Cringe or Clever? When the Medium is the Message
As the number of companies citing ESG on earnings calls continues to drop, what gets lost in the ESG conversation, is the message. While nearly 96% of S&P 500 companies and 81% of Russell 1000 companies in 2021 published an ESG-related report, according to Governance & Accountability Institute, even supporters have expressed reservations regarding ESG and its murky connection to financial performance.
Reporting typically focuses on the numbers, not on the bigger story: are we doing this to mitigate risk or as part of our larger corporate responsibility? Maybe, it’s an ideological agenda we’re pushing tied to our brand story?
Earlier this week, Apple reported its latest ESG numbers to the ultimate stakeholder and judge: Mother Nature. The report, released amidst its iPhone 15 event and introduction of it first ever “carbon-neutral watch line,” took the form of a super slick Hollywood-made commercial featuring among others, CEO Tim Cook. It unfolds at Apple's corporate headquarters, where the ESG team and Cook are visibly anxious setting the stage for what appears to be a pivotal meeting. As the camera captures their palpable anxiety, a flock of birds takes flight outside while simultaneously, glasses of water arranged meticulously on the polished conference room table begin to rattle and shake. The opening creates an intriguing juxtaposition between the structured self-interest of mankind vs. the slippery generosity of nature.
After "Mother Nature" (played by the Hollywood actress Octavia Spencer best known for role in “The Help”) makes her grand entrance, she says: "In 2020, you promised to bring Apple’s entire carbon footprint to zero by 2030. Henry David Thoreau over here said we have a profound opportunity to build a more sustainable future for the planet we share. This is my third corporate responsibility gig today so who wants to disappoint me first?"
Taking a cue from Barbie, Apple is dreaming big with this video, which has garnered thousands of detractors due to its so-called cringe factor. Does anyone remember any of the statistics? We don’t. Despite the captions, there wasn’t one chart. Rather Apple humanized the data answering why it was important. By doing so, the message became the medium, a phrase coined by the media theorist Marshall McLuhan. He suggested that the medium through which information is transmitted can have a significant influence on how the message is perceived and understood. In this view, the medium used to convey a message was not just a neutral conduit but played a crucial role in shaping the message itself.
It’s an important lesson for companies grappling with how to turn messages into something bigger than numbers—for aspiration, for inspiration. Don’t veer from your brand, lean into it—especially when conveying important news. But, be careful of saying the same thing over and over. You’ll only invite backlash.