group on their sustainability goals, their archivements and obstacles.
Here’s one best practice example from Oatly: https://www.oatly.com/oatly-who/sustainability-plan
Step 5: Evaluate and Adjust Your Strategy
Once your sustainability communication strategy is in motion, you need to measure its effectiveness periodically. Define the most important KPIs (key performance indicators) to measure your sustainability efforts. Utilize analytic tools to track whether you're meeting your objectives and reaching your target audience. Be prepared to adjust your strategy based on the feedback and results you gather.
Considerations for Your Communication Strategy
Creating an effective sustainability communication plan for your sustainable goals is a meticulous task. However, with thoughtful planning and execution, it can significantly enhance the public's awareness and perception of your company's commitment to sustainability.
We've developed a handy template for your Sustainability Communication Plan to help you convey your sustainability objectives and initiatives to your target audiences in a structured manner. The exciting part? You can access this template at absolutely no cost. Grab your free download now!
Download our template to create your Sustainability Communication Plan:
