RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

COMMUNICATING CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Sterling Ultra Digital and Ultra Digital for HP Indigo products contains 10% post-consumer recycled fiber content.

Intro 7 Steps to Turning Your CSR Report Into a Year of Communications Content 7 Signs Youve Got a Great CSR Report 10 Outstanding CSR Reports Behind the Scenes on Corporate Responsibility Communications Burts Bees Abuzz Over Colony Collapse Disorder Top 10 Mistakes in CSR Communications Why Communication Should Be at the Heart of Any CSR Strategy 2 Reasons Why Your CSR Program Should Engage Employees 5 Reasons Why You Need a CSR Communications Road Map Why Do More Than Report? About AHA!

At AHA!, we love reading corporate responsibility reports. Theyre chock full of amazing stories of human impact and progress. But as we page through report after report, we cant ignore the missed opportunity staring back at us: Too many of the stories we find so compelling remain bottled up, invisible to most audiences. Companies are pouring a lot of resources into producing outstanding CR reports, but they arent necessarily getting the best return on their investment. The fact is, not everyone loves reading reports as much as we do. Isnt there a way to use such a trove of valuable information and insights more effectively, to reach a broader audience? We think so. We outlined our solution in a white paper we debuted at the COMMIT!Forum in 2011, titled How to move beyond the corporate responsibility report. The idea is to unlock the value of a reports content throughout the year. By customizing stories to address stakeholders interests and media preferences, companies can get more from their investment while deepening engagement. When we shared this idea with our friends at TriplePundit, one of the leading sustainability news and information sites on the web, they suggested an editorial series addressing the possibilities of CR communications. The articles from that series, published in 2012, were so thought provoking, we decided to collect all 10 of them in this publication. So pleasedig in and enjoy. And if this sparks any ideas for you, wed love to hear them.

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7 STEPS TO TURNING YOUR CSR REPORT INTO A YEAR OF COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT

Excerpted from the white paper How to move beyond the corporate responsibility report By Christian Hicks, AHA! // May 2, 2012

THE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

IS A BEAST.

First of all, its big. Virtually no area of your company is off limits. It often covers a year or more of activity. Some reports are well over 100 pages and packed with information. Second, its hairy. Most CR reports take on complex and controversial issues that dont have clear-cut solutionsdealing with climate change, designing products to be safe and environmentally responsible, and protecting human rights in the supply chain, to name just a few. And third, its got a huge appetite. It takes a lot of time and effort to gather and vet information from every corner of the organization, write (and rewrite) and design the report, and navigate the maze of reviews and approvals. Thats why managing the CR report can be the top to-do for one or more employees for months on end. It can also involve dozens of internal content providers as well as a stable of sustainability consultants, creative agencies and verification services. Add it all up, and producing a CR report makes for a dauntingand costlychallenge. The tab can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. But make no mistake: It can also deliver tremendous value.

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Heres how to maximize all that great content to promote your companys corporate responsibility all year round.
This approach offers a couple of notable advantages. First, you can make the most of the goldmine of content your companys CR initiatives are constantly creating. And second, by shifting your emphasis from merely informing stakeholders to engaging with them, youre in a better position to widen your audience, open up dialogue, deepen understanding and build goodwill. Once youve decided to go from publishing a single report to managing a broader communications platform, how do you turn intent into action? Begin with these seven steps:

1. Set communication goals

This sounds like a no-brainer. But the twist is that the goals you set for CR communications need to link to your organizations brand and business goals. In contrast, many CR reports are treated as specialized documents, often with much narrower objectivessuch as driving traffic to the reports website, seeding media stories and earning high ratings and rankings. If your company is focused on increasing sales in a particular market, launching a new product line or streamlining its supply chain, examine how your CR communications platform can support those initiatives. For example, you may be able to link a new product that raises the bar for energy efficiency to your companys broader goal to reduce carbon emissions, strengthening your competitive position while underscoring your leadership in environmental stewardship.

7 STEPS TO TURNING YOUR CSR REPORT INTO A YEAR OF COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT

2. Understand and prioritize your stakeholder audiences

Developing a CR communications platform is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. From customers to investors, NGOs to employees, the informational needs and expectations of your audiences will vary. To get a handle on those different needs and expectations, develop a profile of each stakeholder group that: Describes their perception of your companys CR performance Summarizes the CR issues of greatest importance to them Identifies the most effective ways to reach out to them Assesses their importance to meeting your business and communication goals Use these profiles to refine your communication goals, determine which stakeholder groups to focus on and develop strategies for outreach. And remember: Audience perceptions arent static. Return to the profiles periodically to measure progress and calibrate your work.

3. Develop a CR content strategy

Plan ahead and think like a publisher, identifying themes to explore throughout the yearsuch as managing the risks of climate change or protecting human rights in the global supply chain. Map the themes to your stakeholder groups, identifying where and how their interests intersect withor are at odds withyour companys priorities. While your themes wont resonate with all audiences in the same way, focusing on themes that are relevant to all audiences can help create critical mass for your CR communications. In the messaging process, be clear about how you want to represent each theme. For each stakeholder group, develop a succinct

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statement that expresses your companys position, approach and activities. Consider how the messages align with your companys business strategy and brand positioning, and get buy-in from content experts and decision makers in your organization. Finally, develop an editorial calendar. This is your tactical roadmap for the year, plotting how your CR communications platform will unfold. It doesnt necessarily need to include every detail, but it should give you a birds-eye view of what you want to say, to whom and by what means.

4. Keep the content pipeline full

If youve produced a CR report, you know gathering and updating content is easier said than done. But its essential to sustaining a CR communications platformand it should make developing your next CR report easier in the long run. Because CR is so broad and often decentralized, it can involve dozens of internal leaders and subject matter experts. Most will be busy enough with their day-today responsibilities that your requests for information will be a lower priority. Others may not consider CR to be part of their domain, making them even harder to reach. However, there are some overarching tactics to keep in mind: Look beyond position titles. Valuable information can come from unexpected sources. Share your editorial calendar and provide long lead times. Be specific about the type of content youre looking for. Welcome story ideas from your content providers. Ask for, organize and flag content with your CR report in mind. Most important, make a compelling case for why CR communications are in your content providers best interests. In other words, whats in it for them?

7 STEPS TO TURNING YOUR CSR REPORT INTO A YEAR OF COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT

Make the most of what you have by managing your editorial calendar with an eye on repurposing content. For example, stories for NGOs about how your company is helping suppliers reduce their carbon footprint can be fodder for an item in a customer newsletter or a blog post.

5. Think beyond words

Use a full palette of media to express your CR messages. Some stories are better told through video, for example. Others may lend themselves to a photo essay, an infographic or even an interactive mobile app. Look for ways to show rather than simply tellCR offers rich opportunities to profile how your companys commitment shows up in peoples lives in ways that a data table or policy statement just cant capture.

6. Tie into existing communications

You dont have to create everything from scratch or go it alone. Chances are your company already has internal and external communications that can be great platforms for publishing CR content. E-newsletters, sales tools, executive talking pointseven simple things such as HR posterscan all be effective, as long as you align your CR message, target audience and communications channel. Often the best way to tap into these opportunities is simply to ask. The internal communications department is probably working from an editorial calendar when developing employee newsletters and updating the intranet. The corporate communications team might be managing a speakers bureau for executives. The sales team is constantly customizing their presentations for customers. And so on.

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7. Embrace dialogue
Of the seven steps, this might be the most important to the ongoing success of your CR communications platform. Embracing dialogue requires a shift not just in how you develop and deliver content, but also in why youre developing and delivering it in the first place. Dont be afraid of inviting criticism. Youll get more from a CR communications platform if you approach it as an opportunity to engage, listen and learn. Your company is grappling with issues that extend well beyond its walls and people. Bringing others into the mix is an acknowledgment that your actions have a ripple effect and that you alone dont have all the answersan idea at the very heart of corporate responsibility. Sound like a lot of work? It is. But fear notit pays big dividends. By dedicating the time up front to create a strong CR content strategy, youll have the foundation for an integrated communications platform with the power to shape how stakeholders view and interact with your company.

7 STEPS TO TURNING YOUR CSR REPORT INTO A YEAR OF COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT

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7 SIGNS YOUVE GOT A GREAT CSR REPORT

By Jen Boynton // May 9, 2012

There are plenty of signs that you have a lousy CSR report. Bloggers (including us!) might tell you, and if they dont, you can take any radio silence that comes after your report launches as a sign that it was not as groundbreaking as it could have been. But how do you know when youve got a successful report? Here are seven signs Christian Hicks, creative director of corporate responsibility at AHA!, uses to determine if a company has a great report:

1. Your report is positive and forward looking.

While its important to cover the struggles youve had meeting sustainability goals, the overall tone of the report should focus on the positive. What are the solutions and how is your company working to solve problems?

2. Its simple and clear.

Sustainability is a huge issue. Its full of complexity: climate change, water, health and education are all incredibly complicated and unwieldy for any one organization to tackle successfully. Of course, your companys sustainability initiatives are tied to those big issues. Their societal importance is one of the reasons youre putting your efforts there. A successful report wont fall into the trap of keeping the discussion at the higher levelitll bring it down to the groups and communities affected. A complicated issue like water access can be made simple when a company takes the time to explain why it invested in that issue, what impacts it has had to date and what plans it has for the future.

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3. It builds trust.
A CSR report is an opportunity to create a connection with your audience. Trust is about being vulnerable and honest. Use CSR communications as a way to admit your shortcomingsso long as you focus on what youre going to do about them.

4. It engages rather than explains.

A great CSR report should give readers many ways to engage with the content therein. Your reader will ask, How does this affect me? What can I do about it? and a great report will include calls to action and outlets for those impulses.

5. It goes against the grain.

Its really easy to take shortcuts when telling your sustainability story. Many companies have had, and overcome, similar challenges. But dont let your report become clichd. Obviously, its a lot harder to organize and present ideas in new ways. However, the best way to make news is to do something new. How is your sustainability story different and interesting? Your readers want to know.

7 SIGNS YOUVE GOT A GREAT CSR REPORT

6. It borrows a halo.
A great CSR program will associate the company with others who are doing good work, like well-regarded nonprofits in a similar field. If your connection is sincere and multifaceted, your company will be perceived as one that does good and also one that is willing to work with othersa great asset!

7. Its social.
A CSR report is made up of more than the stories and the people who wrote them. Its for every member of the stakeholder community. CSR cant be done alone. Recognize that once its out, its not your story anymore. Its not exclusively yours. A successful report builds on that by giving readers ways to engage and build on the contents of the report.

Dont forget to

TELL YOUR STORY

all year long!

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10 OUTSTANDING CSR REPORTS

By Andrew Newell // May 23, 2012

In an earlier post, Christian Hicks, creative director of corporate responsibility at AHA!, listed seven signs he uses to determine if a company has a great CSR report, including simplicity, engagement, trustworthiness and a positive forecast. Many reports are released every year, and according to GreenBiz and Ernst & Young, the number is growing. Here are 10 reports that impressed our TriplePundit writers. To Hicks list, well add our own signs, ranging from innovation to interactivity to arresting visuals to positive, proven results. Not coincidentally, many of the companies that generated these creative accountings are strong CSR leaders themselves, although a few on the list might surprise you. 1. Nike. Veteran writer Leon Kaye, who has reviewed several reports on this list, called Nikes 2011 report, quite possibly one of the most compelling and engaging I have ever come across. Although aesthetics couldnt hide some of the issues Nike admitted to in the pages, like excessive overtime and hazardous chemical management, Kaye ultimately gave this report a big thumbs-up for innovation, education and how it managed to bring sustainability alive, using demonstrations and accessible language to engage users. 2. Patagonia. Its no surprise to find Patagonia on this list, as the company has long been a CSR trailblazer. Patagonia goes far beyond a simple report to demonstrate its commitment to CSR. This year alone it has stood at the front of the line to register as a B corp, told customers to consume less, and most recently, released The Footprint Chronicles, tracking its product materials from cradle to consumer. Simply putting the name Patagonia on any CSR report is guaranteed to inspire trust, show positive results and look forward to the next groundbreaking goal.

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10 OUTSTANDING CSR REPORTS

3. Seventh Generation. Its 2008 report was named Best Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise SME report by Ceres, and its 2009 report pleased Deborah Fleischer by being entirely web-based and interactive. However, as with Nike, we arent fooled by a little fun. Seventh Generations reports also deliver solid data on its goals, clear measurement, transparency and the ability to drill down into the details. 4. Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE). Not to be confused with CocaCola, CCE is its European bottling cousin, who, last year, released a CSR report that is not only chock full of case studies and human interest stories, but it is also full of quantitative data that allows the reader to decide whether the company is making enough impact on the environmental, social, and governance fronts. Kaye reports that on top of that, CCE released an engaging video that nutshells it all for you. You can learn more about CCEs sustainability work here. 5. GE. GE, like Patagonia, has long been known as a green innovator. Its Ecomagination initiative all but eclipses any annual report with its extensive web and social media presence and steady stream of innovative green news all year long. The annual report connects the dots and forecasts what new challenges the company is aiming for in the future. Rather than a single article about GEs sustainability report, Kaye wrote a series about its accomplishments. 6. LOral. As you might expect, the cosmetic giants report is gorgeous, but once you get past its glossy exterior, the inner data beauty shines through. LOral shows it has technological depth by its focus on plant-based materials, and heart by its development of artificial skin. The company has increased production of this reconstructed biological tissue, which it uses to discontinue animal testing. The company has also shared this breakthrough with hospitals to benefit burn victims. Far from superficial, LOrals report shows real depth.

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7. Philips. As with LOral, Philips CSR report shows stakeholders a whole new side to the company. Literally. The CEO letter begins, Dear Stakeholder. Reviewer Raz Godelnik reminds us that although most conjure images of LED lighting when thinking of Philips, there is much more to the company. Green products comprise 39 percent of its total sales, and one of its standout items in 2011 was a recycled designer coffee machine made from old electronic appliances (Ill bet you didnt see that one coming). Philips also showed a sensitive social side with their dedication to oral healthcare, light therapy, water and air purification products and solar-powered lamps. 8. H&M. Fashion and cosmetics are two unlikely CSR candidates, yet, here they are. Although they both face industry challenges to being sustainable, both have shown dedication and improvement. Fashion is fraught with consumption and waste, yet H&Ms report went against the grain to impress Kaye, addressing many industry criticisms. Despite being the largest user of organic cotton, the company streamlined its processes to conserve 13.2 million gallons of water. A whopping 71 percent of management positions are held by women, and the company has supported educating Bangladesh workers on their rights and developed an ethical clothing line. Fashion will always have resource consumption issues and room for improvement, but this report shows that H&M has taken some great strides.

10 OUTSTANDING CSR REPORTS

9. GM. In its first CSR report after the automobile industry shakeup, GM comes off as a phoenix rising from the ashes. This report really needed to inspire trust and have a strong forward vision in order to dispel any lingering ire taxpayers have about bailing out the car company. The fact that Leon Kaye, who often writes about Detroits transformation, is giving the reports claims the benefit of the doubt says something for the persuasiveness of the content. GMs stated focus on (water) conservation and reducing waste, while slightly ironic, shows that the company is moving in the right direction. GMs commitment to give back to Detroit, a community struggling due to the auto industrys mismanagement, also helps its sincerity efforts. 10. SAP. RRP Siegel had high expectations for the information titans annual sustainability report, and he was not disappointed. One would expect their annual sustainability report to be a highly readable and information-rich document, which is exactly what it is. In keeping with the companys transition from physical installation to cloud computing, the report has morphed from a PDF to an interactive, web-based format. SAP goes beyond describing its own conservation efforts and demonstrates how its products help other companies achieve their sustainability goals.

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BEHIND THE SCENES ON CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY COMMUNICATIONS

By Jen Boynton // June 6, 2012

To get the full story on CR communications its important to look behind the scenes at how a communications firm operates. How do they supportand influenceclients CR communications? I sat down with Christian Hicks, creative director of corporate responsibility at AHA!, to get the inside scoop.

TriplePundit: Tell me about AHA!. What makes you different from

other communications firms?

Christian Hicks: Our bread and butter is writingthats evolving

as we grow, but our foundation has always been great writing and an appreciation of what it takes to create great content. Its not just that we write but that we are writerswe see the world through that lens. Many of us were journalists before coming here, so theres a great understanding of what it takes to tell a good story. Thats what distinguishes us. We approach the world with a writers eye rather than a design eye. Other firms are very design centric. They think of solving problems in terms of design and think about the content as a support of strategy rather than a driver of strategy. What we say is that the communications strategy really begins with understanding your story. That comes from the writing process.

3p: Given the connection between CR and communication, do you

think CR belongs inside the communications department, or should it be its own department?

CH: CR should stand on its own. When its done well, its influencing
the strategic direction of the company, so if you pigeonhole it in the communications department, you lose out on the chance to have it influence the company at a larger level. That doesnt mean there isnt a huge connection between CR and communicationsthats why were here. CR gives companies an opportunity to engage meaningfully and authentically with their audiences, and we want to help companies do that better.
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Engagement is the principle upon which CR begins.

3p: How do you educate companies about the importance of

engagement?

CH: If a company comes to us and says, We want to tell people about

what we did for CR. We would say, To what end? What do you want to achieve? Informing is a shallow kind of communication that doesnt give people any opportunity to act or respond. Engagement gives them a reason to come back to you or engage with others about you, and in that way your story lives on. Engagement is a higher form of communication, so well always drive companies toward it.

3p: The classic examples of increased engagement have to do with

social mediawhat advice do you have for companies that are smaller, or B-to-B, whose clients arent really reaching out to them online?

CH: Social media may not be the most important way for them to
get their messages out. If youre a mining company, you have a very different set of stakeholders than McDonalds. There are regulators and policymakers, and so your communication strategies have to take that into account. Right now social media is mostly communication from consumers. You just have to rethink your strategy: Figure out who you want to talk to, what you want to say, and then create the means by which you can share that story. Make sure theres an opportunity for feedback. Maybe it means more face-to-face communications, maybe you host a forum where you bring everyone together. Maybe you have to do more speaking in places where your stakeholders are meeting. Its still engagementits just a different way of doing it.

BEHIND THE SCENES ON CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY COMMUNICATIONS

3p: Whats the next big trend in corporate responsibility

communications?

CH: So many reports these days are focused on disclosure and

transparency. Its not that those arent importantthey areits that a document like this, and a campaign to promote it, has limited use. It doesnt encourage engagement. We see a shift from CR communications as a campaign to more of a platform or a forum. A campaign is a short-lived, limited way to tell your story. If you think of CR communications as a platform, it becomes a long-term proposition and opportunity for dialogue. When done correctly, this platform can become the glue between a company and its stakeholdersa place for communication about CR to happen all year round. This engagement approach is becoming more and more prevalent. Not that everyone has it figured out, but people are being more creative and open to whats possible. From my point of view this is still very much in its infancy in terms of the tools we have at our disposal as communicators. Thats where AHA! can help.

3p: Do you have any advice for companies that are feeling that
burden of reporting?

CH: The report gets the lions share of CR attention and resources
within a company, and what I would say is that the report is important, its necessary, but dont let it dominate your approach to CR communications. Great information from the report may also turn out to be fodder for a blog post or a video down the road, or an example that gets inserted into a presentation being given by executives.

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BURTS BEES ABUZZ OVER COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

By Jen Boynton // June 20, 2012

Burts Beesthe natural line of skincare productsproudly claims beeswax as a key ingredient. Beeswax is a natural ingredient with moisturizing and antiseptic attributes, and this core ingredient gives Burts Bees a competitive advantage as well as a place in the sustainable business club. Which is why it makes total sense that the brand should be concerned about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)or disappearing bees. If the bees keep dying, Burts key ingredient is going to get a lot more expensive. Burts latest ad campaign takes on CCD and reinforces the brands unique ingredients in one go. Wild for Bees educates consumers on the importance of bees to pollination in clear and concise language. Then it delivers an amusing and educational series of videos about the role of different bees in the colony. The videos are produced by Isabella Rossellini (remember her line of bug porno videos?) and include her characteristic wit and high production value. At Burts Bees, weve always taken Colony Collapse Disorder and the health of the honeybees very seriously, says Burts Bees Vice President of Customer Strategy and Marketing Jim Geikie. The opportunity to work with Isabella on this film project has given us the chance to shed light on this important issue in an incredibly artful and theatrical new way that I think viewers will really enjoy. One of the easiestand most authenticways for a brand to show its sustainability cred is to align itself with a carefully chosen cause. However, the cause marketing strategy can backfire when it feels inauthentic to consumers. The cause must be aligned with the brand values, and the engagement must go beyond the superficial for the causes good benefits to rub off on the brand.

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BURTS BEES ABUZZ OVER COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

The Wild for Bees campaign makes that case clearly by reminding visitors that Burt is a bee man through and through. The website explains:
Burt Shavitz, the epically bearded co-founder of Burts Bees, was a beekeeper. His bees made the wax in our first Beeswax Lip Balm. So bees arent just in our name. Theyre part of our history, our culture and our future, too. For starters, we offer our employees a stipend to learn how to become beekeepers (just like Burt), and we get our hands in the dirt as a group to support sustainable agriculture in the community surrounding our Durham, North Carolina, headquarters.

From a branding perspective this is a key addition, as it makes the case for the cause campaign and further distinguishes the brand in one fell swoop. Not every brand has a unique and interesting founder like Burt, and the company is wise to capitalize on his background to distinguish the brand. Finally, the campaign concludes with a call to action telling folks how they can get involved and help save the bees. While Clorox purchased Burts Bees in 2007, the brand continues to operate independently and maintains a solid reputation as a sustainable company. This reputation comes not only from its natural ingredients, but also its employee education program and waste reduction strategies. Ad campaigns like last years Be Like Burt and this one, which focuses on the importance of bee health to the brand, only solidify that sustainability message. Burts Bees has hit the jackpot with this campaign by reinforcing its brand message and fighting to protect its key ingredient with one powerful message.
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TOP 10 MISTAKES IN CSR COMMUNICATIONS

By Jen Boynton // July 11, 2012

We covered the seven signs of a great CSR report a few weeks ago, but the truth of the matter is we see a lot more grounders and fouls than home runs when it comes to corporate sustainability communications. Here are 10 common mistakes your company might be making with its CSR communications and how to fix them.

1. Great stuff is happening, but you dont want to talk about ityet
When I run into sustainability professionals at conferences, I hear a lot of great and exciting stories about the projects they are working on. When I ask why I havent heard about their initiative yet, I hear, Oh, its not public yet. I completely understand the need to keep things under wraps until you have the kinks worked out, but some of these projects have been going on for years. 3p recommendation: Get out there and tell your story. Well appreciate the transparency. Even if its not perfect, dont you want some advice about how to improve?

2. Scattershot CSR communications

The flip side of under-sharing is over-sharing. We love transparency, so I dont want to caution companies against disclosing too much. At the same time, it is important to be strategic about how the information is shared in order to maximize the positive impact of the communication. Some companies take a duck-shot approach to CSR communications, putting out a press release every time someone changes a CFL light bulb. Its not that these communications are bad so much as that they lack impact, because they dont tell a story about your company and its social and environmental commitments. All communications should reflect the companys overall CSR strategy; otherwise they represent a missed opportunity.
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One solar panel manufacturing company regularly sends me press releases about their financial donations to the Boys and Girls Club. Its a worthy cause, for sure, but its a cause that is misaligned with the brand. Receiving these announcements only makes me wonder why they arent donating time and panels to Habitat for Humanitythat would be a better use of their money and expertise, and it would give them a branding benefit from a cause marketing standpoint as well. 3p recommendation: Make sure the sustainability news you promote is tied into an overall strategy. If you dont have a CSR strategy, get one.

3. Communications operates separately from operations

Theres a harsher term for the case where the communications message is not backed up by the actions of other departments: greenwashing. When a communications team runs around telling stories about the great things a company does without the input of the C-Suite, bad things can happen. 3p recommendation: All department heads need to be engaged and buy in to the corporate CSR strategy, and communications should reflect only these jointly decided activities.

4. Avoiding material issues

Going back to those random communications from #2, its important that your CSR communication strategy reflects those issues that are at the core of your businessthe issues that are most important to the future health of your business. If you are a solar panel company, lets hear about how much renewable power you created and lets also hear about your management of the conflict minerals and toxins in your supply chain. Were less interested in the vegetarian meal options in the cafeteria, although they are nice. Similarly, if you are a pharmaceutical company, we want to hear about how many people

TOP 10 MISTAKES IN CSR COMMUNICATIONS

your products have helped, but were a bit less interested in whether you put solar panels on your factory. We also want to hear about your stance on animal testing and your work on water contamination from unused meds. 3p recommendation: Focus on the issues that are material for your company in your CSR strategy and all CSR communications.

5. Skipping the stakeholders

Finding the issues that are material to your company is not always as easy as it sounds. You probably have a good idea, but the other employees, customers, NGOs and policy organizations with whom your organization interacts also have ideas about whats material. Make sure you ask them and incorporate their suggestions into your strategy. 3p recommendation: Even if you cant manage all that material information at once, at least make a note of it in your strategy and communicationslet people know you recognize its important and start making a plan to manage it.

6. Playing defense rather than offense

Some companies are proactive about their CSR strategyyou can find it on their website, in corporate executive talking points and in all the outward communications channels. Others make CSR decisions in private and only share their decisions under the force of public pressure. Apple is a great example. The company was singled out by Greenpeace for its dirty data centers not because its data centers were really bad, but because it refused to share data with Greenpeace, and the NGO assumed the worst. When Apple came out a few weeks later with news of a renewable

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energypowered data center, which was likely in the works in the middle of Greenpeaces research, the announcement read as too little too late, or worse, a decision borne of the green giants pressure rather than a proactive move. If Apple had been more upfront with Greenpeace or more open about its plans to improve its energy use, it might have avoided all that bad press. 3p recommendation: The secrecy that works so well for product launches is lost on the public when it comes to CSR communications. Communicate openly and honestly, and you wont need a defense quite as often.

7. Avoiding the negative

Many, many CSR communications focus on the positive and thats great, but its important to also be honest when things arent going so well. Otherwise, its hard to believe you about the good things. 3p recommendation: Dont be afraid to share bad newswe appreciate your diligence and your honesty. You didnt think this CSR stuff was going to be EASY, did you? Neither did we. We know it will be hard, and you might not always meet your targets, but we want to hear about the process anyway. Believe me. Being honest will further your overall communications goals, and were more likely to celebrate with you when you do hit a milestone.

8. Going too light on quantitatives

If I had a dollar for every CSR report filled with pictures of sunshine, solar panels and smiling, multicultural employees, Id be a rich woman. These reports are a great start, but until a company starts setting targets and reporting honestly on whether or not its meeting them, I take the companys communications with a grain of salt.

TOP 10 MISTAKES IN CSR COMMUNICATIONS

3p recommendation: Pictures and breakout quotes do a great job of setting the stage, but its important to have a second and third act, too. Those pictures should inspire me to read further, and hopefully I should find quantitative goals and results to back up the story told by the beautiful pictures.

