A Good Opinion Piece is More Than a Personal Stance
Opinion pieces have a rightful place in communication and getting your message across. But they’re not always the best tool for the job. Writing a compelling opinion piece is no easy task – it requires a clear idea, a solid structure, and a good dose of courage. It’s not something to dive into lightly.
A truly impactful opinion piece takes flight beyond the opinion section. It sparks further discussion – whether in news articles, on social media, or through follow-up commentaries. So why do so many opinion pieces fail to make that kind of impact?
Before you decide to write one, there are two key questions you should ask yourself:
1. Will the people I want to reach actually find and read this?
There’s no shortage of opinion pieces out there. Whether and how long yours stays on the front page of a news portal depends on whether it’s timely, clearly opinionated, and resonates with readers at that moment. Even the most avid news consumers can’t keep up with every opinion platform or read every article that catches their eye. That’s why you need to identify your core audience. Who are you trying to reach and inspire to take action? Once you’ve defined that, ask yourself: Will that audience come across this piece? Do they even read opinion articles?
2. What is the only one key message or argument I want to get across?
As the name suggests, an opinion piece should express a clear opinion on something. It should ignite something in you as the writer—and in your readers. That spark comes from a strong central idea, your main thesis. If the piece lacks a backbone to build the rest of the argument around, it will be difficult to write and even harder to read.
Opinion Pieces Aren’t Social Media Posts
People often confuse two different formats: opinion pieces and social media posts. The latter can be emotional, fragmented, and driven by the moment, more like a short remark than a structured argument. An opinion piece, on the other hand, calls for deeper analysis, a clear structure, and a sense of responsibility. If your writing fails to connect with the reader – fails to offer them something thought-provoking or inspiring – it won’t have any real impact.
A strong opinion piece doesn’t begin with a paragraph explaining why the author decided to write it. It starts with a story or a fact that makes the reader stop and think: “This affects me, too.”
“A strong opinion piece doesn’t begin with a paragraph explaining why the author decided to write it. It starts with a story or a fact that makes the reader stop and think: “This affects me, too.””
A Good Opinion Piece Needs a STORY
Even the strongest argument falls flat without a compelling story to back it up or bring it to life. Why? Because facts alone don’t persuade people, stories do. Stories allow readers to see themselves reflected in the narrative. They draw people in. That story could be a personal experience, something you witnessed, or a deep dive into a particular situation that gets the reader thinking.
So to sum up: the term “opinion piece” itself points us in the right direction. You need two key elements – a clear opinion and a story to support it. A story with an opinion.
How to tell customers that we are raising prices?
Despite wage growth and slowing inflation, consumer confidence remains low, and the input costs of many products have risen sharply this year. Furthermore, a VAT increase looms this summer, affecting the prices of nearly all goods and services. How can businesses communicate an upcoming price increase to their customers in such a situation? The fear that customers might leave after receiving bad news is real. It may also attract media attention and cause reputational damage to the company. Therefore, price changes must be communicated thoughtfully, honestly, and convincingly. Success requires good preparation and a well-considered approach.
Analyze your client’s situation
A well-worded mass email might suffice if the economy is strong and enough time has passed since the last price increase. However, early planning is crucial in the current climate, where consumers are saturated with negative news and emotionally strained. Price change communication should be taken as seriously as a new product campaign.
Start by analyzing the market situation: What is your customers’ current state? Do they primarily seek discounted products or look for cheaper alternatives? How have they reacted to competitors’ price increases? Has this influenced their purchasing behaviour? This groundwork helps justify the price increase and determine the most appropriate communication strategy.
Start communication early
Price increase messaging should begin early and be reflected in other corporate messages. Companies often prefer to highlight positive numbers when presenting economic results, focusing on growth. However, if a price increase is imminent, it’s wise to stop sugar-coating. A sudden price hike can feel contradictory and frustrating if customers constantly hear that the business is thriving.
“Research shows that customers are most irritated when they feel price increases are driven solely by profit motives. That’s why justifications must be clear and easy to understand.”
It’s also beneficial to hint early that price adjustments may become necessary. Speaking honestly about rising costs and the impact of inflation ensures the price increase won’t come as a surprise. Larger companies should raise industry-wide issues before implementing price hikes—especially if the challenges affect the whole sector. Research shows that customers are most irritated when they feel price increases are driven solely by profit motives. That’s why justifications must be clear and easy to understand. Transparency and proactive communication help reinforce that customers have chosen a trustworthy partner.
Messages must be clear and human
Clarity and transparency are essential when explaining price changes. Customers shouldn’t have to calculate or search for the new price themselves. Vague or overly generic statements can lead to frustration and a loss of trust. The reasons must be specific—”rising costs” says little, but pointing out increases in raw materials, supply chains, or energy makes the message more relatable.
For example, avoid saying: “Due to general cost increases, we adjust our prices. The updated price list is available on our website.”
Instead, say: “Our production costs, especially for raw materials and transportation, have risen significantly over the past year. For instance, our costs increased by 20% in Q1 compared to last year’s period. To maintain high product quality and continue investing in customer service, we need to adjust our prices starting next month by 10%. As a result, a product currently priced at €10 will cost €11 as of next month.” You can emphasize your continued competitive advantage to soften the message: “We continue to offer the most affordable price in the market” or “the best quality.”
What does the customer get in return?
“A well-crafted value proposition helps customers understand why the increase could benefit them.”
A price increase doesn’t just mean higher costs for the customer—it also signifies an investment in quality. A well-crafted value proposition helps customers understand why the increase could benefit them. However, this works only if the added value is something the customers genuinely want and have mentioned in feedback or surveys.
In such cases, emphasize the customer-centric approach in your communication. If people feel heard and understand that improvements require extra cost, they are more likely to accept the change. Still, don’t justify a price hike with added features that the customer neither requested nor valued.
In conclusion: Be honest and open
- Avoid negative language or apologetic/defensive phrasing.
- Emphasize what the customer gains, not just that prices are increasing.
- Provide early notice about rising costs to give customers time to adapt.
- When price increases are communicated clearly, with solid reasoning and customer value in mind, it’s possible to avoid backlash and maintain a relationship of trust.
- Be present for the customer—include contact details or a link to more information in every communication. Prepare for a spike in customer inquiries and ensure your team is ready.
- Also, ensure your spokespeople can respond to media inquiries or give interviews. This signals that the company is not hiding anything and helps shape the narrative while supporting the change with well-crafted messages.
We’ll make a press release about it, right?
This phrase in the headline can evoke both an internal unpleasant groan and an encouraging affirmative nod in the communicator. Why?
Because when we talk about communication, it can often happen that a press release is expected to work wonders and later people are disappointed that it didn’t get much coverage. And it can often feel like a press release is a good tangible thing that seems certain to go.
This is where a good communication expert and specialist comes in, who can actually propose a much wider range of communication (and marketing) activities, depending on the content and purpose of the activity, one part of which may or may not be a press release.
First of all, it is essential to know what is the purpose of the communication and who do you want to reach with your activities? You can then create a comprehensive communication plan, mapping out the target audiences, the appropriate channels, the spokespeople and the people responsible for each activity (crucial!).
What often works better than a press release?
- Direct offers of topics or a good media pitch. This requires you to have thought through the topic for yourself, picked out a key point (or two) and offer the journalist a genuinely good and meaningful topic. For example, the topic may not always be related to a specific event, but it can be related to a broader issue. It can be an important, different focus to open up the topic. Pitching doesn’t always work, but in my experience pitches are more effective than a press release.
- Writing and submitting an article for publication. However, in this case, it must not be a marketing piece or a sales pitch. As a communication activity, we are offering something of value through the writing of an article, such as essentially opening up a topic from a new or different perspective. We are always guided by the news value and, of course, the channel.
- Good and interesting speakers. We all appreciate good speakers who speak clearly and articulately and, of course, in an interesting way. Some people have a natural talent for presenting and speaking well, others can be trained. This is another area where a communication expert or partner can help.
- Invite selected journalists to the event. I emphasise – selected. Not all journalists will write/cover all topics, so it is worth making selections and invitations according to the event. This requires background work and, of course, again, a good substantive subject and background knowledge.
A press release certainly has its place in certain cases, but it all depends on the content, the purpose and the situation. When assessing the situation, it is therefore always a good idea to work with someone who knows how communication works and has the necessary media contacts.
How to Get Media Coverage for the Work of Community-Oriented Institutions?
How do you get media coverage or raise public debates about the work and activities of community-based institutions that do their day-to-day work well? Clearly, you cannot get into the media simply by doing a conscientiously good job. But what will?
Take the library, for example. It’s much more than just a place to borrow books. Libraries have become cultural and educational hubs for the community, bringing together young and old with various interests and hobbies. Having trained several library staff in communication and media skills, I can confidently assert their dedication to their societal role, which they fulfill with enthusiasm and commitment.
However, no institution is immune from budget cuts when the economy takes a downturn, and local governments must make tough decisions. This is where communication about the institution’s work can become an essential strategic tool for explaining the relevance and impact of your institution’s work to society.
But should a highly valued library in its community make any extra effort to be in the broader media picture? The answer is yes. But does a library get media coverage for doing what it was created to do? The answer is no. So, how can we shed light on the important topics, challenges, and successes within libraries or similar institutions—stories that also reflect the broader dynamics of our society?
Take on the Role of Spokesperson
Although libraries may be popular among their residents, this alone is not enough to build a positive public image. Broader recognition, active participation in public discussions, and expressing opinions are essential. Various smaller mission-driven institutions through the media can affirm their indispensable role in education, culture, and community development. The more people know how and what role a specific institution, such as a library, plays in societal life, the harder it becomes to justify cutting their budgets.
How to Get Media Coverage?
Every day and every week, interesting and well-organized events take place in every corner of Estonia, and libraries are no exception. However, many NGOs and other community-driven institutions have likely felt that, despite their events being well-received by the local population, they fail to capture the interest of local media, let alone national outlets.
The answer to the question of media access lies in how you package the information you have. There is a big difference between simply inviting a journalist to an event and including newsworthy information and data. The additional information and data can help to open up the whole picture and turn an event into a reason to cover something more significant and broader. For example, a day of reading in the library, together with statistics, could be an opportunity to talk about reading among Estonian children, reading difficulties, reading habits, or even more popular children’s books or book preferences.
What Could be the Added Value?
Let’s imagine that a library organizes a discussion group or a conference to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of a famous writer. While such an event naturally draws a large audience, the media doesn’t cover discussions or conferences without additional context or relevance.
What Would Capture the Media’s Interest?
- Highlight facts and statistics about the author: how many books they’ve published, how often their works are borrowed, which titles are most popular, and how these numbers have changed.
Or, if it’s about an event related to education and the study of Estonian language and literature, in addition to information about the event, you should include a relevant survey or some fascinating statistics about literature teachers, books read at school, etc.
Is an Event Always Necessary to Spark Interest?
No, the public—and therefore the media—can be engaged at any time with interesting and, most importantly, updated data. This is why it’s worth keeping an eye on trends and statistics related to the institution and its field.
When Should You Organise a Press Conference?
Organising a press conference is not a decision that institutions frequently face, but it often comes up in the context of significant events or situations. The key question is: when is the right moment to decide to hold a press conference?
Having worked as a communications manager for three different organizations, I’ve had to organize press conferences only a handful of times. Why? Because it usually requires an extraordinary event or situation to make a press conference truly effective. This in itself highlights why and when such an approach is appropriate.
So, when exactly should you organise a press conference? The simplest answer is that when a press release alone isn’t enough, the information affects a broad audience, and calling every publication or newsroom individually would take too long. Press conferences are particularly useful when information needs to be shared quickly and directly with as many people as possible.
“The simplest answer is that when a press release alone isn’t enough, the information affects a broad audience, and calling every publication or newsroom individually would take too long.”
If the situation is critical and has high news value, a press conference is often the easiest and most sensible way to provide information to everyone simultaneously and address questions immediately.
For example, The Government of Estonia holds weekly press conferences to share decisions and respond to questions.
The Estonian Health Board organised regular press conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic to disseminate information to as many people as possible at once and to allow journalists to ask questions on the spot.
To evaluate whether a press conference is the right step for your organization, consider the following checklist:
- Does the information, event, or situation meet at least four newsworthiness criteria? Is it unusual, impactful, relevant, timely, and topical?
- Does the situation have significant news value, impacting a large group of people or a substantial portion of your target audience?
- Do you have enough information to justify holding a press conference? Specifically:
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- Who is involved?
- Where did it happen?
- Why did it happen?
- How did it happen?
If you can confidently answer “yes” to all these questions and have enough information to explain the situation, the next step is to ask yourself: are you prepared to answer critical questions? Do you know what happens next? Press conferences are often organised in response to crises — whether due to major accidents, reputational issues for a large institution, or the need to disclose significant new information.
