Live reporting flies the nest

Companies have kept stakeholders up to date on their CR initiatives through regular online posts for some time. But until now live sustainability reporting has been the domain of industry-specific social networks, limiting the readership to people taking the time to establish a profile and log on regularly.

The Guardian Media Group, publisher of one of the UK’s biggest national newspapers, has brought live reporting into the mainstream with its new sustainability report.

Whereas most sustainability microsites leave information static until the next reporting cycle, the Guardian’s will be updated with articles and think pieces throughout the year. It will also use the popular comment element of the Guardian Online news website to establish a constant and open dialogue with stakeholders – something lacking from sites that rely on comments through emails and secure feedback forms.

The Guardian has given momentum to the live reporting trend that started at Just Means, the social networking site dedicated to sustainability. That’s set to continue with beauty product retailer The Body Shop poised to publish its next sustainability report in a similar way. With two such heavyweights endorsing the format, best practice manuals are on the verge of being torn up.

But there’s a hitch. Through social networks, you know you’re reporting to an engaged and interested group. For live reports to work outside those confines, they need to capture an audience with the same enthusiasm.

Building a following
I’m not the first to point out that one of the UK’s most popular media groups, with millions of online users, will have an easier time of this than others. But is it a model that other companies should emulate? Perhaps, but not without some groundwork.

Encouraging online interaction has to be the first step. Various multimedia tools and interactive dialogues will help by ensuring stakeholders have a reason to be engaged. Utilising these and building an online audience before reporting might give a live report the leg-up it needs.

This is a trend that has every possibility of becoming a standard, but only the most creative and engaging reporters will stand out.