9. Lack of comparability
You might have all the graphs in the world, but how do you compare with other companies in your industry? Other companies with a CSR strategy? Reporting comparatively is indeed a tall order, but its something that should be in your companys long-term sustainability plan. And not just for feel-good reasons, but because if your sustainability performance suffers compared with your competitors, youre opening yourself up to a lot of risk. 3p Recommendation: Its hard to know where you stand unless you are using a framework like the Global Reporting Initiative or the Carbon Disclosure Project to track your progress.

10. Focusing too much on the report

We get it. Writing a sustainability report is extremely challengingit can be a marathon and all the sustainability coordinators we know are just pushing for the finish line. But remember that the goal of all that reporting is to share it with people. And people dont love reading 100-page PDF documents no matter how pretty they are. 3p recommendation: Think about how you can share that information with your stakeholders all year long and build on all the hard work you did putting out a report. Can you use the material to create presentation slides for executives or chop it into blog posts? Get creative and make sure to ask for feedback!

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WHY COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE AT THE HEART OF ANY CSR STRATEGY

By Jen Boynton // July 25, 2012

At its heart, CSR is really about how your company engages with the worldthe communities where it does business. Do you give back or do you suck out natural resources and leave only pollution behind? Are you helping to enhance the local community with great jobs that help build healthy families, or are you paying as little as possible? Does your company exist to benefit the community or just the shareholders? If its the former, how do you define your contributions? Without a clear communication strategy, no one really knows. Now, when I say communication, Im not talking about the department with a capital C, Im talking about truly communicating not just putting your message out there, but making sure that the person you are talking to can hear you. True communication requires both a speaker and a listener, ideally taking turns. You might have the best story in the world to tell, but if no one is listening, then your communication strategy is not very effective. The most effective CSR reporting will be mindful both of the companys achievements and the priorities of the people who will read the report: employees, customers, community representatives, NGOs and, yes, shareholders. Integrating their priorities into your CSR strategy can help you maximize the impact of your reporting. But how?

Back to basics: the purpose of a CSR report

The purpose of a CSR report is to communicate your efforts to the people who care about themall those stakeholders. Yet, the most common complaint I hear from companies that write CSR reports is that after all that hard work, very few people actually read the report. One of the best ways to get a better reception for your report is to

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actually talk about the things that the people you hope will read the reportemployees, investors, media, NGOs and customerscare about. If youve talked to them about CSR strategy and their ideas show up in the report, I promise you, they will not only read the report, but share it on social media networks and maybe even blog about it. (We would!)

You need to talk to people

When you get into the nitty-gritty of what your corporate responsibility strategy is and what type of goals you are setting for the future, things can get complicated quickly. Only those who are involved in your companys sphere of influence can tell you whats crucial to cover. Employees up and down the ladder, customers, NGO representatives, regulators and policy experts can all give you insight into the places where your company excels and where it needs to improve. Weve all seen superficial CSR reportingthose press releases from companies that proudly change a few light bulbs and call it a day. Energyefficient lighting is probably material if your company runs a grow house (please excuse me, Im in California), but for less energyintensive industries, its not enough to address the low-hanging fruit (pun intended).

Two-way communication
This means a transition from just communicating your CSR efforts to listening to stakeholders and then communicating your effortsfrom one-way communication to two-way communication. But this simple shift in focus has numerous positive impacts, from increasing the impact of your CSR reporting efforts to risk mitigation to meeting the demand for increased transparency that all companies are currently feeling in this brave new world of social media.

WHY COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE AT THE HEART OF ANY CSR STRATEGY

Side benefits of engaged communication

If you use your CSR reporting juice to focus on the superficial, you miss out on the risk-mitigation benefits of stakeholder engagement. By looking more deeply at your organizations activities, you can anticipate which actions are going to become a lot more expensive down the roador maybe even impossible thanks to new regulations. You can anticipate and avoid activities that might land you in trouble with NGOs like Greenpeace, and finally, you can gain goodwill and brand value with employees and consumers alike, making your company more resilient to bad news if it occurs. A deeper reporting strategy can save your company money down the linethat means the CSR program wont get chopped as soon as the easy energy-efficiency projects are completed. By focusing on the core issues that make your company tick, your reporting can improve the resiliency of your organization. Yes, it can be a challenge to keep the conversation productive and on track, and yes it can be a challenge to prioritize all your stakeholder feedbackonce you get down to business there are lots of tools and courses to help you with that. The point is just to shift your mindset from talking at stakeholders to listening to them.

From CSR report to CSR reporting all year round

Ultimately, your goal should be to shift your approach to CSR reporting away from just focusing on that annual communication behemoth: the CSR report. I understand why companies get so bogged down with the reportits a huge job with many moving parts and input from many different departments and internal stakeholders. But ultimately, its not the contents of the report but the act of reporting that matters mostand that communication channel should be open all year round.
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2 REASONS WHY YOUR CSR PROGRAM SHOULD ENGAGE EMPLOYEES

By Melanie Colburn // August 8, 2012

The phrase employees are our greatest asset seems to be a common platitude at CSR conferences and in annual reports. But corporate responsibility communications are often outwardly focused, aimed at the media, investors, customersthe external community. There is much to be gained by focusing that lens inward, but when it comes to resource allocation, employee communications and engagement are often low on the list. Here are two good reasons why your CR communications should aim to educate, inspire and engage employees.

