I am writing this blog as a response to a flow of mean-spirited comments I hear or read now and then in pubs nearing pontoons in the ocean racing community or in social media…
In terms of shareholder value to global B2B businesses, which is the focus of this blog my short answer to this question is NO. It would be a very unwise gamble, in any vertical. Why?
Obviously and more credibly than most sports, Ocean Racing associates values reflected in most CSR statements for these organizations: innovation in genuine decarbonization efforts, without comprising with performance objectives…
So much for the apostles of “happy degrowth”
Ocean racing indeed provides a stream of opportunities for storytelling and content, which, when suitably tailored, can deliver value to all stakeholders, across silos always, sometimes across regions.
On ever such PR sensitive concerns related to climate change and in this specific context of global B2B organizations, if you want to come across as genuine, be genuine. Full stop. Otherwise, it would backfire, and, on this point, I will dare to say to some extent of course, so much for AI and stuff, probably still on the ecstatic side of the “hype curve”, and we are all learning, and most of us will get there, some sooner than others.
No blame culture! The good news is that all of us in what is in condescending way referred to as the high-income countries (as opposed to developing countries) have contributed to the deterioration of the environment, as consumers and/or as businesses, and as far as businesses are concerned most do their part to remedy this, it is in their best interest.
It our world as it stands, it would simply be juvenile to assume that these much-needed changes cannot happen without the proactive collaboration of global players, which have the means to invest in such changes, and the will to do so. They have no bloody choice. Yet again, it is their best interests.
So what was the question again? Oh yes! Green washing can be a reality; it just happens to be a terrible investment
My next Sponsor-a-Skipper blog will be focused on B2C businesses, with a very and I mean very different stance to this one.
Till then, as Patrick McGoohan liked to put it at the end of each episode of “The Prisoner”, be seeing you ! 😉
Credit – Lloyd Images
