During the run-up to the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow, a study looked into the climate change communications of 57 companies across different industries*. The study looked at their environmental data and the reach of their climate change communications – both on and offline. It also took company leadership and the message from the top into account.
Interestingly, not many of the companies excelled in all three categories.
Some were guilty of ‘greenwashing’ by giving vague or generic commitments to action. Others were not communicating enough to engage their customers with their positive commitments and actions. In some cases, it was found that the leadership did not do enough to encourage stakeholders to change their behaviour.
Actions ~vs~ Words
A balance has to be struck between actions and words with climate change communications. Between commitments and positive messaging.
Too much communication and too little commitment, and a company can be accused of ‘greenwashing’.
On the other hand, too little communication, and companies are not successfully conveying positive actions through brand messaging. In this way, they risk alienating their customer base by losing engagement and support for any green initiatives. Therefore, there is a happy medium when companies use creative messaging to tell a story around their actions.
Engaging customers
During the pandemic, there was a wake-up call for businesses, encouraging them to take more action on climate change. Indeed, many have started new green initiatives.
We have seen our clients redoubling their efforts to be as green as possible, encouraging staff and local communities to become involved.
At ICM Creative, we feel that this is something clients should shout about, setting an example for:
Employees
Suppliers
The local and wider community
Competitors
Their industry
Consumers are now making more informed choices about where goods come from and their impact on the environment. A company can lose out through ineffective or too general environmental campaigns. Therefore, climate change communications to inform and engage the public about your green initiatives, actions, and policies have never been more important.
Corporate Communications
Of course, customers are the life-blood of any business, and we need to get your message across. But companies also need to concentrate on prospects for future business and suppliers.
We can produce informative graphics for your reception area or exhibition stand. These will highlight your environmental actions and credentials. Advertisements, brochures, and posters can reinforce the digital campaign message throughout your corporate communications.
Building a comprehensive campaign across all media will maximise the effect of your actions and make sure stakeholders are engaged with your climate change communications.
Creative communications
We would love to hear about your company’s actions against climate change. Whether these are well-established green initiatives or brand new measures, there is a story.
Creating a campaign around your environmental ethos should reflect your company’s actions. We understand climate change communications and can help you talk positively to your audience. We can help you create a conversation about your actions, invite feedback, and build your customer relationships.
Let us help
How do we do this? By listening to you! We want to understand your business, policies, and actions around climate change. Our team can create messages that perfectly balance your climate change principles with your business goals. These messages will voice your actions and will be on-brand for your business.
Our skilled team can put together a campaign for you across both digital and traditional media. They will create an environmental vision for your climate change communications.
Through email marketing, social media campaigns and content creation, we can use digital channels to convey your message and prompt customer engagement by inviting their participation.
Today, customers expect businesses to be responsive, so let’s give your environmental campaign a voice on social media. It is a sure-fire way to start the conversation! Once customers are fully on-board with your message, you have a chance to change their behaviour.
Internal Communications
Are your employees on board with your environmental policy?
Are they fully engaged and willingly helping, or do you need to engage your staff and win their support?
Is your internal environmental brand getting old and jaded?
For example, your priorities and principles may have changed since it was first introduced.
Consequently, it is important to ensure your employees know about your climate change communications and what your company stands for. This is where ICM Creative can help you. We can create an internal brand for your environmental objectives to help you communicate or refresh your green initiatives.
From strategic decisions about how your environmental policy plugs into your overall brand vision and messaging to engaging messages to help to win over your employees, we can provide creative services to convey your company ethos.
Our green credentials
At ICM Creative, we have been making a positive impact by reducing waste in our businesses for years.
For instance, we decided to reduce, reuse and recycle in the office before it became a ‘thing’.
We love getting involved in environmental initiatives. The latest was Green Jumper Day last month. Everyone joined in, wearing green jumpers to keep warm and turning down the office thermostat to save energy. In addition, we donated £80, so Green Jumper can continue its work around educating the next generation about climate change.
Also, we have produced climate change communications collateral for our clients. This included a recent infographic for the Canal & River Trust (above). Our client asked us to focus on nine points that demonstrated how canals can help to tackle climate change. We put together this eye-catching graphic that explained their message in clear and simple terms.
Why not talk to us?
We would be happy to discuss your new environmental goals or breathe new life into an existing message or campaign. Clients love our attention to detail, and in addition to creative talent, we never have, that’s right, NEVER missed a deadline! This and the quality of our creative services ensure our clients work with us time after time.
For more information about working with ICM Creative on climate change communications, please email Louise at louise@icmcreative.co.uk.
* Study: “Sustainability Communications Must Be In Perfect Lockstep With Actions” (provokemedia.com)
