The challenge

This global law firm has an active and ambitious responsible business team and a clear approach built on five global pillars. The Head of Responsible Business asked for our help to better define its responsible business narrative and how that aligns with the firm’s purpose and approach to ESG material issues.

The team were seeking a clear way to express what responsible business means for the firm.  More consistent and accessible language was required to engage global stakeholder audiences.   Improved and more streamlined messaging would also help increase internal engagement and understanding of the goals, why they’re important and how individuals can get involved. 

Gaining an initial baseline was critical.  Our first step analysed existing responsible business communications and positioning. We carried out a channels analysis and competitor benchmarking.

Using the responsible business messaging framework we eventually developed, we were able to structure and write the firm’s 2023/2024 Responsible Business Report, uploaded to the UNGC for its Communication on Progress.

• Development of a new responsible business narrative and messaging

• The firm's first responsible business stakeholder toolkit – a central source of data and examples of activities and commitments

• Enhanced business alignment between responsible business, ESG and internal communications teams

• Structuring and writing the firm’s Responsible Business Report 2023/ 2024 (and subsequent 2024/2025 Report)

Our Approach

Data collection

 We carried out 1-2-1 conversations, ran five focus groups and sent out pulse survey questions.  This helped us capture levels of global internal responsible business understanding and engagement. We established -

/ what language resonates

/ how it translates across different markets and functions

/ understanding of how it relates to wider purpose and ESG

/ how colleagues want to engage with responsible business and all connected material issues

/ any barriers to achieving the above

Key considerations

We used both qual and quant data to identify four key themes to be explored. These were broken down into positioning, communications, expectations and mobilisation. We were able to identify any gaps and barriers to engagement by aligning Responsible Team objectives with what colleagues had told us across multiple segmented groups, understanding both global and localised need and requirements.

Off the back of this, we developed key recommendations and actions – and a tactical roadmap to offer a clear direction for the positioning and communications strategy development.

Insight into action

We shared our findings and recommendations with the Responsible Business team, ESG committee as well as internal and external communications functions, ensuring alignment and agreement. Internal workshopping sessions saw us co-creating new responsible business narrative and messaging, based on insight.

Some quick win deliveries included the creation of a Responsible Business Stakeholder Toolkit, providing a central source of key and updateable information; case studies and data; and an important visual clearly showing roles, responsibilities and the interplay between Responsible Business and ESG.

Producing the Report

As a member of the UN Global Compact, when the firm needed to produce its Communication on Progress, we happily stepped in to help.

The Report had to satisfy the UNGC, and work hard for other audiences too, including clients, third party raters and analysts, telling the responsible business story and detailing ESG performance.

Moving the style, structure and content on from the previous year’s publication, we focused on

/ showcasing the firm’s five global Responsible Business pillars

/ providing context around goals, targets and progress against targets where we could

/ reflecting how ESG is governed – having been moved into the central leadership structure

/ using both quantitative and qualitative data and storytelling to showcase the impact and positive outcomes the firm is driving

/ included data tables at the end

The outcome

The law firm now has a clearly defined positioning, Responsible Business narrative and messaging and the collaboration of internal communications and key senior stakeholders to help socialise it.

Its recent Responsible Business Reports showcase the progress the firm has made across environmental and social topics and celebrates the good work being delivered to build a better world.