CEOs For Sustainability

The CEOs For Sustainability identified two primary target audiences, C-suite decisionmakers and workplace sustainability champions, and proposed five high-level messaging roots:

• Business Case
• Contextual Leverage (such as customer/employee/investor demand)
• Illustrating Success
• Emphasizing Ease
• Regional Pride

To craft the campaign concept and key message, Fifth Influence took studied these roots and then:

• Interviewed Sustainable Pittsburgh’s staff and the CEO’s For Sustainability board,
• Reviewed current organizational branding, messaging, materials, website (including analytics), social media presence, etc. as well as third-party research summaries available on similar campaigns,
• Conducted a social media listening study, and
• Identified messaging from congruent global and regional sustainability initiatives where alignment and appropriation will support our campaign goals

Applying the insights from the discovery described above, Fifth Influence presented a short list of messaging options and creative concepts for their review, consideration, and final selection. The opportunities spanned a spectrum ranging from relatively conservative to Newsfeed stopping with viral potential. After a few rounds of discussion and consensus building with the large group of decision-makers, the CEOs For Sustainability chose “The New Rules Of Business” as the campaign’s key message and a “CEO As Hero” creative concept, the latter inspired by Nike’s celebrated and controversial Colin Kaepernick broadcast and print campaign. Both where on the more conservative end of the option spectrum, 

Fifth Influence created a family of digital advertisements, email and social media content, and a handful of simple landing pages for the campaign.

While forming and finalizing the creative messaging and concept, Fifth Influence also fleshed out the media strategy. First, we created media behavior profiles for each of our target audience segments, outlining the most efficient communication mediums, channels, and tactics to reach and engage them. Profiles were assembled from our experience as well as current third-party research from sources such as eMarketer, Pew, MRI, Simmons, etc. Traditional and digital methods will be explored and assessed.

From these profiles and taking into consideration the campaign budget, time desired to be in market, and a lead generation objective to arrive at 75 commitments, Fifth Influence developed a plan where a paid LinkedIn campaign does the heavy lifting but it is buttressed by additional paid and organic tactics. The campaign ran in the winter and early spring of 2020 and produced promising early results. It was paused in March due to COVID-19. We are currently working with Sustainable Pittsburgh on next steps including:

• When we might re-introduce the campaign and
•  If and how we might need to refine messaging given the pandemic as well as recent social justice demonstrations