Sledge managing director Sarah Yeats, share insights from the agency’s new report, which highlights the concerning trend of greenwashing and the importance of full transparency and good communication to build your brand’s reputation and stand out in a sea of sustainability messages…

From Instagram advertising to soundbites and emails, we’re constantly being updated with sustainability messaging from brands. But in the race to meet green targets, how much of it can we really believe?

Figures from sustainability software firm Envoria show that although 49% of people are willing to pay more for social and environmentally conscious brands, greenwashing is still a major challenge. More than half (53%) of people only sometimes (or never) believe the sustainability claims of companies, indicating a lack of trust among consumers.

While a handful of brands, like Patagonia and Stella McCartney, have developed a positive reputation for sustainability, many others are falling behind due to a lack of transparency and clear goals. However, with 93% of people saying their image of a company is impacted by their commitment to the green agenda, loss of consumer trust poses a real risk for the future.

What can we do?

Shining in a crowd has always been a challenge for brands, whether in the events industry or outside. Our latest report, Standing Out in A Sea of Sustainability Messages: The Benefits of a Bold, Brave Approach That Delivers on Your Unique Goals, aims to help companies understand how they can do this, enhancing not only their consumer satisfaction, but also employee loyalty.

Demonstrating your commitment to sustainability can be particularly challenging, because it’s not always easy to clearly articulate values and ambitions that haven’t yet been fully achieved. That’s where measurement comes in. At Sledge we’ve introduced our own IMPACT Tool for every project, which addresses all ESG areas, rather than a singular one. Spanning location, local event controls, energy, transport, materials and waste, water, and inclusivity and access, the tool is aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and designed to measure our impact in each area.

We use it to assess the potential impact of a project during the planning phase, meaning we can mitigate any challenges that arise. The tool also features a carbon action indicator, which shows the level to which we have taken action to reduce the carbon impact of a project, and the PFPC metric allows us to see how we’re creating positive environmental and social change. However it’s done, measurement is a crucial tool for demonstrating impact in a tangible way, increasing that trust in your brand.

Transparency

While some businesses are guilty of overstating their green credentials (greenwashing), others are afraid to release data until they’ve perfected their ESG performance (green hushing). In reality, transparency and good communications are an essential way to build your brand’s reputation. This involves not only collating the right data, but also packaging it in a visually compelling and easily digestible way, so that clients can truly understand the offering. In the events space, this may mean working closely with clients to communicate key findings to stakeholders so that they have the tools, data and resources to improve.

That transparency in communication is also essential internally within the business. If you can build trust and satisfaction among your own people, that’s only going to improve the perception of the company with consumers. Figures show that 74% of employees feel their job is more fulfilling when they are able to make a positive impact on social and environmental issues, while 70% would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to solutions to these issues.

Communication

At Sledge we recognise the importance of bold communication. While not every brief we receive leans into a company’s specific sustainability goals, we use our expertise to develop a deeper understanding of their ESG goals, helping to build on and develop these during the planning and execution phase of an event.

Crucially, we outline the reasoning behind certain actions, so that we can tailor impactful and memorable sustainability communications and experiences. By identifying ways to distinguish sustainability efforts from your competitors, you can elevate your communications, and demonstrate true leadership in sustainability. Whether it’s through events, news, social media or other platforms, highlighting the tangible achievements you’ve had, as well as your values and goals, will enhance trust in your brand. This could also include learnings on things that haven’t gone so well, and how you’re planning to improve your processes. Trust with consumers isn’t built by demonstrating perfection- it’s also achieved by taking your customers along for the ride and showing that change in action.

Ultimately reaching your sustainability goals won’t happen overnight. It requires commitment and buy-in from your people, clients and stakeholders, which can only be achieved with time, perseverance and clear communication. But by harnessing your people and investing in measurement, you can sidestep the greenwashing trap and build real transparency with your customers, setting your brand up for long term success.