Sustainability PR Agency Africa — Gong Communications

In a year that includes COP26 and other interim climate-focused international summits, climate change and sustainability are on the top of many government and business leaders’ agendas.

But as a PR agency focused on communicating the power of purposeful business in Africa and internationally, for us, sustainability isn’t just about protecting the environment and our rapidly depleting natural resources — though these are crucial elements. Looking beyond ecology, we think sustainability goes further — far into society and deep into our global economies.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is a means of using a resource so that it is not depleted or permanently damaged for future generations. This has an obvious application in the energy business, or ecology, for example. We are all well aware of the important movements towards net zero, or carbon neutrality. But for a sector-agnostic PR and communications agency like ours, a more robust application of the term ‘sustainability’ might lie in communicating its merit more broadly: in supply chains, perhaps, or in investment that protects cultural heritage. Clients that we have worked with agency-wide across Africa have asked us to communicate the long-term benefits in having a diverse and inclusive workplace as part of their sustainability efforts too, for example.

In short, all businesses looking to create jobs and improve livelihoods can be described as sustainable. Gong’s PR agency experience in sustainability communications spans everything from the consumption of natural resources to the sustainability of human capital resources.

Why focus on sustainability in your business communications?

Businesses are increasingly looking to promote the value in their work, rather than simply their profit or financial success. As a society, we take interest in a company’s ‘triple bottom line’. We are more aware of the negative effects of ‘greenwashing’ and seek instead the true instances of the positive impact corporations truly have on the environment and on society.

A corporate strategy that focuses on sustainability can increase efficiency. According to McKinsey, it can reduce costs and operating profits by up to 60% . It will improve your chances with consumers too — according to Nielsen, 81% of global consumers feel strongly that corporations should help improve the environment .

A sustainability strategy can also add considerable brand value, and even add new opportunities. If your business is looking to expand into new markets, a strong culture for sustainability may give you a unique selling point, or perhaps make you viable for tax subsidies. For example, as part of our #AfricaNetZero series, we learned about the potential for using materials like cassava as a source of ‘green’ African-made cement.

Being sustainable is also key to attracting talent, with evidence rising that millennials are more inclined to take a job because of a company’s sustainability credentials, irrelevant of pay.

If you’re looking to develop a communications strategy around your sustainability credentials, Gong Communication’s senior PR agency team in Africa and the UK has decades of experience. With offices in London and Nairobi and clients on five continents, we can help you to identify your sustainability key messages and promote them among your target audiences.

For more information, please contact us on info@gongcommunications.com.