Writing engagingly about sustainability can be a challenge.
Yes, key performance indicators (KPIs) matter – but so do authentic stories about how you and your people are working to put values at the heart of your business.
So when I was commissioned to write a series of case studies and news articles for the Sainsbury’s corporate website, I worked hard to bring sustainability stories to life.
Working with Rebecca Dowman from Content Consulting, I wrote and edited more than a dozen case studies on topics ranging from literacy to animal welfare to saving water.
Content that’s easy to read
A key part of bringing a story to life is to make sure it’s easy to read. So before submitting copy, I ran an internal check to ensure the copy scored well on the Flesch Reading Ease scale.
This meant using short words and short sentences where possible – helping Sainsbury’s to use language in a clear, straightforward way that reflects the retailer’s brand.
Producing the goods
In a large content project, sometimes the writer needs to get involved with content production as well as writing.
So I didn’t only write headings and body copy, but also chose the relevant pull-out figures and pull-out quotes – and in some cases the images – that helped bring Sainsbury’s sustainability stories to life.