Cost savings
The Corporate Leadership Council reports that companies that enjoy high engagement rates have 87 percent lower staff turnover rates and 20 percent better performance. Need another? A survey by Ipsos MORI found that 75 percent of employees with a favorable impression of their companys CSR efforts plan to stay two years, compared with 50 percent for those with an unfavorable opinion. In the technology space, median recruitment costs were over $4,000 in 2011, and can range much higher for business services and other industries. Multiply by several thousand employees worldwide and investment in employee engagement begins to look like a bargain. Sustainability-engaged employees are more satisfied twoto-one, according to a nationwide study by Rutgers University.

Employee ambassadors
Customer relationships are often lorded over, cultivated and prized. But today, many customers are seeping through the seamsconnecting with your company through mobile devices, social media and the web. Interconnection is powerful but not easy to control. Business models must respond to this by meeting customers where they are, not where one might want them to be.

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Embed CSR into the brand from the inside out and theres a bottom line perk. Employees who viewed their employer as environmentally responsible were 50 percent more likely to recommend their company, according to a study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Communicate how your company supports an employees personal values and theyre more willing to carry your brand beyond the offices walls.

New territory, your own backyard

So, if we recognize that employee engagement around corporate responsibility is valuable, why are so many companies stopping the presses at the sustainability report? Resources may be scarce, but its more than that. Media clippings can be counted, investor ratings provide a rank and dollars are a customers ballot. But what do employees have to offer in terms of measurable results? Quantifiable goals can be deceptively comforting, making it easy to bias against or simply ignore areas in which it is challenging to show quarterly wins. Strategists might call those blind spots. Even companies making great strides in social and environmental sustainability are struggling with this new territoryin other words, their own backyard. A recent roundtable hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) gathered sustainability professionals representing several leading companies across various industries, each with strong corporate responsibility commitments. The focus of the EDF event was to move thinking beyond green teams and toward embedding sustainability into peoples roles across the organization. It is a bold vision. In many ways it embodies an ideal state of sustainability, one where triple-bottom-line values are so thoroughly

2 REASONS WHY YOUR CSR PROGRAM SHOULD ENGAGE EMPLOYEES

adopted it is simply a given. Though this vision might appeal to you, stop for a second and consider how far your organization is from that ideal. Even leading companies at the forefront of many CSR efforts, like those present at the EDF roundtable, sometimes feel like novices in this area. There are no road maps and so few best-in-class case studies that it is premature to codify best practices. But they realize they cant stop there. Employees and culture are just too important to the long-term enterprise of embedding sustainability throughout a company. As practiced storytellers, CSR communicators have a special role to play in organizations at the ground stages of developing employee engagement around sustainability. Good communication is the core of engagement. Raters and rankers may only want the raw data, but employees need vivid and compelling episodes that provoke deeper reflection, response and engagement. If youre not communicating your corporate responsibility in an authentic and compelling fashion to your internal audience, you are overlooking your greatest asset (they call it a truism for a reason). The most robust triple bottom line strategy lives beyond the walls of your presentation deck; it becomes the culture.
Melanie Colburn is part of the sustainability team at Autodesk, where she leads internal communications and employee engagement on sustainability. She has a degree with honors from the University of California at Berkeley and is pursuing an MBA in sustainable business at San Francisco State University. She has published in Mother Jones, GreenBiz.com, Reason magazine and Hyphen magazine and contributed to the World Business Council for Sustainable Developments Vision 2050 Pathway. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author/presenter and are not those of Autodesk, Inc., its officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners or customers.

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5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A CSR COMMUNICATIONS ROAD MAP

By Jen Boynton // August 22, 2012

Like any corporate process, a good CSR strategy takes time and involves many stakeholders. Its very important to have clear shortand long-term goals. This CSR strategy should be developed hand in hand with a plan for communicating your goals, and your record on meeting them. Without a plan, your CSR communications will be at best ineffective and at worst actually damage your companys image as a CSR leader. Here are five reasons why a CSR road map will help your communications team for years to come:

1. Avoid surprises
When we talk about making the business case for CSR, we often talk in terms of carrots (positive things CSR can do for your company) and sticks (bad things that might happen if you dont consider CSR). The first reason why you need a CSR communications road map is a stick. If you dont have a plan, and your CSR communications are not aligned with the rest of the organizations CSR activities, you risk being hung out to drypromoting something that is not in line with what your company is already doing. If you do that, you open up your organization to charges of greenwashing. Your CSR communications must be integrated with the overall CSR plan for the organization. That means your organization also needs a CSR plan. And the communications imperative for having a cohesive story to tell is often one of the driving forces for creating one.

2. Emphasize whats truly important to your organization

The easiest way to start thinking about CSR is to get to the roots of whats important to your company and the core issues facing your company. If youre Costco, your core values probably have to do with providing good value to consumers and supporting

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communities by providing great jobs. If you are MillerCoors or Coca-Cola Enterprises, you are in the business of providing tasty beveragesbut your business also uses a lot of water. These issues should all be heavily featured in each companys CSR plan. In GRI terminology this means looking at whats materialand using that to drive a CSR strategy, which will determine which CSR projects have the highest priority for your company. The communications plan should come out of the CSR strategy, using all of those great projects to tell the story.

3. Build on your strengths

A good CSR communications road map, borne out of the CSR strategy, will inform your communications team of the projects that highlight the companys strengths, allowing them to amplify the impact of these projects through press mentions. This sort of streamlined integration will maximize the benefit of all the dollars spent on CSR efforts.