In these situations, having a skilled communications specialist or agency partner is invaluable. They can help assess the situation, provide crisis communication support, or suggest alternative solutions to ensure the information reaches the right audience quickly and effectively.
Three tips for international media relations
Years ago, I gained my first experience in international media relations while working as a press officer at the French Embassy in Estonia. French journalists coming to Estonia to cover stories often sought help finding spokespeople and additional context about their topics of interest. I saw firsthand the amount of preparation journalists put into their work before the story got published.
From a PR consultant perspective, international media relations have become increasingly crucial for Estonian companies. With a wish to expand into foreign markets comes a need to introduce the company itself, their products, and their services. What should one remember when attempting to get on the pages of an international media outlet?
1. Know the journalist (and the publication)
Understanding a journalist’s style and interests is also crucial for pitching stories to Estonian media, but it’s even more critical internationally. Journalists receive an overwhelming number of pitches daily. The “spray and pray” approach doesn’t typically work in international media relations. To stand out, you must know what matters to the journalist.
“The “spray and pray” approach doesn’t typically work in international media relations. To stand out, you must know what matters to the journalist.”
It’s also vital to understand the publication they work for. There’s a big difference between pitching to a business news portal and a popular science magazine. The angle you choose for your story depends on this—the more generic your message, the higher the chance it ends up in the spam folder.
But how do you find the right publication and journalist? Tools like Google and ChatGPT may only sometimes be adequate for this purpose. At Meta Advisory, we are using an international media monitoring system called Meltwater. This tool allows us to analyse over 270,000 global media outlets and map activity across over 15 social media platforms, podcasts, and print publications.
With Meltwater, you can identify relevant outlets and journalists based on specific keywords, topics, and regions. The tool is especially crucial for crisis communication. One of our clients recently had a case where potentially damaging information spread like wildfire in the international media. Meltwater helped us monitor coverage and provided contacts for journalists covering the topic, enabling us to send clarifications to many outlets promptly.
2. “Go big or go home” is not the best approach in international media relations
Landing a story in prestigious publications like the Financial Times, Bloomberg, or The Guardian is undoubtedly a worthwhile goal, but it’s not always the most reasonable strategy. Instead of persistently pitching TIER 1 outlets with stories that lead nowhere, try approaching trade publications. While these often have smaller audiences, they are closely followed by other journalists and might be a doorway to TIER 1 publications.
“Instead of persistently pitching TIER 1 outlets with stories that lead nowhere, try approaching trade publications.”
Trade publications are more accessible, and their quality tends to be relatively high because they focus exclusively on specific fields. Something extraordinary must happen in Estonia to catch the attention of world-renowned publications. Local news from small countries rarely meets their standards.
A few months ago, I pitched a story about a client’s multi-hundred-million-euro investment in Western Europe to a TIER 1 publication journalist. The response was “Interesting, but not newsworthy enough for us.” In Estonia, this story had been the most important news of the day.
Recently, we helped a client connect with an international journalist specializing in space topics. The interview was published in a space-focused publication and quickly gained traction, being referenced in over ten international media outlets. This example highlights the strategic value of niche industry media for businesses looking to amplify their message.
That doesn’t mean major outlets are out of reach for Estonian companies, far from it. However, achieving this requires consistent effort. Sending a press release once or twice a year won’t cut it.
Additionally, don’t expect press releases to be copy-pasted as news in international outlets. A press release is one of many tools for building systematic international media relations.
3. Be patient
Supporting the communications for several international events over recent years has taught me patience. Stories don’t happen in days — or even weeks. In one case, it took four months from the first contact with a journalist to the actual coverage. I received the journalist’s initial response within a week of reaching out, but scheduling the interview, preparing for it, navigating internal editorial processes, and finalising the story took time.
“Stories don’t happen in days — or even weeks. In one case, it took four months from the first contact with a journalist to the actual coverage.”
Long lead times are the norm, not the exception, in international media relations. Starting your media efforts weeks, if not months, in advance for important topics or events is wise. But for that first contact to be fruitful, you must do your homework to reach the right person at the publication. It all comes back to knowing the journalist you are reaching out to.
