Sustainability Message Workshop

Once we have worked with a client to create a sustainability program, the next step is to communicate a personal, relevant and compelling sustainability story – from the 15-second “elevator speech” to an overarching point of view on what sustainability means for that organization.

Using an interactive workshop approach, we help clients develop a sustainability message architecture that aligns business operations with a set of compelling messages and solid supporting facts. This message architecture can be captured in narrative form only, or expressed visually as a “message map.”

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What’s in a name?

Ask 10 people to define “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility” – or better yet, distinguish between the two – and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. Here’s how we see it, borrowing from some well-accepted definitions:

“Sustainability” is…

“Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” – Brundtland Commission, 1987.

“Corporate social responsibility” is…

“CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making.” – Wikipedia

“CSR is not a marketing or branding strategy – it’s a business and operational strategy, and an important way to manage business.” – Paul Argenti, chief advisor to Fleishman-Hillard affiliate CCW (Communications Consulting Worldwide)

Both sustainability and CSR can be measured by the “triple bottom line”…

An accounting and reporting framework that measures an organization’s progress along three lines: “economic prosperity, environmental quality and social justice.” – John Elkington, founder of SustainAbility and author of “Cannibals With Forks”