Sledge have recently published Standing Out in A Sea of Sustainability Messages: The Benefits of a Bold, Brave Approach That Delivers on Your Unique Goals. You can download the guide here. The main takeaways from the guide are:
- That we’re facing a disconnect between what companies say, and what they do from a sustainability perspective, so much so, that 53% of Americans “sometimes” or “never” believe companies’ green claims. Source here.
- At the same time, environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are at the forefront of consumers and employees’ minds. It impacts what they buy, as in 2022, 49% of consumers said they had paid a premium for products—an average 59% increase on the previous year—that were branded as sustainable or socially responsible in the last 12 months, as well as where they choose to work, and their expectations when it comes to their employers’ ESG policies. Source here.
- This inspired Sledge to develop a report that is designed to provide brands with the tools, processes and insights to stand out, engage their most important stakeholders, get their people behind their policies, and deliver on their promises in unique, meaningful and transparent ways.
- It explores the notion that standing out in a crowded sea of sustainability messages requires bravery and creativity, and the value of creative communications when it comes to cutting through the clutter and sharing such messages in bold, compelling ways.
- The team delves into their Sledge Edge model, a six-step operational process they apply to every project in order to develop creative sustainability communications and ensure sustainability is centre stage rather than an add on. The model is supported by this case study.
- The report goes on to detail the importance of sustainability measurement, and the benefits of such an approach. These include enhanced trust and brand perception, increased support from executives, improved internal alignment, and a positive impact on employee engagement.
- It takes a deep dive into Sledge’s own IMPACT Tool, which is applied to every project from beginning to end. The tool measures not just one ESG area, but seven, and is aligned to nine of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The report concludes by sharing that as an employee-owned company, sustainability is at the heart of what Sledge does, and as such, sustainability is not ‘owned’ by a single person, it is encoded into all roles, and working with Sledge means that it will be embedded throughout all that they plan, design and deliver in collaboration with clients.
- This notion is supported by a case study outlining Sledge’s ongoing partnership with non-profit, We Are Family Foundation (WAFF), where the team has provided creative, strategic and production support to a range of their events for over eight years. These include an event with O2 in 2014, TEDxTeen in 2016 and 2017, several Three DotDash Just Peace Summits, and most recently, TEDxKings Parade St.
