CSR Marketing: What does an attractive sustainability platform look like?

Summary

A sustainability platform shows all the activities of a company that minimise its social, environmental and economic footprint. Find out what to look for in the design.

Author

Lena Tsolakidis
|
September 27, 2021

Categories

Sustainability website
CO2 Calculator
UI/UX design

Technologies

CSR Marketing: What does an attractive sustainability platform look like?

Sustainability platform, what is it?

Platform in the digital context means enabling the exchange of services and information by two or more market actors. Digital platforms help companies to explore new markets and customer segments. There are many platforms with different functions and goals. Products can be offered on them or new networks can be created.

A sustainability platform shows all the activities that a company puts in place to minimise its social, ecological and economic footprint. Here you can creatively present sustainability.

Large, listed companies with more than 500 employees are required by the CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR: Corporate Socal Responsibility) to submit sustainability reports that must be found on the website. A sustainability platform can serve as a separate section on a company's website where, among other things, these reports can be found. It can also be seen as part of CSR marketing. More on CSR marketing can be found here.

                                                                                        Image: Sustainability Platform Sparkasse Bodensee

Why does a company need a sustainability marketing platform?

A sustainability platform provides transparency and attracts many market actors such as customers, business partners and applicants. It can influence purchasing decisions, strengthen customer loyalty and improve the company's image. Although the actual goal of the sustainability platform should not be the mere marketing of green activities, it can still contribute to marketing. At the same time, it provides a good internal overview of all sustainability activities. This can create incentive and motivation to pursue sustainable corporate goals more consistently.

What do you have to consider for a sustainability platform?

It is important that your environmentally friendly website is not misused for greenwashing, but presents correct and scientific evidence.

Greenwashing is the term used to describe critical public relations work that gives a company an environmentally friendly and responsible image without any evidentiary basis.

What do you have to pay attention to in the design?

It should be user-friendly and authentic #1

When designing a website, it is important to have a clear and user-friendly design. User experience design (UX design) analyses, creates and optimises the user experience of a digital product. The goal is to simplify the user's journey through complex systems. User interface design (UI design) is the art of making a digital product look good. Both design disciplines are necessary for a successful digital product and should preferably be created by a professional designer. If you need help with this, feel free to contactus.

An interactive and playful design #2

The concept of "gamification" has already gained great popularity, especially in the sustainability sector. Adding game-like elements to a non-game product such as a sustainability platform can have many advantages. On the one hand, it brings techniques closer to the users that would otherwise be considered "boring" and makes them more appealing to them. Secondly, it extends the user's time by giving them a sense of control over the application and freedom of choice, thus strengthening their attachment to it. An example of this would be our CO2 calculator.

Creating impulses for thought and reflection #3

The purpose of sustainability, simply put, is also to be "sustainable". This means that a sustainability platform should also create long-term awareness and behavioural change. A behavioural economics concept has given rise to the principle of "nudging". "Nudging" is a "nudge" intended to motivate citizens to take a certain action that is intended to benefit the well-being of all and . It is often used in a political context, but can also be applied as marketing of a product or in a sustainability platform. In this way, a sustainability platform can contribute to profound behavioural change and help users to remember it.

Conclusion

A sustainability platform is a section on a company's website that shows all the activities a company undertakes to minimise its social, environmental and economic footprint. It provides transparency, attracts many market actors and creates motivation to pursue sustainable corporate goals more consistently. There are three points to consider when designing it:

  1. User-friendly and authenticity
  2. Interactive and playful design
  3. Create impulses for thought and reflection

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