Stakeholder Dialog

Why is intensive stakeholder dialogue important?

Our consulting approach also includes stakeholder dialogue. An intensive exchange with the different interest groups of a company, the so-called stakeholders, is an important part of a successful sustainability strategy. The dialogue enables companies to understand the needs and expectations of their stakeholders precisely and integrate them into the development of their business strategy. In this way, companies can align their sustainability goals with the needs and expectations of their stakeholders and improve their performance.

What are stakeholder personas?

To effectively conduct stakeholder dialogue, it is helpful to empathize with the different interest groups and understand their perspective. This is where so-called stakeholder personas can help, which reflect the key characteristics, needs, and expectations of a particular interest group and provide a vivid image for communication. By creating stakeholder personas, companies can make their communication strategies more targeted and better respond to the needs of their stakeholders. For example, it is easier to imagine what Dr. Bernd Müller, 53, who is interested in how companies integrate ESG criteria into their business models and how this affects their long-term financial performance, wants to hear.

How are stakeholder personas developed? 

To know what Dr. Bernd Müller needs/wants, we explore representatives of his stakeholder group as part of a materiality analysis and condense all the learnings from this group into a fictional, representative character. Such characters or personas enable companies to focus on the relevant target groups and develop a targeted and effective communication strategy. By taking into account the individual needs and interests of stakeholders, communication becomes authentic and credible, which can lead to a stronger bond between companies and stakeholders.

How can companies use cross-channel communication to promote stakeholder dialogue?

Even without personas, effective and targeted communication is crucial. Companies should use the potential of various communication channels to reach their stakeholders or address a broader public. By using cross-channel communication, such as social media, events, or publications, companies can spread their messages selectively and achieve a wider reach. We have extensive experience in communicating across various channels. We help companies create communication strategies that are tailored to the needs and expectations of their stakeholders and convey messages in a clear and appealing way. We work closely with our clients to understand their specific requirements and goals and offer customized solutions that are tailored to their individual needs, from the ESG Digest for internal communication, to the social media campaign, the ESG website, or the webinar.