Source: http://www.straight.com/files/v3/2012/10/Telus_Garden_Night_Edit_0.jpg
In 2015, Telus opened a new LEED Platinum certified office tower in Downtown Vancouver. Telus Garden is one of the most sustainable developments in North America to date. The building is impressive to say the least. By the numbers:
- $750 million: development cost
- 80: the percentage reduced of on-grid energy
- 10,000: square footage of garden terraces
- 1 million: reduction in kilograms of CO2 emissions annually
- 100: percentage of air that is fresh rather than recycled
Every time I learn more about Telus Gardens, I am in awe of a building that authentically took context into design with regards to the environment and people occupying the space. By extension, this is what Telus aims to achieve through their mission statement “Diversity and inclusiveness thrives when we honour…perspectives of all members of our team”. It is the perfect fit.
Telus Gardens became the focal point of many messages to the public. Telus Gardens was talked about on all the major news outlets, press releases, blogs, and don’t forget occupying a whole city block of construction for two years. Telus wanted the whole city to know about the $750 million efforts they are going to in order to communicate commitment to communities.
What will companies do when communicating sustainability and environmental impact as a POD no longer enough? In sustainability marketing we talk about sustainability inevitably becoming a standard for all companies to hold themselves up to in order to remain competitive. If Bell and Shaw choose to live up to the same commitments as Telus in terms of commercial development standards and community investment, Telus will be left with no competitive advantage. This is not to say Telus should shift back to advertising its services directly, but rather it will need to focus on a different underlying company-wide investment element to capture the numerous services it offers. We can already see a preview, as Bell is currently promoting Bell Let’s Talk Day to start a conversation around mental health.
Thankfully for Telus, the corporate concern for sustainability is only now just being addressed. But, it should be aware that if the sustainability trend continues it will no longer set themselves apart from the competition.