Sustainable Brands Interview: How To Tell Authentic Stories

One of the things we hear most often from purpose-driven companies is: “I have a story…but how do I tell it?” When you consider that initiatives in the realm of sustainability, social and environmental justice and other such topics are very different from typical corporate production, this questions makes sense.

Purpose-Driven brands, brands that go beyond profit, are appealing to the consumer’s heart and so they have a responsibility to honesty, authenticity and integrity. Today’s consumers are very tuned in to these characteristics and have no qualms about avoiding businesses that do not meet their standards. In this conversation with Sandy Skees - who leads the Innovation and Impact Practice at Porter Novelli - our own Director of Photography Jenna Close discusses how to tell an authentic story. What do you avoid? What do you include? Who do you feature? How do you reach out in a way that builds trust and develops a loyal following?

We encourage you to make time to watch this 30 minute discussion. Jenna and Sandy cover topics such as:

• greenwashing & greenhushing

• puff language

• being OK with admitting mistakes

• using real people, either clients or employees or both

• translating data into a compelling emotional narrative

Lastly, a big thank you to Sustainable Brands for recognizing that authentic storytelling is a huge part of changing the world for the better. We need to DO, and then we need to SHARE.