Crisis Communication: How to Prepare for a Storm and Protect Your Reputation
Imagine a situation where your company finds itself at the centre of an unexpected scandal. Perhaps a product has turned out to be dangerous, an employee has behaved unethically, or there has been a data breach. Regardless of the nature of the crisis, one thing is certain: the trust relationship with stakeholders is at risk, and so is the reputation of the entire organisation.
The frequency and scale of crises have increased. This is due to several reasons. Social activity has grown, and the media environment has changed. Stakeholders are more aware of their rights, and societal expectations towards organisations have risen. As a result of increased media coverage, crises now develop and spread faster — information travels quickly, making the escalation of crises more likely. Global pandemics, natural disasters, technological failures and even social media scandals can instantly derail a company’s operations.
Crises are inevitable in today’s business world. What happens, happens. The crucial part is how you respond in a crisis situation and how much attention is paid to communicating with your audience. Why is this critical?
What happens, happens. The crucial part is how you respond in a crisis situation and how much attention is paid to communicating with your audience.
Thoughtful communication, that is, interacting with your primary audience, makes crisis resolution efforts visible and understandable to them and reflects the efforts being made to resolve the crisis. In cases of accidents, it is essential to provide accurate instructions so that people can protect themselves or their property. Well-organised crisis communication can help a company protect its reputation, restore trust, and even emerge stronger from the crisis. Leaving key target groups, such as employees, customers, and partners, in the dark can worsen the situation, causing irreversible damage to the company’s reputation and financial results.
Where is the line between a crisis and a particularly challenging workday?
A crisis is an unexpected event or situation that threatens an organisation’s operations, reputation, or stakeholders. This could be a natural disaster, a workplace accident, a product failure, a cyberattack, a financial crisis, or even negative media coverage. Crises are characterised by their suddenness, rapid development and potentially significant impact.
While the potential effects of accidents are often clearer — such as significant financial loss, disrupted supply chains, or operational standstills — it can be harder to gauge the potential impact of so-called reputation crises in their early stages, even though their effects may be far more extensive. These can lead to employee strikes, a sharp change in market position due to brand damage, or even regulatory changes that significantly harm the company’s business objectives.
Preparation and being ready
A crisis cannot be predicted exactly. The best way to get ready for a crisis is to be prepared. This means developing a crisis management plan, forming a team, and conducting regular training and simulations. A crisis management plan should include clear roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, and messages to be used in crisis situations.
Being mentally prepared should not be considered less important than practical preparation. Crisis situations are stressful, and it’s crucial that the team remains calm and makes quick and effective decisions even under pressure. Regular training and simulations help the crisis team develop mental resilience — practicing necessary skills and maintaining confidence.
Regular training and simulations help the crisis team develop mental resilience — practicing necessary skills and maintaining confidence.
Rapid and transparent communication
The first 24 hours in a crisis are critical, and the initial response of the organisation can significantly influence the course of the crisis and its impact. Unfortunately, the main problem organisations and individuals face in crises is often indifference. Instead, the approach should be to take the initiative and act with the mindset that the consequences of the crisis could be severe for the organisation. Typically, organisations are not judged publicly based on the cause of the crisis but on their ability to respond.
The first step is to assess the extent of the crisis and gather the crisis team. The team should collect all available information, assess the situation and decide on further actions. It’s also important to inform all relevant stakeholders, including employees, customers, partners and the media.
Transparent communication is crucial during a crisis. The organisation must provide relevant information, even if not all facts are known. It is important to acknowledge the problem, express regret in proportion to the responsibility and explain what is being done to resolve the situation. Companies often initially deny or downplay their responsibility in a crisis, but lying always makes the situation worse and damages the reputation.
It is important to acknowledge the problem, express regret in proportion to the responsibility and explain what is being done to resolve the situation.
Crises cannot be prevented. Preparation is needed for the impact of the crisis—the loss of trust—and for regaining it. The ability to act and communicate with your audience in a crisis situation will determine whether, after the situation is resolved, the company can continue as before or if poor crisis communication management will haunt the organisation for a long time.
How to have a meaningful debate on climate change?
The recent annual conference on natural resources, “Truth or dare”, organised by Äripäev, focused on an important question: how can we turn green transition into a meaningful debate about adapting to climate change? The conference took place to discuss the significant shift in the public discussion on green policy issues in Estonia over the past two years. While the daily news is full of proposals and concrete steps to reduce our environmental footprint, research shows that public awareness and support for the green agenda have not improved.
