This post first appeared in Anthony Bullick’s Daily Post column.
This is the latest in a series focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities within a business, with the spotlight shifting to the environmental aspect.
This element of ESG includes areas such as a company’s energy use, waste and pollution as well as its care of biodiversity surrounding its operations.
While climate change has thrust a firm’s environmental actions firmly into view, how a brand conducts itself on a day-to-day basis has always been a key driver in its reputation.
Frequent and honest communication provides organisations with the best chance to enhance what people think about them, and this is no different to sharing ESG stories.
Ensure your PR and communications strategy is linked to ESG, identifying threats and opportunities as well as who the key stakeholders are to build relationships with.
In addition, make sure your PR team has taken the time to understand what’s important to your stakeholders as well as the perception that exists about your business as this will inform what content and stories to create.
As we continue to move beyond the pandemic, consider inviting politicians and councillors to visit and see first-hand the work you are doing.
As well as sharing positive internal stories with the media as press releases, include expert commentary, thought leadership and feature contributions within your media strategy. Focus on editorial as this carries more weight and credibility than paying for your article to be published.
Also allow time for reactive PR, or newsjacking, to comment on topical and breaking news related to your industry.
Ensure all press releases and website stories are uploaded to your own news section, and integrate your social media plan to maximise reach across your channels.
Review your email database and send updates directly into your stakeholders’ inboxes.
Repurpose your written content into visual resources such as video clips, infographics and ebooks to allow for your expertise to be consumed in different formats.
Combine earned and owned media with paid media: targeted social media advertising places content in front of the people that matter most to you.
Print newsletters break through digital noise, and work particularly well on construction projects. Share ESG-related stories alongside scheme updates to further strengthen your environmental credentials.
Finally, have one eye on issues and crisis PR planning, looking back at your PR strategy to analyse risks. Draft reactive statements and brief spokespeople as well as include ESG scenarios in your media training.