How to support and showcase sustainability in 2022
This is a guest post by Sarah Salord, company director at GEC PR.
Sustainability was firmly placed in the spotlight last year thanks to high-profile events such as COP26 and the G20 Summit, and as a result we are all becoming more aware of the impact our actions have on the environment and natural resources.
Consumers are becoming increasingly discerning about the products they’re purchasing and the way they are travelling. The word ‘sustainable’ is now much more than a slogan or catchphrase – it’s a key influence in the consumer purchasing process.
With shoppers now looking more closely at the businesses they buy from, it’s more important than ever for brands to showcase how they as a business and individuals, are incorporating and supporting sustainable practices.
GEC PR works with several clients with a strong sustainable story to tell, and it’s something we as an agency have pushed more to the forefront of our PR and marketing activity during the last year. Here’s how you can do the same:
1. Understand that journalists are now expecting press trips to be carbon-balanced or to have an element of sustainable travel
For example, dropping off and collecting travellers from the airport (also known as ‘Kiss and Fly’) has more of a negative environmental impact when compared with pre-booking airport parking. Therefore, we alert journalists to the benefits of airport parking through carbon-balanced companies such as our client Airport Parking & Hotels (APH.com) which can be one of the most environmentally-friendly and affordable methods of travelling to the airport, ensuring a minimum number of journeys and less time spent on the road.
2. Ensure your client’s long-standing responsibility to sustainable practices is shouted louder than ever
If a client has a strong sustainable story to tell, then place this at the forefront of the communication content plan and strategy. For example, what commitments has the brand pledged to social, environment and economic sustainability for the year ahead and what investments have been made to reduce its environmental impact or avoiding it completely?
3. Adapt your communications strategy where necessary
A key learning during the last few years has been the need to be adaptable and flexible when it comes to creating and managing a communications plan. Find out what big sustainable stories or new developments are taking place for the year ahead, and tie this in with topical content ideas. Also keep it flexible if a big news announcement drops suddenly which provides a platform or hook to shout about the client.
Responsible tourism is one sector during the last few years which has become increasingly important to media, and as an agency specialising in working with travel and lifestyle clients, we have ensured our client’s brand stories reflect this and will continue to do so. The conversation around sustainability will continue to grow and new trends will emerge, and as communication specialists, this brings more opportunities for creativity.
Want to know what travel media professionals find useful from PRs? Check out our feature on how to pitch to travel journalists, featuring insight from those working across national, consumer and trade publications.
For more on trends to watch out for in travel comms, download our white paper PR & Media Travel Trends 2021.
