The Challenge of Communicating Corporate Responsibility: Why Is It So Difficult?

Our recent interview-based study revealed that many marketing decision-makers feel their company’s corporate responsibility efforts and business improvements are not being communicated effectively. Defining the key aspects of their sustainability work, finding appropriate terminology, and determining the right scale are current challenges in the day-to-day operations of marketing.

In the research conducted by us in spring and summer 2020, we interviewed 26 marketing and business decision-makers from over ten different industries. We explored their views and experiences regarding the needs and challenges related to communicating sustainability.

“We wanted to better understand the reality in which marketing is conducted today,” says Katja Lähde, who leads Infine Insight -function.

“It became evident that many of the challenges experienced are similar regardless of the industry or company size. There isn’t a shared definition or straightforward metrics for corporate responsibility that companies could easily use to validate their own sustainability and communicate it credibly. Many pointed out the difficulty caused by a lack of comparability.”

Companies feel they need to strengthen their expertise in corporate responsibility and receive support to define their own agenda and communicate it comprehensibly and engagingly to consumers.

Marketing professionals see corporate responsibility as an issue for the entire business, not as separate campaigns from regular activities. Marketing plays a key role in a company by bringing responsible products and practices to the attention of the right target groups in a way that sparks interest and generates demand.

Increasing understanding of the incentives and barriers to making sustainable choices is crucial for making sustainable options attractive and accessible to everyone.

The Pandemic as a Turning Point for a Sustainable Future

Unsurprisingly, the interviewees expressed concern about whether the pursuit of short-term economic benefits during the pandemic would overshadow sustainability. Many see the current moment as critical for ensuring a sustainable future. The crisis is expected to put more emphasis on local and domestic businesses.

Regarding the future, interviewees see customer dialogue and co-creation among stakeholders becoming even more important.

Increasing understanding of the values, mindsets, incentives, and barriers to sustainable choices among different customer groups is crucial for making sustainable options attractive and feasible for everyone.