It is common for people to make resolutions at the beginning of each new year. This year, Telus started 2014 a little differently, with its 31 Day Sustainability Challenge. The campaign invites individuals to “consciously participate in one sustainable action for 31 days and then share it with [Telus] via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook using #31DaysOfGreen.” Individuals and organisations alike have joined in the conversation:
Meanwhile, Telus posts its own daily tips on how to be sustainable:
Telus’ 31 Day Sustainability Challenge may simply give people some ideas on how to be more sustainable. It is difficult to say whether people will actually implement these ideas and stick with them long-term. In my experience, it takes a conscious effort to make changes, even small ones, in our everyday lives. A few tweets from a telecommunications company likely won’t be changing any life habits. However, I think conversations about sustainability are always valuable. Even just getting one person to switch to buying groceries locally or not eating meat on Mondays is still a step in the right direction. As with all social media campaigns, the more people it reaches, the more valuable it is.
On its own, #31DaysOfGreen is simply a catchy marketing campaign. It’s an opportunity for people to share tips on living sustainably, with the possibility of winning some prizes. However, coupled with Telus’ other sustainability commitments, like its various LEED-certified buildings and Team TELUS Cares program, the organisation is certainly taking a leading role in sustainability. Not to mention, Telus was included in the 2013 Global 100 Index, a sustainability index that rates publicly traded companies based on twelve key performance indicators, from energy use to employee turnover rates. No other North American telecommunications company made the cut. I’d say Telus is definitely on the right track and has set the standard for other organisations in the industry.
To read more about Telus’ commitment to sustainability and triple-bottom-line approach, check out their Corporate Social Responsibility Report here.
Nice find! Your point about getting even one person to do something small being a step in the right direction is interesting – I hope you’re right but I worry that emphasizing small steps might lead to consumers engaging in “drop-in-the-bucket” thinking, where they say something like “doing something so small won’t make any difference in the big picture so I may as well not even bother.” How do you think you could minimize the likelihood of this kind of thinking when it comes to sustainability marketing?
You bring up an interesting point. I think being able to see tangible effects of one’s actions helps a great deal. For example, seeing the hydro bill decrease because you’ve made an effort to use less electricity rewards, and thus reinforces that behaviour. In cases where the cause-and-effect are not so obvious, manufactured rewards are the next best thing. For instance, offering rebates for customers who buy energy-efficient appliances. These rewards can produce momentum for people to take larger steps in the future.
Yes, the more people reached by this campaign, the greater its potential to inspire positive change”