It’s the year 2021. And chances are you’re thinking about sustainability, addressing diversity and questioning how best to communicate your brand’s point of view without sounding like the news. Or ending up on the news.
At Sonder & Tell, we’ve partnered with impact strategist Amirah Jiwa on an interactive workshop called Beyond the Buzzwords. In a two-hour guided session, we’ll lead you and your team to a place where you can communicate your brand’s impact responsibly. Don’t know how to talk about sustainability? Ever worry that the language you're using isn’t inclusive enough? Unsure about how to express your brand's point of view? We’ll help you answer these questions and more.
The session looks at three main areas – sustainability, inclusivity and progressive politics – using exercises to help you explore how to communicate, rather than just why. Because even if you have the best intentions and actions in the world, without clear and sincere comms, the good work you do behind the scenes will fall short.
Aimed both at consumer brands that are just considering the impact they have on the world, as well as those further along in their journey, this workshop – we hope – raises the bar for impact comms across the board. In a landscape that’s always shifting and evolving, setting the tone with your team is a good place to start.
“When it comes to environmental sustainability you can look at materials, manufacturing and waste through the lenses of carbon, chemicals, water, plastics or land use. On the social side, you can consider things like wages and working conditions; diversity, equity and inclusion for your team; how accessible your product is and to who; and whether and how you engage in political advocacy.”
Taken from our interview with strategist Amirah Jiwa on the aspects of impact that brands can get right
The Interview
Brands are feeling the pressure to put their money where their mouth is. What does it mean to brand yourself as ‘sustainable’ or to claim that you do social good as a company? When we interviewed impact strategist Amirah Jiwa, she pointed out that “the biggest trap is thinking that it’s possible to be a truly sustainable brand”. That means “the ultimate goal should be a commitment […] to do things better because sustainability is more of a lens than an end goal.”
Sustainability and beauty haven’t always gone hand in hand. But independent skincare brand Novel is proving otherwise. While sustainability is central to its brand story, it leans less on the preachy side and focuses more on the way that skincare can make you feel. We love how they’ve woven literary references into their messaging too.
Write a 250-word impact statement for your brand/company.
Think about how you can make a positive impact. Remember what matters most to your consumers and internal team. Oh, and as usual: don’t forget your brand’s tone of voice.
Are you an experienced project manager who gets a buzz out of running the tightest of ships? Do you have the unicorn combination of people skills and attention to fine detail?
Sonder & Tell is looking for a Project Manager who wants to be a driving force in a words-first agency on the up.
