Beyond PR: Achieving Authenticity in Promoting DEIA and ESG Initiatives

In the wake of too many vague statements and superficial press releases, PR teams promoting their organizations’ DEI and ESG initiatives are finding they are needing to overcome the authenticity barrier. This session will demonstrate how to overcome media skepticism and create a meaningful program by using a questioning approach, individual voices, and strategic goal-setting.

1. Beyond PR: Achieving Authenticity in Promoting DEIA and ESG
Initiatives
October 16, 2023

2. Your Presenters
VP of Business and
Culture Transformation
Harvard Business
Publishing
Founder and Principal
Plat4orm PR
Valerie ChanEllen Bailey

3. What Does Authenticity Look Like in Promoting ESG and
DEIA Campaigns?

4. The Disconnect in ESG/DEIA Conversations

5. The Role of Communications in ESG & DEIA programs
•Communication is essential for successful implementation of ESG & DEIA campaigns and reform
•C-Suite should be engaged and interactive throughout the process
•Involve every part of the company at every level, including regional offices
•Incentivize employees to support and deploy ESG & DEIA programs and initiatives
Internal Communication
Employee Engagement
External Communication
C-Suite Leadership

6. The
Importance of
Change
Management
in ESG/DEIA
Efforts

7. Effects of Change Management in ESG & DEIA Efforts
Create incentives for leadership to
change culture toward DEIA and make it
part of your strategy and operations.
Coalescing executive teams to act as
role models and levering employee
feedback is essential for fostering a
transparent and effective work culture.
Employee buy-in is vital. Everyone is an
important stakeholder in enforcing DEIA
culture and the toolset that comes with it.
Leadership culture change Fostering executive-levelcommunication Employee Buy-In

8. Interconnected Top Down/Bottoms Up Approach
Implementing change
starts from the top
down.
Employees play a crucial
role in sourcing and
implementing solutions
from the bottom up.

9. Where Communications Comes In
Programs/Results must
be tangible vs.
aspirational
Communications affect all parts of the company in all change management
Employee engagement
important in the support
and deployment.
Executive Level
communications to
staff; all regional
offices
Programs are enacted at the
director level and pushed
down.
Programs in place both in an
internal on every level and on
1:1 for corporate culture to
embrace programs/DEIA and
enact in culture.

10. Benefits/Outcomes: Peak Performance
•Increased financial returns: KPIs: EBITA
margins and shareholder returns double;
revenue grows 1.5-3X.
•Diversity and Engagement: A proven 2X
multiplier on performance and leadership.
•Metrics Matter: Turn accountability in DEIA
into wins in talent retention and
acquisition.

11. Companies Who Did ESG and/orDEIA Right

12. Companies Who Didn't Do ESG and/or DEIA Right
.

13. Case Study: Sustainable Change

14. Building a foundation
Our early strategy

15. One HBP
Pillars for Success
Strategic Goals
(What We Aspire)
Mechanisms & Culture
(How We Work)
Transparent Ongoing Communication
Performance Management System
Strategy + Mechanisms + Culture = Success

16. Transition to a
Performance Culture
A culture in which employees
perform well because they
are engaged, valued, and
continually learning.
•Strategic alignment on
goals and priorities.
•Build accountability into
performance
management
•Use our Values as the lens
for “how” we behave
Employee Enablement
Enable employees to drive
innovations that better
meet the client needs by
incorporating DEIA
into operating procedures
•Clear communications
•Distributed decision
making
•Inclusive discussions
•Ideation leveraging
diversity of thought
Communicate!
Implement a
communication strategy
that provides ongoing,
transparent, concise
communications
Business and Culture Transformation Priorities
Foster an Inclusive
Culture:
Continue to drive an
Inclusive organization by
incorporating DEIA into
both our people and
business practices and
ongoing education
opportunities that drive
new behaviors
HBP Value: We will do What's Right, What's Hard, and With Excellence

17. The Do's and Don'ts of ESG/DEIA Storytelling
To tell an authentic ESG and/or DEIA story, focus on the why, and have data and
documented strategies to back up your claims. This will speak to your authenticity.

18. Tricks to Get Your ESG/DEIA Message Out Correctly
Corporate alignment, engagement, and leveraging partnerships are essential when executing any ESG
or DEIA strategy.
Tips to make the message effective using a DEIA initiatives as an example :
Evaluate
Evaluate if the
DEIA initiative's
goals and
structure are
authentic.
Consult
Consult the
diversity
committee
before program
promotion.
Offer
Offer positive,
program-driven
recommendations.
Develop
Develop a
communication
framework that
captures a
diverse set of
voices including
employees,
management,
and customers.
Validate
Validate
initiatives
through
individual and
program
successes.

19. Ask The Right Questions to Increase Authenticity
What type of investment
(Cultural, Financial, PR) is
the organization making
in ESG and/or DEIA?
Who is making the push
for ESG and/or DEIA?
What active ESG/DEIA
programs are there within
the organization? Are the
programs creating
change?
For DEIA programs, is
equality happening at all
levels of the organization
or just one level?
Is stakeholder involvement being measured in
its support and deployment of initiatives
across hiring managers, senior leaders, and
employees?
•What are those measurements?
•Are they performance metrics?
•What is the increase in performance for the
organization?
What other authenticity
barriers do you see
happening?