According to the latest survey commissioned by the Estonian Government Office this spring, only 45% of respondents understand the economic and social changes linked to the green transition. The situation is the same, or even slightly worse, than two years ago: in 2022, 47% of respondents said they understood the changes associated with the green transition.
However, a much more significant change in support for the green transition has fallen from 57% to 48%. In North-Eastern Estonia, support was only 36%. Although there is undoubtedly more than one reason for this, the stagnation of knowledge about the green transition partly explains the drop in support.
It is inevitable that without a clear explanation of green policies and the steps needed to achieve a green transition, there is a risk of doubts about the need for the measures and, conversely, dissatisfaction with the progress made by those who support a faster green transition. This, in turn, encourages the spread of misinformation in various networks and communities, discouraging real action on climate change.
This has happened, for example, in part because of the adoption of renewable energy projects. While wind farms, both onshore and offshore, offer long-term benefits, there are concerns about the costs and environmental impacts of these projects in their start-up phase. There are concerns about visual pollution and noise impacts. However, studies show that wind farms are one of the most cost-effective and cleanest energy sources in the long term.
Therefore, effective measures to combat climate change require close cooperation with residents, municipalities, and businesses. However, top-down guidelines and rules cannot achieve the necessary involvement and support. The focus needs to be on early problem identification and strong community-based cooperation.
“Top-down guidelines and rules cannot achieve the necessary involvement and support.”
Therefore, the state’s role can’t only be to provide legal or resource-based infrastructure, but also co-managing expectations and change. This means that there must be actual contact on the ground, able to identify the genuine concerns of the people causing the resistance or the mitigation measures most relevant in that particular community. Offering financial compensation alone is a solution of convenience – it is more effective for the private and public sectors to work together to focus on the overlapping areas that will genuinely enrich and facilitate local life.
Open local and bilateral communication needs to be accompanied by transparent communication about the whole process. Despite this additional time, policymakers must, in principle, consider the effort required to be fully open about the impacts of climate change action.
It is also essential to discuss the potential risks. Focusing only on the positive aspects of implementing change can lead to disappointment if the reality does not meet expectations. In rapid change, the risk of confusion and dissatisfaction is always high, so adequately managing expectations is essential in any transformation. Communicating honestly and openly will help reduce confusion and disappointment and ultimately support implementing measures to facilitate a green transition.
“Communicating honestly and openly will help reduce confusion and disappointment.”
So, if the question is how can we turn green transition into a meaningful debate, the focus should be on three pillars. Firstly, we can improve people’s understanding of the proposed changes by providing knowledge. Secondly, establishing close cooperation between the state, local authorities and citizens is a must. Finally, we need to explain the processes in a radically open way to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.
CSR 2.0: How to talk about Social responsibility in the ESG era?
The acronym ESG needs no further introduction in business circles. However, there still needs to be more clarity regarding how this three-letter acronym impacts communication and marketing. What does ESG communication entail? How can it be seamlessly integrated into a communication strategy? What effect does a company’s approach to sustainability have on its reputation?
The new EU legislation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), has recently garnered significant attention. Consequently, in the coming years, many companies will be required to provide, in addition to financial reporting, information on their social impact across three dimensions: environment, social, and governance. In other words, companies must demonstrate their sustainability within the ESG framework.
In Estonia, around a dozen companies are currently obligated to disclose certain environmental and human rights information, with several others doing so voluntarily. The sustainability reporting obligation will apply to approximately 350 companies in Estonia in the coming years. Furthermore, it will indirectly impact their business partners and the business sector as a whole. Swedbank Estonia has developed a valuable tool, the Sustainability HUB, to help companies understand the practical implications of implementing ESG principles. But how will Europe’s green ambition and the changes it brings affect marketing and communications professionals?
As a side note, it’s essential to acknowledge that linguistic nuances further complicate this already complex subject. Terms like sustainability, ESG, CSR, social responsibility, and responsible entrepreneurship are often used loosely in Estonian and may be perceived differently.
ESG versus CSR
Frequently, all the keywords mentioned above are condensed into the term ESG. Consequently, more and more often, people in the communication community ask, “What is ESG communication?”. The ESG framework primarily serves as an internal tool for companies to assess their business performance across environmental, social, and governance dimensions. From a communication perspective, it plays a role in investor relations and fundraising. However, it should not be used interchangeably with sustainability or social responsibility.
