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Failure to tell an effective ESG story and avoid shareholder proposals can impact capital access and the ability to attract new investors—which is why 90 percent of the largest companies now publish sustainability reports. But ESG storytelling goes beyond investor relations. Social media-driven consumer activists have put companies under public scrutiny for their human capital management, climate impact, political contributions and corporate diversity. Likewise, employees are pushing leadership to adopt their values and interests. ESG impacts talent, brand perception and long-term customer loyalty. Authenticity matters, so your ESG story needs to align with the values your company represents. It’s time to own your narrative.
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Home 1. Choose a Framework 2. Segment Messaging 3. Drive Engagement 4. Transform Proxy 5. Go Virtual Visit Broadridge.com
Home
1. Choose a Framework
2. Segment Messaging
3. Drive Engagement
5. Go Virtual
| Visit Broadridge.com
SASB is based on the concept of financial relevance and covers by industry the areas that may be most material to your business. Industry segmentation makes it easy to focus on the criteria most relevant to your company.
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
Authenticity requires reviewing standards to see what others believe matters, then adapting a framework to your unique organization. Existing standards are not the end, but merely the means to tell your story. While there are multiple prominent ESG frameworks, U.S. investors have gravitated towards three:
Global Disclosure System of Environmental Reporting (CDP)
Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)
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Investors prefer CDP because it focuses on governance and climate risk, helping them understand in different climate scenarios, the potential financial impacts to your company.
Investors like these standards because they focus exclusively on carbon emissions and climate change —and their metrics are targeted accordingly.
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Home 1. Choose a Framework 2. Segment Messaging 3. Drive Engagement 4. Transform Proxy 5. Go Virtual
These shorter communications can provide a more casual, high-level overview of your company’s program and the underlying strategy behind it. A typical summary may include data tables with associated narrative along with quantitative metrics on topics you believe are material to the company. Next, consider creating topic-specific reports, which offer more granular analyses of your company’s management and overall ESG program. These reports often include choice content from the SASB, CDP and TCFD. Placement and ePresentment are also important to consider. Your story should always be easy to find and navigate, so readers can easily access content that matters to them (this includes honing web search optimization).
But authentic ESG storytelling involves crafting more targeted stories to your different audiences throughout the year. While many companies are focused on investors and employees, it’s important to consider supply-chain participants, ESG rating agents, and consumers as well. Each of these audiences bring unique needs and perspectives and it’s advantageous to stay responsive. This is why were commend distributing ESG content through multiple channels such as the proxy, annual report, intranet and social media.
And effective engagement requires multiple touchpoints throughout the year. Your stakeholders are looking for evidence that managing ESG risk and identifying opportunity is integrated into your overall strategy and operations. So, you can’t just wait until proxy season to make a connection. Also consider taking advantage of the emerging ESG data services that allow you to monitor and measure your communication effectiveness and progress. The Broadridge ESG Dashboard is an example of this, allowing you to compare your company’s ESG ratings relative to peers, your industry and other companies, leveraging dozens to hundreds of rating sources. A marketing approach to ESG storytelling should involve all of your tools: social media, paid search, email and other digital communications. The goal is to own your narrative. And for that you need to amplify your story across multiple channels and touchpoints.
Data makes the difference. The right data insights can empower you to connect with shareholders with the right message at the right time. We can help. Broadridge’s vast network of share ownership data offers issuers unprecedented insight into one’s shareholder base, voting habits, demographics and communication delivery preferences. We provide visibility into key industry trends along with granular data right down to specific shareholder segments.
BABY BOOMERS
GEN X
MILLENNIALS
73%
58%
87%
Actionable shareholder data enables you to cultivate a strong social media and ad presence. These tools are useful during targeting and special events, such as proxy season. For example, you can incorporate targeted ads into your larger proxy solicitation strategy, helping to drive participation and shape the outcomes you want. This approach may prove especially effective for non-listed issuers that can’t rely so heavily on brand recognition or institutional investors.
56% of consumers agree: The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how they communicate and engage with companies—for good.
56
%
75% switched at least one bill to paperless last year
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84% expect companies to make it easy for them to interact across print, digital and other channels.
84
of voted shares were cast electronically
Although it might seem counterintuitive, an effective digital experience starts with your paper mailing. You need an eye-catching proxy that gets noticed and stands on its own. The paper mailing, then, serves as the bridge to a transformative digital experience.
97
retail positions were voted on mobile devices
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Impactful design helps you get key messages in front of the reader, enabling you to communicateyour ESG story quickly and effectively. In the 2020 Proxy Season:
Investors receive a professionally designed proxy statement.
A QR code links them to a dedicated digital microsite.
The microsite has interactive ESG content, charts, data and video.
From the microsite, investors access ProxyVote.com to vote.
Enable smarter, data-driven engagement
Meet shareholders where they are—in the channels they prefer
Accelerate digital adoption
Reduce overall print costs
Strengthen ESG credibility when you minimize paper waste and downsize your carbon footprint
A recent Global IR survey found similar patterns, showing that across the industry adoption of VSMs translated into greater retail shareholder attendance. Virtual meetings are much easier to attend, so issuers can reach more shareholders more easily. Along with the convenience and cost-savings, our clients also found that VSMs enable incredibly effective investor engagement. Live video lets you put a face to the board and gives management and directors a chance to showcase ESG achievements directly.
process that helps you identify measurable milestones, benchmark your accomplishments, and shape your ESG narrative. From there, we’ll empower you to develop an engaging experience to showcase that narrative, then execute an omni-channel communications strategy to achieve the outcomes you want. Whether you are just getting started or well into your ESG efforts, we’ve got the roadmap you need to advance your ESG capabilities.
Technology shouldn’t be one of them. Our innovative, modular, and customizable Virtual Shareholder Meeting platform gives you the tools you need to create the meeting you want. Provide attendees easy access to key documents and communications, including the annual proxy, shareholder report, and sustainability report. Right upon login shareholders can access all of your ESG assets all in one place. In addition, your team will enjoy complete meeting management, including a roles-based organizer toolset that lets users display documents, screenshares, videos, and speakers in whatever arrangement they prefer. Recent enhancements enable issuers to easily manage, organize, and sort shareholder questions in real time. There are also several options to customize the Q&A experience. Taken together, the newest platform gives users more control over speakers, questions and the flow of the event, while helping to maximize transparencyand participation for shareholders.
Successful companies articulate ways ESG factors impact their long-term strategy. And there’s a competitive advantage to doing so. Risks are compounded the longer your company delays. Broadridge can help. Our solutions are innovating the shareholder experience and digitizing communications to maximize impact. In partnership with Third Economy, a leading research and ESG advisory firm, we deliver an end-to-end
