Carbon reduction thanks to ICT

Vodafone Climate Change

Winner Digital Communication Awards 2017.

Vodafone has been publishing a carbon profit and loss account since 2015, which allows them to be transparent about their environmental impact. This annual report, along with independent research from organizations including the UN, shows that smart ICT solutions can have a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions. With the help of ICT, everyday appliances can be rendered ‘smart’ and their activities and processes can be optimized, reducing their impact on the environment.

The request for Glasnost was to garner attention for the positive impact of ICT on the climate and to inspire Vodafone’s business customers to use smart technology to reduce carbon emissions.

Objectives

1. To position Vodafone as a sustainable partner for the corporate world.
2. To bring the impact of ICT on carbon emissions to the attention of journalists and influencers.
3. To inspire business customers to reduce carbon emissions by using smart technology.

Strategy

The campaign was made up of different components, to achieve the various objectives. Firstly, we showed the sustainable impact of Vodafone’s technology in a video. People come into contact with sustainable technological innovations every day, without realizing it. In the video, you observe someone during a normal working day, with a special focus on sustainable technologies.

A partnership was subsequently formed with the independent environmental organization Natuur & Milieu, which allowed us to strengthen the reliability of Vodafone within the sustainability sector. Natuur & Milieu investigated the effects of various ICT products and applications and published four stories about this, which were used for the rest of the campaign.

In order to access a wider audience, a media partnership was established with TMG. A Natuur & Milieu case that appealed to many people is the ‘smart bin’ which identifies waste streams and optimizes the waste processing system. TMG produced an article and case video, which explains the impact of a ‘simple’ ICT solution on the environment and society. The content was shared via Telegraaf, Metro and VRIJ.

To raise awareness of the possibilities of ICT among corporate customers, a partnership was formed with Business Insider, the biggest online platform for business news. In partnership with Business Insider, an investigation was launched into the willingness of companies to invest in ICT in order to achieve a positive impact on the environment. The results of the investigation were published on Business Insider, together with two inspiring cases from Vodafone.

Finally, a partnership was established with the independent expertise and network organization MVO Nederland, which focuses on doing business in an environmentally sustainable way, and the impact of business activities on people and the environment. Trade organizations, companies, NGOs, research institutions, education and other government organizations are part of the organization. During MVO Nederland’s New Year event, Vodafone was given the opportunity to discuss the role of ICT in the reduction of carbon emissions. We developed an interactive WhatsApp tool in order to boost the engagement of the visitors. It allowed the attendees to take part in a quiz around the subject of sustainability, using their own phones.

Results

The campaign ‘Less carbon thanks to ICT’ positioned Vodafone as the preferred ICT-partner for solving the climate issue. Through different partnerships, Vodafone boosted its reputation within the sustainability sector and among journalists and influencers. At the MVO awards, 1,000 high-level individuals within the sustainability industry were reached via WhatsApp, Business Insider engaged with 25,000 B2B contacts and TMG reached 750,000 contacts. We saw the greatest effect on brand recognition. Brand consideration (researched by GFK) has increased 11%, and brand preference almost doubled from 7 to 11%. The campaign won a Digital Communication Award for the best CSR communication of 2017.