Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, it’s a core value that consumers and employees expect businesses to uphold. But how do you share your company’s sustainability journey in a way that genuinely connects with your audience? We recently partnered with Grant Thornton Ireland to create an impactful Earth Week experience, Planet vs Plastics, designed to raise awareness about the environmental consequences of single-use plastics. The experience got notable attention and even got nominated for the 2024 AWE Auggie Awards in the 'Best Climate Change Solution' category. Here’s a guide to crafting memorable, impactful sustainability stories that engage and inspire with a special focus on our recent project with Grant Thornton.
Understand Your Audience
Before diving into your story, it’s crucial to know who you’re telling it to. Are you speaking to eco-conscious customers, shareholders focused on ESG metrics, or employees looking to contribute to a meaningful cause? Each group will connect with different aspects of your sustainability journey. For example, employees may be more motivated by personal action stories, while customers might respond to product-focused initiatives. Tailor your narrative to resonate with what matters most to them.
Show Don’t Tell
Telling people you are sustainable isn’t enough—you need to show them how your efforts make an impact. Sustainability is a serious topic, but that doesn’t mean your approach has to be dry. Take those big stats and turn them into relatable stories or visual experiences. Instead of simply saying, "We've reduced our carbon footprint by X amount," show the equivalent impact in a way people can grasp. One powerful example comes from the experience we built for Grant Thornton, where we turned a sustainability stat—100,000 cups saved from the landfill—into an immersive experience. Rather than simply stating the number, we filled the office lobby with thousands of coffee cups, offering a visual representation that employees could immediately grasp. The result? A much deeper connection to the campaign’s message and greater buy-in for the initiative.
Turn Passive Participation Into Active Engagement
Traditional methods of pushing sustainability messages from HR or marketing can feel passive and one-sided. The key to true engagement is giving people the opportunity to take part actively. One way to achieve this is through augmented reality (AR), which lets employees or customers actively interact with sustainability initiatives in real-world environments. Unlike virtual reality (VR), which can feel isolating, AR allows multiple people to share the same experience together, enhancing social engagement.
For example, at the Grant Thornton experience employees "saw" their contributions to reducing waste in real-time and interacted with virtual objects like a seagull picking up a plastic cup from the trash and flying away with it. This highlights how small actions lead to big environmental impacts—not just towards humanity—but on the entire ecosystem.
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Make the Technology the Background, Not the Hero
The focus should always be on the experience, not the tech. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) AR solutions allow employees and customers to participate using their smartphones, making the technology accessible and non-disruptive. AR blends seamlessly with the real world, putting the experience—not the tech—front and centre. This makes the sustainability story more relatable and real for everyone involved.
Create Social Engagement Through AR
A sustainability story that resonates internally can have an even greater impact if amplified through social channels. Think about how your employees, customers, or partners can engage with the story and share it beyond your company walls.
Encourage social sharing through photo or video challenges tied to your campaign. A visual representation of your sustainability efforts—like Grant Thornton’s coffee cup example—can generate buzz on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, where both employees and customers can engage in meaningful conversations.
Make It Fun and Interactive
The best sustainability campaigns are not just informative but also fun and engaging. Create AR challenges that allow employees or customers to compete or collaborate toward a sustainability goal in a fun, gamified way. Interactive, shared experiences not only make the message stick but also create a sense of community, making the sustainability effort a collective action rather than an individual one.
It has been such a treat working with the epic team at Imvizar, along with my team and Green Scene colleagues, bringing this project to life. It is so exciting to see it reach a platform beyond what we imagined. - Andrea Borain, Sustainability Manager at Grant Thornton Ireland
Other Options for Creating a Sustainability Experience
Physical Installations: While impactful, these can be costly, time-consuming, and ironically unsustainable in many cases. They are impressive but don’t always align with the eco-friendly message.
VR: While VR creates immersive experiences, it requires expensive hardware and can feel isolating. It doesn’t offer the same social interaction AR does.
Video: While videos are a more traditional method of storytelling, they are quite passive with viewers watching instead of actively engaging. While well-produced videos can evoke emotion, it is hard to stand out amongst the over-saturation of video content created today. However, video can still play its part as part of a large campaign. Grant Thornton created an evergreen video of the AR experience with the real reactions of the people which played on a loop for months in their office, keeping their sustainability message front-of-mind for employees.
How can Imvizar help you tell your sustainability story?
Telling your company’s sustainability story is not just about sharing numbers and achievements—it’s about creating experiences that engage, inspire, and empower your audience. By focusing on interactive engagement, creating social sharing opportunities, and using accessible technologies like AR, you can transform your sustainability story into something that resonates deeply with your employees and customers—and positions your company as a leader in environmental responsibility.
At Imvizar, we specialise in creating unforgettable AR experiences that turn passive viewers into active participants. If you are looking to engage your audience in a fresh, interactive way, we’re here to help. Let’s work together to make your next campaign one that stands out. Book your Demo today!
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