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YOUR PARTNER IN PURPOSE

At 3BL Media, we pride ourselves on being your partner in purpose, and we're here to help you when it matters most. Explore our COVID-19 insights to guide your response, and if you need a more active partner as you chart the way forward, please get in touch with us. SEE MORE.

Sustainability Comms in 2024 So Far: Trends, Numbers & Narratives

As we pass the halfway point of 2024, 3BL is excited to present an analysis of how companies are sharing sustainability and social impact news. Using data from the 3BL platform, we uncover which stories resonate with audiences, measure their reach and impact, and reveal the deeper narratives behind the numbers.

 Explore the data and insights below.

Millions are seeking out brands' impact content

Better information, more attention, and richer conversation are vital to spark the action that’s required to make the world a better place. Reaching millions, the 3BL distribution platform offers unrivaled reach and impact for responsible business news and content.

The Types of Content Companies Shared, By Number of Stories Published

Press Release

1051

Blog

714

Multimedia

329

Newsletter

15

Article

1404

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

426

Diversity & Inclusion

384

The Topics Companies Communciated About, By Number of Stories Published

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

370

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

325

Events, Media & Communications

230

Research, Reports & Publications

227

Environment

211

Education

185

Innovation & Technology

185

Energy

154

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment 

148

Social Impact and Volunteering

147

Responsible Production & Consumption

136

Health & Healthcare

125

Sustainable Development Goals

123

Supply Chain & Circular Economy

104

Green Infrastructure

37

As companies continue to share their progress, audiences are increasingly drawn to specific content formats and categories.

3BL's diverse content categories and the broad range of published news reveal which sustainability topics resonated most with audiences during the first half of the year. Philanthropy & Cause Initiative took the top spot in both page views and impressions. However, as we delve deeper into the data, we observe an interesting trend: some categories received high page views but lower impressions. This means that while these topics reached a broad audience, they engaged fewer users.

For instance, Innovation & Technology ranked 9th in page views but 8th in impressions. Showcasing that reach does not always equate to engagement, highlighting the need for more targeted and compelling content strategies to capture and maintain audience interest.

Expert Advice for Measuring Impact...

There can be quite a disparity in numbers when it comes to impressions and pageviews. Impressions count the times your content's headline, media, and meta description are shown to users. Page views indicate actual visits to your content. Both are important. Impressions have been undervalued compared to page views, but with trends like zero-click searches, merely reaching users with a headline, image, and brief description is becoming valuable again. To drive meaningful engagement, focus on strategies that encourage direct interaction with your content, thereby increasing page views.

What Countries is News Published Via The 3BL Platform Reaching?

*Measured based on page views

Job Function

Job Level

Industry

Keep the Conversation Going

Our 2024 Consumer Insights & Sustainability Benchmark shows consumers want more transparency from businesses about their sustainability efforts. Yet, many companies have cut back on communications. This builds on The $44 Billion Sustainability Opportunity report, which valued the consumer shift towards sustainable brands at over $44 billion across 12 U.S. industries.

More Ways To Refine Your Communication Strategy

3BL's digital media division, TriplePundit, spotlights people and organizations making a real impact, with a focus on viable solutions that move the needle. 

We've hand-picked three stories that highlight strategies to improve your performance. Discover advice on how to engage consumers with your impact stories based on recent research, why being transparent matters now more than ever, and how visual elements can elevate your content.

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9%

1%

1%

5%

7%

17%

1%

1%

3%

4%

4%

2%

1%

21%

3%

6%

6%

6%

1%

1%

The reach above, measured by page views and impressions from January 1 to June 30, 2024, is derived from content published by brands via 3BL's news distribution platform.

Putting A Narrative To The Numbers

As companies create and share their sustainability and social impact content on the 3BL platform, it reaches audiences globally. The United States, China, Germany, Canada, and the Republic of Korea are the countries with the highest page views

After an analysis of our platform's metrics, we observed that brands are publishing sustainability content across a wide range of areas. While audiences are gravitating towards specific content formats (articles and blogs) and categories (philanthropy & cause initiatives and diversity & inclusion), there is an opportunity to refine your strategies for Q3 and Q4 by exploring other formats and categories to engage your audience. A deeper look at the countries and audiences interacting with the news published on the 3BL platform, reveals that millions of consumers are eager for brands to prioritize sustainability stories. 

1

2

1 Trackable Page views is the total number of users that visit and engage with a webpage and/or content

2 Trackable Impressions are the number of times a piece of content appears on a digital platform, whether is interacted with or not. 

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Social Impact and Volunteering

Page views: 373,163

Impressions: 2,149,121