ESG Communications

We help organizations communicate their purpose, build reputation, and engage stakeholders.

Purpose Matters

Investors have long viewed enterprise risk through the lens of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. However, today there is a new and evolving contract between corporations and society. Employee activism is on the rise. Consumers and journalists are calling out organizations on social media when they fail to live up to their promises. This new social contract brings both a heightened sense of urgency among corporate leaders to act with purpose and increased scrutiny by stakeholders. The journey to purpose brings challenges and opportunities.

Why Should Your Company Communicate With Purpose?

Far from an exercise in risk mitigation or defensive reputation management, a sustainable corporate purpose, when well-communicated and backed with consistent action, drives business impact.

Revenue Growth

Companies that take a long-term view of purpose, by investing in social equity, environmental sustainability, and capital for the coming 5-to-7-year period, grow 47% faster over a 15-year period than companies focused on short-term success.

Increase in Innovation 30%

Bump in Productivity 175%

Employee Engagement

Workers are seeking companies that align with their own values. When an entire team has the opportunity to bring their whole selves to work, companies experience a 30% increase in innovation and a 175% bump in productivity.

Customer Loyalty

There is a strong connection between sustainability and customer loyalty. In the last year, 79% of consumers changed their purchase preferences based on social responsibility, inclusiveness, or environmental impact.

Activating Your ESG Communications

Corporate purpose is about both the numbers and the narrative. The Actual Team can help you communicate your purpose authentically and consistently to engage stakeholders to achieve greater impact.

Design the Narrative

Rooted in data and defining your action plan, your purpose narrative means far more than checking the box on disclosure requirements. We help you capture the authentic story of why your company exists to bring your purpose to life.

Map Messages to Audiences

From investors and shareholders to employees and customers, stakeholders have divergent interests and expectations. We help you forge deeper relationships with stakeholders through authentic communication.

Amplify the Impact

Whether through your company’s blog, social channels or a thought leadership program, we combine strategy, creativity and execution to build conversational spaces that engage your stakeholders and create value from meaning.

Communicate Authentically

Stakeholders are speaking up and speaking out, and corporations are under increased scrutiny to deliver on their promises. We help you navigate the evolving landscape and communicate your purpose authentically and consistently.

Actual Agency guides our ESG narrative to have real impact

“With Actual Agency, we have a strategic communications partner who really understood our business from day one. They bring a sharp industry and market-focused perspective and they’ve helped guide the development of our ESG narrative and purpose-led sustainability story, to make sure it has real impact. Bottom line: this is a partnership we value highly.”

– Michele Fischer, VP, Investor Relations

Purposeful Conversations

When it comes to corporate purpose, the issues are complex and the stakes are high. On our Purpose, Inc. podcast, we talk with the experts — leaders, thinkers, academics and critics — about ESG communications and the evolving social contract.

Embedding Purpose and ESG into the Muscle of the Business

“CEOs are expected by their employees and consumers to take a stand on social topics. However, if they do so, they better have a good story that stacks up with what the company is actually doing in order to be seen to be credible.”

Bruce B. Simpson

Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Company

Putting Sustainability, ESG and DEI on the Menu

“If we’re out there preaching as a company that says it has a mission to cultivate a better world, accountability is really important. Transparency is a super important component of any sustainability or ESG program worth its salt.”

Caitlin Leibert

Former Head of Sustainability, Chipotle Mexican Grill

Making News Socially Actionable

“The most important thing to understand is that silence itself is absolutely a statement. It’s a mistake to think that not speaking out means you’re staying safe from criticism.”

Melissa Anderson

Co-founder and President, Public Good Software

Purpose-Driven Results

Purposeful Resources

Ready to Communicate Your Purpose?

The Actual Team has the expertise and passion to activate your company’s purpose.