MBA 292Professor McElhaney8 April 2009

Despite Economic Pressures, Majority of Companies Plan to Increase Emphasis on Sustainability (Fleishman Hillard & AMA)

Survey shows 58 % of marketing and communication leaders believe their companies will place more emphasis on developing corporate sustainability opportunities in the months ahead, despite belt tightening that is happening in the business world

More marketers and communicators (53 %) define sustainability as the need to balance financial, human and natural resources for the long-term benefit of business and communities.

Few define sustainability in terms of focusing on renewable energy resources (3 %) or driving inefficiency out of the supply chain (10 %).

Employees (82 %) and customers (74 %) are more likely to be the targets of communications about sustainability than are investors and analysts (52 %).

63% believe that the new administration's policies will further accelerate the adoption of sustainability programs.

Even the most popular sustainability programs – recycling (36 %) and electric energy efficiency (20 %t) – are extensively embraced by only a minority of businesses.

Sustainable Communications: An Emerging Discipline with 4 C’s

Credibility: this means no more fluff. Communications have to be underpinned by robust, verifiable technical data.

Clarity: clear, genuine, authentic messages; instead of making vague statements about being “eco-friendly”, touch points need to be tangible.

Consistency: sustainability is not a trend; messages must resonate with the company’s existing voice in the market place.

Conversation: the brands that win will be those whose consumers and other stakeholders tell the best stories- it’s a two way conversation.

▪ Diane Verde from Clownfish

Step One:

Remember Who You Work For

Commit

Keep the Faith

Be the Change You Want to See

Step 2:

Tap the Strength of Your Relationships

Start a Conversation…and Listen

Build Your Cadre

Step 3:

Scale Up, Scale Down Amplify Positive Deviance Turn “Enemies” Into Allies Reframe the Context of What You’re Doing Go to a Larger Context Play with Whoever Shows Up Tweak, Don’t Toss Hold Up a Mirror

The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers, 2008

Social EntrepreneurCreates change with a social or environmental mission at the core of their venture, harnessing the power of market forces to serve unmet needs of society.

Social IntrapraneurBuilding and developing new ventures within a company or large organization, designed to generate large-scale social impact.

The greatest agents for sustainable change are unlikely to be[social entrepreneurs], interesting though they are…

They are much more likely to be the entirely reasonable people,often working for large companies, who see ways to create better products or reach new markets, and have the resources to do so.

The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers, 2008

The WHO:

Integrators Problem solvers Facilitators

The WHAT:

Political savvy Tact Teamwork Patience Choose scale &

impact

“Learn how to bring projects to life through the deft manipulation of the latent intellectual and financial capital inside their organizations.”

IntrapreneurialBalance

1. Trial-and-error, plus discipline

2. Something old, something new

Don’t try to eliminate differences….

…harness & blend them to create a new culture.

• Discover the pioneers• Don’t ask for permission• Break-free from traditional processes, but

align with strategy• Make size an advantage, but fly under the

radar• Inspire your internal champions

Lessons for the Intrapraneur

April 13: Matt Kistler, SVP, WalMart April 15: Limitations of CSR; CSR

Organizational Structure April 20: DeBeers Case April 22: Best of CSR Consulting April 27: Better Place, Levi #1 April 29: eBay, PACT May 4: Disney, Dow, Levi #2 May 6: Nokia, WalMart, SustainAbility May 11: Review, Awards, *Personal SR

Strats*, CSR Elevator Pitch