How To Communicate Sustainability Beyond Clichés And Greenwashing
The task of communicating sustainability can be a challenging one. As part of the World Panel on Sustainable Hospitality on hospitalitynet, Willy Legrand, Professor at IUBH School of Business and Management and I invited various industry experts to share their opinions and received 31 insightful entries.
The job of communicating sustainability is often part of the marketing department's responsibility. However, as Henri Kuokkanen, Associate Professor at the Institut Paul Bocuse puts it, "The rules of non-CSR communication, targeted at building brand recognition or customer loyalty, do not always apply."
What happens when classic communication tools are being applied to sustainability can be observed in the ever increasing number of green logos, leafy symbols and generic slogans. The communication of sustainability does not seem to follow the same rules as conventional communication practice. So, what can be done?
Friederike Vinzenz, founder of RoomFor and a sustainability communication expert, makes one thing very clear, "First of all, you have to be serious about your sustainability efforts." The importance of credibility, which involves a proper management framework on the basis of accurate data as well as verifiability through external and independent audits, is also stressed by Maribel Esparcia Perez, Professor at the University of Lleida, Lyle Worthington, Technology Executive and Consultant, and the panels Co-host Willy Legrand. Catherine Dolton, Vice President Global Corporate Responsibility at InterContinental Hotels Group, argues that sustainability communication should be about telling a story in progress. Whilst the time dimension is crucial for a credible narrative so is the business context. A stand-alone sustainability measure or piece of communication might at best be incomprehensible but rather raise questions about the sincerity behind the effort.
From there one can "build a narrative that is backed up by serious facts and figures" (Benjamin Lephilibert, Founder and CEO of LightBlue Consulting). The narrative should not only be based on verifiable information but also be consistent across the thoughts, words and deeds of the organization. "Communication starts from the inside", says Andreas Koch, Managing Director at blueContec GmbH. Simon Martin, Head of Development Hospitality-Catering at IECD, points out that sustainability communication should be part of "every job description, action plan, budget". Through consistency, hospitality companies will "have the ability to set trends by championing a culture of sustainability" (Jose Koechlin von Stein, Founder and CEO at Inkaterra Hotels). Making sustainability part of the corporate culture puts employees at the center of transformational processes. Christopher Warren, Founder of My Green Butler, speaks of a "social contract beyond the standard term of employment."
Another consensus is reached when it comes to applying honesty in sustainability communication. "Be genuine, be honest, talk about challenges and things you are not 100% happy with", suggests Maria Leifer from Boutiquehotel Stadthalle.
Seriousness, credibility, verifiability and honesty should guide the way. However, when it comes to communication practice, we see different approaches amongst the experts. Madhu Rajesh argues for the benefits of storytelling: "Personal stories and unique angles will help guests to connect with the story emotionally." Xenia zu Hohenlohe has combined fun facts, lively infographics and visually appealing messages to good effect. Alexandra Herget suggests creativity and making use of different channels with an intelligent content design strategy. Friederike Vinzenz stresses the importance of clarifying "the personal benefit to be expected from a booking". In order to do so, it is of great importance to "know your audience" (Benjamin Lephilibert).
We can see rather different views when it comes to certification. Suzann Heinemann, Founder and CEO of InfraCert says that "certifications and environmental seals will certainly help to convey sustainability" whilst Gabriel C.M. Laeis, Professor at the IUBH School of Business and Management, states: "Don't certify sustainability - do it in front of the guests!"
So, how does sustainability communication look like beyond clichés and greenwashing? Frauke Fischer, Founder of Agentur Auf, sums it up: "Know what you talk about. Don't show-off. Be modest. Be precise. Define goals and name challenges."
Hospitality brands have understood that it takes more than leafy symbols and catchy slogans to involve guests into their sustainability narrative. The future holds multi-level communication strategies, emotive narratives and innovative approaches towards channels and media, both online and offline.
