Defining sustainability via brand values

Grainger’s internal sustainability programs needed a makeover. The company wanted employees to be on board with its sustainability efforts, but many employees didn’t know Grainger had given them ways to participate. The ones who did know found the programs and dedicated intranet site uninspiring – they were missing the connection between sustainability and their daily work.

Our goal was to make sustainability personal to Grainger’s employees – to help them understand their company’s sustainability efforts so they would start making their own in the workplace.

As we talked with employees, we realized green-leaning messaging would create a big disconnect with the company’s conservative culture. We needed to tap into traditional values of doing things the right way before any messaging would resonate internally.

To that end, we led Grainger to redefine sustainability for themselves as “doing business the right way,” and so demonstrate to employees that by carrying out Grainger’s everyday core values – doing things once, doing them right – they’re actually helping Grainger run more efficiently and sustainably.