Sustainability: to Promote or Not to Promote?

by Amy Epstein

It has become commonplace for companies to tout their sustainability efforts to bolster their brand image. Interestingly, in some consumer product categories, doing so may actually risk harming it. A recent New York Times article highlights Pommery, the French champagne house, as they balance this issue.

Pommery is implementing a new standard bottle, designed to cut carbon emissions. The bottles are produced by Saint Gobain, and weigh about 2.3 ounces (65 grams) lighter than traditional champagne bottles, so vehicles transporting them will require less fuel. But instead of shouting from the rooftops about its eco-friendliness, Pommery is remaining hush-hush, fearing that a less robust bottle will damage the champagne brand’s luxury image.

In B2B communications, however, there can be significant benefits to communicating sustainability efforts. Expanding concern for the environment, and pressures filtering through the entire supply chain are creating a need for companies to communicate sustainability efforts to shift brand image in a greener direction.

To capitalize on your company’s initiatives:

• Evaluate how you help customers provide a more sustainable product to end-users

• Look at your materials and technology as well as your processes to see where your efforts are particularly strong

• Create a messaging platform that highlights the benefits you provide

• Communicate to customers, potential customers, supply-chain partners and end-users through print, online and, if    your audience is there, social media

Though communication strategies for this messaging can be new territory, companies that aren’t communicating their green efforts are finding themselves at a competitive disadvantage as their industry peers take leadership roles in this area (and talk about it).

Amy Epstein is Managing Director, Americas at ABI marketing public relations. You can reach her at +1 212-529-4757 and aepstein@abipr.com.