Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: Many sustainability communications are a little dry. Reports in particular are often copy-dense, with lots of data and seemingly endless indexes. This can make the content hard to absorb for anyone but the most fact-hungry analyst or investor.
So, what’s the barrier? Maybe it’s a lack of connection.
Beyond the numbers
Sustainability communications are usually packed with strategies and targets, which can either be fairly broad and vague or quite specific and technical. While metrics and benchmarks underpin everything – understandably, given the evolving landscape of reporting frameworks and legislation – the people and places behind the numbers are often missing.
A ‘story’ can make complex subjects really resonate. By taking your reader on a journey – how an environmental challenge was identified and addressed, perhaps, or how an innovative new product was designed to meet a consumer need – you provide greater context, enhance understanding and cultivate trust.
Framing the impacts of your company’s efforts through the eyes of an empowered employee or a committed community partner humanises them. You’ll connect with your audience on a more emotional level and bring the numbers to life.
The power of a tale well told
Everyone loves a good story… yes, even those investors and analysts. After all, we humans have been telling stories since the days of cave painting. They are a powerful form of communication, able to evoke emotional reactions and bring colour and texture to abstract concepts.
We’re actually hard-wired to communicate this way. According to Stanford Marketing Professor Jennifer Aaker, stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts. That’s because they fire up different parts of the brain – those associated with visual image processing, emotional reaction and imagination – simultaneously.
Learning from the leaders
The first rule of storytelling is to be authentic and consistent. Consider Oatly, the Swedish leader in the plant-based milk market. Its sustainability-driven mission is reflected in simple yet bold communications, from on-pack messaging and a punchy sustainability report to guerilla marketing campaigns (‘Wow, no cow!’) and advocacy for European food policy development. It was also one of the first brands to communicate the climate footprint of its products to consumers.
You shouldn’t sanitise your sustainability disclosures, so be honest and transparent about challenges and setbacks. Apple’s 2030 Status promo video exemplifies this nicely, with browbeaten executives getting a good grilling on the company’s progress towards its climate goals by Mother Nature herself. It’s also very slick although admittedly, not everyone has Apple’s marketing budget. And going back to that Oatly report, alongside a list of successes, it openly refers to the limited progress made on renewable energy, transportation and executive gender balance as ‘fails’.
Effective communications should make people feel something, so emotional engagement is key. Patagonia does this nicely with its ‘Worn Wear’ initiative, using personal accounts from brand ambassadors about their most-loved, longest-lasting garments. Even the introduction to these one-minute video reels – ‘great tales of gear as told by their humans’ – builds personality into the commentary about product longevity and circular economy principles.
NIKE is another great corporate storyteller. The company weaves stories (designer for an upcycled clothing collection) and videos (reimagining the hoodie) about individuals into broader corporate narratives about innovation and sustainable materials, illustrating the importance of relatability in bringing its strategy to life. It’s about showing, not just telling, and NIKE does it well.
IKEA provides another example of relatability, showing where individual efforts fit within the bigger picture. Engaging stories – about everything from LED lightbulbs to supplier audits – underpin its People & Planet Positive strategy, with one article even showing how the company is inspired by how real customers live their lives.
Effective techniques
Hopefully, these examples demonstrate that there’s more to storytelling than dropping a few case studies or quotes into your sustainability communications. So, if you have the time, resources and imagination, explore options such as feature articles, interviews, blogs or infographics. Don’t underestimate the power of imagery either. After all, they say a picture paints a thousand words.
And remember, the stories you craft can be repurposed for other channels, from social media to live events, providing further opportunities for stakeholder dialogue and engagement.
Inspiring action
The goal with any communication is to forge a connection with the audience, and storytelling does exactly that. Emotions influence many of our decisions and actions, so companies can drive meaningful change by adding a human touch to their disclosures.
And for sustainability communicators, that’s the holy grail: an authentic, compelling story that doesn’t just inform people but captures their imagination and inspires them to make a positive difference.
Get in touch at info@flag.co.uk if you need help elevating your sustainability storytelling and communications.