4. Manage your weaknesses

Lets face itmost companies that have made some inroads into CSR have some projects that are going really well, some projects that are not going as well as planned and some CSR concerns they arent even sure how to address. For example, your employee volunteering program might be going like gangbusters, but your energy-efficiency projects are behind schedule and you have no idea how to handle third-party suppliers.

5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A CSR COMMUNICATIONS ROAD MAP

The CSR communications plan can help you promote those arenas where you have a lot to be proud of while keeping folks updated on those projects that are still in progress. While many CSR communications focus on the strengths, with good reason, its also important to plan for how to talk about the things that arent going so well. This helps your company frame the conversationand it heads off potential negatives at the pass. You wont be opened up to negative attention from NGOs or media if you were the first one to share the information.

5. Aid your reporting process

Finally, a good CSR communications plan can actually support future cycles of the CSR reporting process. Think about it, the plan represents a really great outline for your CSR report. Says Nancy Mancilla, the CEO of ISOS Group, a lead GRI trainer: As CSR/sustainability reports, along with the supporting management systems evolve, it is ever increasingly important to coordinate closely throughout the reporting process with the communications team. We need to increase efficiencies internally, and roadblocks at the end of a cycle dont do a reporting organization any favors. Planning and internal coordination will amplify the reach of your CSR report and your CSR communicationsas well as making both a lot easier to achieve.

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WHY DO MORE THAN REPORT?

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR A BROADER VIEW OF CR COMMUNICATIONS

By Christian Hicks // Pub date TBD

Stories in this series have explored ways to increase the reach and effectiveness of your CR communications. Moving beyond an annual CR report to an ongoing communications platform is a promising strategy, but how can you make the case that the investment will be worth it? Quantifying impact is a challenge for all marketing communications. But it looms especially large for CR, an area that many consider a place for transparency rather than an opportunity for engagement. Common metricssuch as visits to your companys CR blog or followers of your Twitter feedare a start, but they measure activities rather than outcomes. To make your strongest case for an integrated, year-round CR communications strategy, you need to lay out the tangible benefits to your business. To wrap up our CR communications series on a forward-looking note, here are three opportunities to link CR communications to business success.

1. Greater brand value

Because it builds relationships with stakeholders on environmental and social issues that speak to shared values or strike an emotional chord, a CR communications platform can go beyond protecting corporate reputation. It can also enrich how people interact with your brand, helping lower customer acquisition costs and deepen loyalty. Based on analysis performed by Interbrand, 13 percent of a brands value can be linked to its performance in corporate social responsibility. For companies such as Toyota, Johnson & Johnson, Honda, Volkswagen and Hewlett-Packardthe top five on Interbrands 2012 list of the best global green brandseffective CR communications can be worth billions on the balance sheet.

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2. Deeper employee engagement

A commitment to ongoing CR communications can also pay off in stronger employee engagement. In a global workforce study, the consulting firm Towers Perrin found that CR ranked third in the top 10 drivers of employee engagement. And according to the Corporate Leadership Council, companies with high employee engagement have up to 87 percent lower turnover and 20 percent better performance. This has a direct impact on the bottom line: Companies with highly engaged employees saw a 19 percent jump in operating income while companies with poor employee engagement saw an 11 percent drop over one year, according to the Towers Perrin study. Helping employees understandand embracetheir role in meeting your companys environmental and social commitments can foster a stronger sense of contribution and ownership. Highlight stories of their contributions throughout the year, and back your efforts with surveys that measure workforce engagement.

3. Mobilized stakeholders
When CR communications change behavior or compel action, its a powerful measure of impact. A good example is Levi Strauss & Co.s efforts to save water, which it has identified as an issue thats core to the sustainability of its business as well as the environment. In 2010, Levis partnered with Goodwill to develop care tags that tell consumers not only how to wash the clothes, but where to take them for recycling. As part of its Water<Less campaign, Levis has sold more than 13 million products that need less washing and teamed with Water.org to get thousands of people in more than 1,300 cities to pledge their support in providing clean water for life to more than 4,000 people worldwide.

WHY DO MORE THAN REPORT?

This is the sort of program that NGOs, partners, employees and other stakeholders are interested in learning about, but your CR report is the wrong tool for the job. A CR communications platform can be finely tuned to share tailored stories through different channels with each of those groups, helping a company like Levis mobilize its diverse audiences toward a common goal. A marathon, not a sprint Of course, a CR communications platform cant claim full credit for these results. But make no mistake: It can be a valuable part of the mix. Keep in mind that the point isnt to get a spike of attention through quick exchanges of information. The value of a CR communications platform is its ability to open up lines of dialogue with stakeholders through stories and ideas that reflect your shared interests. Over time, engaging with the people who matter most to your success will pay off in a stronger brand and business.

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ABOUT AHA!
AHA! works with leaders to develop engaging, strategic communications that accelerate progress on their most important business strategies. We champion clarity, bringing journalistic rigor and thoughtful information design to complex communications challenges for global clients. With a sharp focus on the audience, we find fresh approaches that shift thinking, drive innovation, deepen loyalty and inspire action. Thats why, when the stakes are high, forward-thinking organizations count on us to help shape and share their social and environmental responsibility stories.

Greg Netzer
Managing Director Corporate Responsibility

Christian Hicks
Strategy Director Corporate Responsibility

ABOUT AHA!

SUSTAINABILITY CLIENTS
Hewlett-Packard Microsoft Green Mountain Coffee Roasters NBCUniversal Simply Organic Levi Strauss & Co. Starwood Hotels Waste Management Net Impact

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The articles in this book originally appeared on triplepundit.com and were reprinted here with their permission.

360.750.1680 / aha-writers.com / hello@aha-writers.com