ESG and Consumer Expectations in the Context of Global Change

New publication by the IAB Poland Public Relations Working Group New legal regulations, growing social awareness, changing consumer expectations, as well as global challenges such as brands' social responsibility, ethics, corporate governance and environmental protection, are posing new challenges for businesses. It comes as no surprise that nearly half of global PR agencies predict that these are precisely the areas where their clients will make the largest investments. In Poland, growing awareness of ESG (Environment, Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance) – the key non-financial factors used to assess companies – stems from two main drivers. First, it is the effect of the EU CSRD directive, which imposes obligations related to reporting ESG activities. Second, consumers are exerting increasing pressure – as many as 72% of Poles believe that companies should actively address topics important to their customers and employees.  

– The general awareness of the existence of sustainable development goals is held by the majority of large and medium-sized Polish companies[3]. Systematic efforts to achieve them are declared by 64% of large enterprises, but in the case of medium-sized, small and micro companies, engagement is low. The challenge facing communications specialists today is to understand the principles of ESG and build on them to create precise, easy-to-digest messages. In the trendbook of the IAB Poland PR Working Group 'ESG Update', we write, among other things, about how to integrate ESG into business strategies, describe good practices in communications and brand building, and draw practical conclusions– says Joanna Berlińska, head of the IAB Poland Public Relations Working Group, Head of PR & Communications, Founder, Lightscape.

According to Daniel Czok, marketing director of LG Electronics Polska, in business, people's opinions matter more and more, which shows how ESG is changing the face of business. In the publication 'ESG Update', he breaks down the process of consumer pressure on enterprises into its fundamental components, lists the benefits of implementing ESG principles in companies, and also answers the key question – whether operating in line with the tenets of social responsibility is a good business strategy.

– Sustainable development is not only about building trust and loyalty among consumers and business partners. Integrating ESG into business strategies brings new opportunities for innovation and growth, helps to better manage regulatory, operational and reputational risk, and is undoubtedly also a factor taken into account when making investment decisions. Trends such as protecting natural resources, sustainable investments, emphasis on policies promoting equality, diversity, inclusivity and universal reporting are a response to the global challenges that we all face today as an industry – adds Włodzimierz Schmidt, CEO of IAB Poland.

ESG Update – what else is in the trendbook? In the new publication by the IAB Poland PR Working Group, Agnieszka Surowiec, Brand and Comms Director at Intrum Polska, discusses the role of social responsibility in building an employer brand in a difficult industry such as debt collection. Meanwhile, Ewa Ziętek-Maciejczyk, director of projects and communications at IAB Poland, writes about the new EU regulations imposing sustainability reporting obligations on companies. In turn, Joanna Mielczarek, Bernadetta Kędra (the Little Brothers of the Poor Association) and Karolina Kulig (Marketing & PR Manager at LUCKYYOU) discuss seniors in ESG strategies. Do companies actually implement high sustainability standards and what does it give them? Berenika Pel and Paulina Kaczmarek (DANONE) talk about B Corp certification in a conversation with Magdalena Feliniak. Finally, a question important to many employers – can low-budget CSR activities play a significant role in building a company's image? Maciej Kikta answers in a case study of the company Smartney. You can read more about trends in ESG in the publication of the IAB Poland Public Relations Working Group.