How brands can play their part in addressing the climate crisis

What will you be doing from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday March 25th?

As we approach World Earth Hour – an initiative in which people are encouraged to turn off their devices for one hour and instead do something positive for the planet – the media coverage and consumer clamour for more sustainable practices across all sectors has never been greater.

The data and projections released by the UN Climate Report this week have brought the challenge facing the world into stark focus and provided another reminder as to the urgency and importance for action.

• The planet is the warmest it has been in 125,000 years
• Temperatures are 1.1 degrees above pre-industrial levels and are highly likely breach the 1.5c target in the 2030s
• Three billion people live in areas highly vulnerable to the climate crisis

With such alarming challenges facing the globe– consumers are increasingly losing faith with their governments to take meaningful action.?

There is an all-time low level of trust in governments and those in charge of law making and their ability to address a lot of the issues important to people all around the world.

Consumers are increasingly looking to private businesses and other NGOs to help and lead the way in solving these challenges. ?

Sports and entertainment have long been homes of the most influential global entities and fans are coming to see the responsibility that these brands should be taking to address the biggest challenges facing the world and are prepared to make this known with their actions.

This was the subject of a European Sponsorship Association panel which we recently hosted at MKTG and I participated in. We had guests from across the region present and keen to understand some best practices and share learnings.?

Through MKTG’s Decoding research, in which we surveyed more than 25,000 fans across the world, we know that fans will vote with their wallets as 66 per cent of sports fans and 76 per cent of music fans in Europe more likely to support brands who support causes such as sustainability and other societal issues. So, there is increasingly a commercial argument, as well as the evident moral responsibility, to find ways to do their part.?

An ever-increasing level of expectation

As a growing number of consumers demand that brands and properties instil sustainable practices and commit to doing their part to help address these challenges, there is competition and points of comparison for fans in the level of commitment shown to each.

The advent of leading rights holders in the space such as Formula E, Extreme-E and SailGP are setting the standard at which all other rights holders must aspire to, and this is raising the game for their competitors as they scramble to keep up.

Understanding how to communicate these initiatives and what is important to your fans is vital. As we can see from the map below – there is a market-by-market variations in the level of expectation from fans in terms of how important it is for sports organisations to act sustainably. This isn’t to say that certain markets should ignore the expectations but there is a balance to be struck in terms of the impact on their experience that fans are prepared to bear for a sustainable challenge. Their attitude to sustainability should be a key attribute that is analysed as part of any fan understanding project.?

Partnerships should be at the forefront.

The commercial argument for rights holders is also continuing to increase with brands reflecting the demands their consumers are placing on them. Again, using our Decoding study we can understand how integrating initiatives and activations around topics such as environmental sustainability impact on fans attitudes towards partners.

The impact is overwhelmingly positive, 64 per cent of fans in Europe say they are more likely to notice partnerships supporting a cause which should give rights holders the backing and impetus to challenge their brand partners to find ways they can support them in their sustainability initiatives and justify that to their internal stakeholders with a commercial argument.

Authenticity is always key - particularly around green campaigns and activations

The case for integrating sustainability into their communications is clear, however, it does come with a caveat that it must be done authentically and in a way that is true to the brand’s wider approach to sustainability.

As environmental initiatives and purpose become more ingrained in the objectives of partnerships, with our annual industry survey (Frontier) revealing that it has more than doubled in its importance for decisions makers since 2016, the fundamental principles of what makes a good partnership come into play.

The role of partnerships is to demonstrate and amplify a brand’s positioning and activities rather than single-handedly shifting perceptions. As consumers become savvier to inauthentic goals and initiatives the backlash to the wrong move can cause damage that may take time to recover from. We have to look no further than Shell’s recent partnership with British Cycling to see how consumers can react to a partnership that was likely well meaning but didn’t do a good enough job at outlining the background and active challenge Shell were aiming to address.?

A big opportunity with the right counsel

Sport and entertainment have consistently led the way and are at the forefront of trying to educate and facilitate fans around the world on the key issues of the time. The power of organisations within the space to influence and impact their fans puts a responsibility on brands and properties to find a way to use this influence for good.

Here at MKTG, we understand the opportunity but also the potential pitfalls and use our expertise on shifting fan behaviour to help brands and properties maximise the impact their influence has by following a data led approach to shape the communications strategy.

Each challenge is different, but we think there are some high-level principles that can help navigate this space effectively.

Don’t be paralysed by the scale of the challenge

• Fans understand that this is a process and won’t expect everything to change overnight and will recognise genuine efforts to start on the journey to change for the better.

Lead with actions not with claims

• Fans will make their own minds up on your actions, telling them you are sustainable invites challenge whereas as communicating what you’re doing to be sustainable is irrefutable.

Sometimes the noise doesn’t reflect the mass consumer reaction

• Treading the line of authenticity is a challenge, as long as you can demonstrate your commitment you can afford to ignore a small number of consumers who are vocal with their opinions on social media.

You only get credit for what people know you do

• Fans are more are more up to date with sustainability initiatives and news than ever but still only know what you tell them. Understanding the knowledge of and perception of your sustainability credentials is vital to effectively communicating to your fans.

However, you choose to spend World Earth Hour on Saturday, please do reflect in the next few days on whether you are able to make a tangible contribution to the climate crisis, because doing so, might just align with your commercial objectives.?