The more entrenched I become with the communications teams of sustainable and responsible companies, the more I feel like a middle school teacher managing the minds of children as they transform into adults, poised to make their unique marks on the world.
They were safe, growing, learning, making money, and pleasing those they served. But along the way, they got a glimpse of something more. Purpose. They realized that their businesses could serve people, the planet, and earn a profit. They saw a way to a fuller potential.
But change comes with insecurity. As companies take on more responsibility for people or the earth, they wonder how to authentically communicate their new missions while keeping their current stakeholders happy.
Just like when in middle school, when it comes time to express their expanding selves, fear comes knocking.
What to say? How much to say? What not to say? How often to say it? What if we fail? But we aren’t perfect. They’ll see our (figurative) zits. They’ll say we are only doing it for the ratings. The concerns are endless.
Recently, the sustainability director of one of the largest retailers in the country said their communications team didn’t want to promote their new commitment to recycling because they worried people to say they were, “late to the party.”
They sound funny, but their fears are based on real concerns. CMOs have to make their numbers. Missteps in communication can alter public perception and reduce sales.
So what’s the solution to the challenges felt by companies as they transition from the old economy into the new socially responsible economy in which capitalism is used as a force for good?
Honesty.
Companies need to say they are a work in progress, that they aren’t perfect, and that a corporation is like a big ship that doesn’t turn on a dime. Explain what it takes to become sustainable and the regulations that must be met by the company and its suppliers. Discuss the cost of innovation, the cost of communicating that innovation, and also the lag time between research and return. Talk about what you hope to achieve by investing in a social mission. Say what’s in it for people and the planet.
To the company that was afraid of being called out for being late to the sustainability movement, the answer is clear. “No, we weren’t first, but we are here now and we are excited make change.” Honesty and candor are often the best way to diffuse innuendo or criticism on the soccer field and in the boardroom.
Just like the transition to adulthood, corporate America is at a fork in the road. The past is the belief that companies can only do good if they are doing well. The new, more mature, understanding is that doing good will help companies do well, while also serving a higher purpose.
As businesses learn to communicate their newfound purpose, they will help the conscious business movement grow. More businesses will get on board and then more social issues will be solved by the great power brought by capitalism.
After all, peer pressure may hit hard in middle school, but it lasts a lifetime.
Jackie Herskovitz Russell is the founder and president of Teak Media + Communication, a B Corp certified public relations firm and a member of the Conscious Capitalist movement. On March 28, she will present a workshop on Fearless Communications for Conscious Companies, 6 – 8 p.m. at District Hall in Boston. RSVP: http://bit.ly/2oiOFy4
