Committing to responsible communication is not limited to internal actions. As a committed agency or company, you have a key role to play in disseminating these best practices throughout your ecosystem: customers, partners, suppliers and even the general public.
By encouraging these players to adopt more sustainable practices, you multiply your impact and help to change industry standards. But how can an agency or company encourage its ecosystem to adopt more responsible communication without making them feel guilty? We asked Mathieu Maréchal, co-founder of the Fertilidée cooperative, which supports companies in their CSR initiatives, to answer this question.
Raise awareness among your customers and partners about responsible practices
For an agency like Magina, which specialises in digital communication and marketing, the challenge is not limited to reducing its own impact. It also involves supporting its clients and partners in their transition to more ethical and sustainable practices.
Why is this important?
- Companies need support to integrate these issues: many want to get involved, but don't know where to start.
- The impact of a well-informed customer reverberates throughout their entire communication chain: an eco-designed website, more understated digital marketing, a responsible editorial charter... these are all concrete actions that positively influence their own audiences.
But how can we take concrete action? Here are a few ideas:
✔ Offer responsible alternatives to your customers
- Guide them towards eco-friendly web hosting and digital sustainability solutions.
- Encourage a marketing approach that prioritises the quality of interactions over the quantity of content.
- Offer more sustainable formats for their printed materials (certified paper, eco-friendly inks, limiting unnecessary print runs).
✔*Promote responsible labels and certifications
- Encourage your partners to obtain environmental or social certifications appropriate to their sector (FSC, Imprim’Vert, B Corp, etc.).
- Promote labels that guarantee ethical practices in communication.
✔ Create educational content to raise awareness among your audience
- Write practical guides on responsible communication for your customers.
- Organise webinars or workshops on digital and ecological transition.
- Share concrete examples of brands that have successfully made the transition to responsible practices, to inspire and provide ideas for action.
An example: a digital agency that transforms its recommendations
Rather than systematically offering its clients intensive advertising campaigns, an agency can guide them towards high value-added content strategies that are better targeted and more sustainable. The result? Less environmental impact, but greater marketing effectiveness!
Accompany... without feeling guilty!
The aim is not to impose a model or preach morality. A successful transition relies on an educational and supportive approach.
It is essential to avoid taking the stance of a moralising expert. Not everyone has the same level of maturity on these issues, and some customers or partners may have reservations: lack of information, fear of costs, ingrained habits, etc.
Here is an approach that works:
- Highlight concrete benefits: rather than pointing out problematic practices, show how a responsible approach can be a lever for differentiation and competitiveness.
- Propose tailored and progressive solutions: change happens in stages; it is not about revolutionising everything overnight.
- Encourage rather than blame: every step in the right direction counts, even if it is small.
An example: rephrase to encourage rather than discourage:
‘You should stop digital advertising, it's too polluting.’ → ‘Have you considered lighter advertising formats with optimised targeting to reduce impact while maintaining performance?’
Overall, a positive, solution-oriented message will always be more engaging than a guilt-inducing one.
Make exemplary behaviour a lever for influence
Beyond advice, nothing is more convincing than leading by example. A company that applies responsible and transparent practices itself naturally becomes an inspiring model for its partners and customers.
Here are some ways to lead by example:
- Share your own initiatives: explain how you have optimised your communication and what mistakes you have corrected.
- Open up dialogue with other committed stakeholders: collaborate with companies that share the same values.
- Measure and publish your progress: make your commitments tangible through figures and concrete actions.
Committing to responsible communication also means involving your ecosystem in the process. Every action counts when it comes to changing practices, and setting an example remains our best lever of influence!
