Engaging Hearts & Minds
I was at a Sustainable Business Council event a few weeks back where Colmar Brunton shared the latest results from the 2017 NZ Corporate Reputation Index which again identified Trust as the single biggest driver for maintaining a good reputation.
During the night, there was a lot of talk about how you build trust and I was personally excited to see story telling and transparency called out as key elements for establishing and growing trust levels as they are both very dear to my heart.
Now there are lots of organisations doing great stuff in the shared value, corporate social responsibility space but one of the many challenges we all face is how to effectively communicate what we are doing i.e. how do we share our stories in a way that truly engages people’s hearts and minds?
Perhaps it is in part due to NZ’s tall poppy syndrome, but there was a sentiment in the room that many kiwi businesses and brands are still finding it hard and even uncomfortable sharing what they are doing with their stakeholders and as a result, their trust scores are impacted. So, who is doing well in this space and what can we learn from them?
Air NZ, Whittaker’s, Apple, Google and Disney are some of the usual go too names for leading examples in this space but I have decided to look at some different organisations here to show it is never too late to make a start and just how rewarding it can be to try something new:
National Australia Bank (NAB) provide a good case study of what you can achieve through authentic storytelling. What started as a simple media release and subsequent article in 2011 has now become the base for a much larger, successful campaign called ‘More than money’ which I saw when I was in Australia recently. The initiative shares real life stories about all the ways they have supported and added value for their customers, their business and the community beyond their core, day to day business of banking and big profits. It is delivered across multiple platforms including websites, You Tube and print advertising and has resulted in NAB becoming the first Australasian headquartered company to be recognised on Fortune magazine’s ‘Change the World’ list – an outstanding achievement from humble beginnings.
Closer to home, there are a few equally good examples:
Fonterra’s ‘Trusted Goodness’ campaign uses real people, the faces behind the big corporate brand, to share their stories of farming and living off the land. The underlying theme is one of sustainable NZ farming practises which is no surprise given the ongoing debate around the future of our clean green image but each “story” provides you and I, joe average consumer, with a unique behind the scenes insight into the industry and busts a few myths in the hope that we feel better about the quality of Fonterra products and their brand moving forward.
Sky City’s ‘It all starts here’ campaign - which again used staff and striking visuals to tell personal stories from within the organisation e.g. the fact they employee 4000 people across NZ, purchase from local suppliers, support charities, sponsor leading sports teams etc. In doing so, they could show people that they are more than just a casino – they are a hub for building community connections and they are actively out and about in our communities making a difference.
Much smaller in scale but a hugely political and news worthy topic none the less – Countdown also looked to video as part of its open dialogue on cage free eggs earlier this year. In front footing this issue, they took back some control of the story and told the facts in a way that both explained the actual situation (i.e. no instant fix, need to increase supply first) and their commitment to change (cage free eggs only in store by 2025). It was more down and dirty (quite literally) in its look and feel but they talked directly to the issue and added real people, pictures and colour to tell the story in a more authentic way.
In each of these examples, the common thread that stands out to me is the fact that each company has each taken time to understand first and foremost who their target audience is and what really matters to them. I don’t need to tell you that a one size fits all, single media release style response doesn’t work these days. If you get your “WHO” clear from the outset (Who you want to communicate with), the “HOW’ you communicate and share your story will be much easier to determine. So, listen to your stakeholders, take time to understand what was important to them and deliver tailored communications that speak to this. If you can get this right, you will be well placed to increase trust and loyalty for your brands and organisations in the months and years to come.
While these examples have at some time appeared in mainstream media, you don’t necessarily need a big budget to tell your story effectively and authentically. Your stories, issues, newsworthy initiatives might be best suited to something more bespoke so if you want help uncovering what is important to your stakeholders and advice on how you might tell your story with more impact – Let’s Talk