Five years ago – maybe even 10 – just about every one of our clients was talking about sustainability, innovation, welfare. Those things still matter, but as with any conversation, things move on. If you want to stay relevant to your clients, your customers, your key stakeholders, you need to make sure you are moving where the conversation is going.
That doesn’t mean reinventing who you are or what you do, though after a decade I am sure your business and your people have evolved naturally, even if the heart of what you do is pretty much the same. And it doesn’t mean being inauthentic or inserting yourself into conversations where you have nothing to add.
What it does mean is understanding the nuance that has shaped the conversations we were having years ago, and moved them into new directions. Here are a few of the terms we used to hear a lot of, and where we see them going. Have a think about how the words, and the ideas that sit beneath them, could help refresh your communications and help you connect.
Sustainability – this is a topic that is far from dead, but right now the hot button is resilience. How does what you do, say, make, sell, contribute to a more resilient environment or community?
Innovation – if your website and your brochures proudly describe you as innovative, you might need to do a bit of innovation around your language. The shift here is towards specifics. Innovative is just too broad. Are you creating smart products? Utilising artificial intelligence?
Welfare – whether you’re talking livestock or HR, welfare has shifted to wellbeing. If you’re talking welfare, be prepared to look outdated.
It’s not just about using the right words, it’s about finding where the conversations are happening and being part of them. If you are focused on sustainability when every government grant or major conference or media deep dive is about resilience, you’re missing a trick.
Need help getting up to date? Give us a call.
Kendi Burness-Cowan