I’m ashamed to say that there is one phrase in particular that makes me lose all measure of diplomacy and tactful behavior suitable to business meetings. When I hear “consumer engagement,” aka “customer engagement,” it makes my blood rise. It has become a trend in the sustainability field for consumer products companies. It’s not that I’m particularly against these activities; on the contrary, I think they’re a vital part of a successful sustainable business. And, if done correctly, engagement can build long-term relationships to alleviate a number of wasteful and unsustainable business practices. However, I do not believe that consumer engagement should be the primary motivation for a sustainability strategy. And many companies that claim consumer engagement as their reason for implementing sustainability are being coy about their real reasons. If it really is their primary motivation then I venture to say they have been misguided, possibly wasting valuable resources, and more importantly, could be driving the debate in the wrong direction. Luckily, more often than not, they are benefitting much more from backend work, such as sustainable product innovation and creating supply chain efficiencies, than they’re admitting publically.
Source: Environmental Leader
By Sara Pax is the president of Bluehorse Associates, a developer of environmental sustainability metrics solutions specialized in the food and beverages industry that includes the web-based, lifecycle assessment and product carbon footprinting tool Carbonostics. www.carbonostics.com