Beyond the Headline: Partnering With Your Communication Team for a Winning Social Impact Strategy
by Elissa M. Wilson
Today’s employee wants to work for a company that shares their values and is making a positive contribution to the world in which we live. And companies are feeling increasing pressure to build their reputation by communicating how they are delivering positive societal impact. As a result, many companies are developing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plans where they didn’t exist before. But, what happens when the work of CSR or Social Impact teams is driven from a communications lens rather than through the lens of societal outcomes? You run the risk of a strategy where the message may not live up to the impact.
Your Communications team can and should be one of your closest allies to effectively tell the story of impact. They are an essential partner and, ideally, will sit alongside as the strategy is crafted. It is a win/win scenario when both Communications and CSR teams prioritize a genuine commitment to social good – the company’s reputation is authentically enhanced through effective storytelling, momentum is maintained when stakeholders can see results, and the communities benefit from meaningful engagement.
Engage your communication partners early and watch out for these pitfalls when building your social impact strategy. Each of these pitfalls are interrelated with one leading to another.
A Focus on Image Over Substance: From my retail marketing days, a former boss used to say “Don’t let the story be better than the store.” The same holds true in the world of CSR. Make sure the storytelling is supported by action and avoid the risk of emphasizing the appearance of impact rather than substantive, long-term solutions. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the last decade, it’s that words matter, but they can easily be redefined or weaponized, especially when quantifiable goals can’t be substantiated. When the goal is to “look good,” doing meaningful and lasting good is sometimes sacrificed because “looking good” is a short-term strategy.
Short-Term Orientation: With increasing stakeholder pressure, there in turn can be internal pressure to communicate positive messages more frequently. The strategy planning moves to “how can we get a quick win?” This mind-set neglects the need for a sustained effort and comprehensive strategies that get to the root causes of the social issues a company is trying to address. And when you think short-term, you will be superficially engaged.
Superficial Engagement/Lack of Authenticity: Short-term or headline grabbing thinking, rather than a long-term focus on making sustainable impact, will lead to a lack of depth needed to address complex social issues effectively. And, when the primary goal is to enhance a company’s image with these quick wins, there’s a risk the initiatives may appear insincere or opportunistic. Authenticity is crucial in social impact work. A focus on image may undermine the trust of stakeholders who perceive the efforts as mere PR stunts or greenwashing tactics and, in some cases, can be out of sync with the values of the company.
Misalignment of Values: Beware the shiny object. If a company focuses on an issue that is trendy or currently in the public eye, they may miss addressing areas where they are uniquely positioned to make a meaningful and authentic contribution with strategic connections back to the business. The result can be a lack of alignment between the company’s mission, purpose and values and their chosen social causes.
So, what can be done to avoid these pitfalls? There are four main actions: Listen, collaborate, execute and measure. And do this on a continuous and ongoing basis.
Building a meaningful social impact strategy and comprehensive communication plan requires understanding where a company is best positioned to authentically leverage its resources, expertise and influence to drive meaningful positive change. To understand this, it is necessary to listen to and collaborate with all stakeholders, including internal cross-functional teams responsible for all aspects of business operations and the communities affected by the issues at hand. With knowledge, understanding and buy-in, you can craft a strategy designed to achieve meaningful and long-lasting results and set forth on the path of execution.
As part of your strategy design, identify the societal outcomes and the KPIs that you want to monitor and measure to determine effectiveness. Company metrics are important as well, but if effectiveness is determined solely based on company results – and a successful strategy WILL drive company benefits – you will lose focus on the issues you are addressing.
Programs designed to deliver deep and sustaining impact will provide compelling storytelling opportunities. Keep your communications team engaged in the strategy development and continuously informed of progress, aspirations and results so they can be successfully set-up for the storytelling that goes deep beyond a headline.