While ESG is a specific framework for evaluating a company’s societal impact, responsibility and sustainability encompass a company’s overall commitment to ethical behaviour and contributing to society. ESG is one way a company can demonstrate its corporate responsibility, but there are other approaches. This principle should be kept in mind in PR.
In communications, I prefer to discuss these concepts within the framework of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). Admittedly, the rise of ESG has significantly influenced how companies discuss their social responsibility and how society perceives business sustainability – it can be addressed as CSR 2.0. Since both ESG and CSR are acronyms borrowed from English, I would label it “strategic sustainability communication” in Estonian.
Strategic sustainability communication
It’s crucial to recognize that sustainability communication isn’t an end in itself but a component of strategic business management. Utilizing communication tools can benefit a company in marketing communication, reputation management, employer branding, and relations with decision-makers and partners. Numerous studies have demonstrated that sustainable companies appeal more to investors and partners, and strategic communication is vital for highlighting their sustainability efforts in public relations.
Effective sustainability communication is more than campaign slogans or one-time donations to a CEO’s favoured sports field. As a public relations agency, our goal is to assist businesses in translating sustainability communications into success in their core business areas.
How can we deliver Redundancy Notifications with Empathy and Efficiency?
Redundancy is an unpleasant experience for everyone. It is unpleasant for those who are made redundant; for those who have to make the redundancy decision; for those who have to report it; and for those who remain in the company. Redundancy is a crisis and should be managed as such.
With an uncertain future – it is harder to invest in Estonia because of the geographical risk, Estonia’s exports are falling and the economy is shrinking, and the technology sector is fast becoming profitable – every week there is news of a redundancy decision. Redundancies are often carried out in a way that goes harder than planned and strong brands built up over many years take a heavy reputational hit. How can redundancies be communicated in a way that minimises the damage to a company’s reputation and its people?
- Plan your messages and the redundancy process in advance. Take into account that it will all take time, so bring along the necessary partners. If there is no in-house legal, communications or human resources expertise, bring it in temporarily to the crisis team. Considering the damage that may be caused by redundancy (in effect, the restructuring of the business), this is a justified cost. It is an investment in building the future of the company.
- Communicate the redundancy to the whole organisation together first. Get people together. Remember that information must be based on facts. Colleagues will start leaking and openly criticising the employer if they read information about the redundancy that they believe is not true – this is unavoidable. Bear in mind that anything you say can quickly be leaked to the press. It’s important to pass on information about what has been decided, what the processes are going forward and what support the company is offering to those made redundant. Afterwards, the manager’s presentation should also be sent as a memo to people. Be aware that the contents of this may also be quickly leaked to the press.
- In terms of messaging, it is important to communicate that the redundant person is not to blame – that is the difference between redundancy and dismissal. The company is at a turning point in its development, it needs savings and a strong focus to move forward – this is essential – and therefore redundancies must be made.
- The values of the company are not the text on the wall, but the tried and tested principles of these difficult times. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the long-term impact of redundancies on communications and the overall brand will depend on how one-to-one meetings are conducted with the redundant and whether people feel that managers are sorry for making this decision. Human chit-chat and support services do not make the redundant employee happy and certainly no redundant employee feels sympathy for the manager. However, after a few months or a year, when feelings have been resolved, many will realise that the process could have been handled much worse, and the actions of people and the companies they lead at critical moments will be seen in hindsight through a different lens. People and companies are remembered for the way they behaved in difficult moments.
- Redundancies are also difficult moments for those who remain. People may doubt the sustainability of their organisation, start looking for new jobs, feel demotivated, or lose their jobs. It is also important to support them at this stage and to give them messages about what the company is doing to emerge from the crisis. It is important to say that the leaders have a clear plan for how to achieve the new goals and what the role and perhaps the increased opportunities are for the survivors to share in the success, if they are to get through the difficult times together. It’s important not to fudge here – it’s not possible to say that we are making redundancies because we are doing well. It will upset those who have been made redundant as well as those who remain. But this difficult moment is an opportunity to communicate a plan to build a better future and to get people thinking and acting with us.
NB! Microsoft on loobunud Internet Exploreri arendamisest ning sellele uuenduste tegemisest ja ei soovita antud internetibrauserit turvanõrkuste tõttu kasutada. Internet Explorer ei toeta enam uusi võrgustandardeid ning antud veebilahendus ei tööta siinses brauseris korrektselt.
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