Part 1: Communications Plan

I chose to develop a communications plan for Mountain Equipment Company (MEC) and its existing CSR initiative – their pledge to protect the environment. Note: Their initiative doesn’t have a name, so for the benefit of my assignment, I named it ‘Pledge to Protect

Key Messages

• Initiative goal: MEC’s overall goal is to protect the environment and advocate for climate action. 
• Specific targets
  • Direct operations (stores, buildings): Reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 and 90% by 2050.
  • Supply chain (products): Reduce emissions 55% per sold product by 2030 and 97% by 2050.
• Working together as a leader in the outdoor retailing industry
  • MEC recognizes that everyone must do their part and contribute to fighting climate change. 
  • The Outdoor Industry Associations Climate Action Corps (which MEC is a founding member of) has a collective goal of becoming the first climate-positive industry by 2030. They will work to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and remove more GHG from the atmosphere than you emit (Climate targets | MEC).

Target Audiences

• Current MEC Customers/Members
  • Share our message with current consumers so that they feel proud to support our company and we build customer loyalty.
• Nature Lovers and Environmentally-Conscious Consumers
  • Target those who participate in outdoor activities like camping, hiking, climbing, and/or biking because they appreciate the great outdoors and sustainable equipment.
• General Public and Media Outlets
  • Share our messages with a wide range of people, not just those who are already environmentally conscious. In order to achieve our goals, we need all people to be aware of eco-friendly efforts.
  • Direct our messaging to local media outlets to help generate buzz for our initiative.

Channels and Tactics

• The MEC Website and Blog:
  • Publish articles/blog posts that explain the initiative and provide progress reports. 
  • Write profiles on leaders in this initiative, whether that be MEC employees or community partners. 
  • Create a designated section on MEC’s website where we visually track our progress on the Pledge to Protect’s specific emissions goals.
• MEC’s Social Media Platforms:
  • Use Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok accounts to promote our Pledge to Protect with engaging photo and video content.
    • In short videos and infographics, highlight how our sustainable products help you experience nature while helping our planet short videos or infographic-style posts. E.g., behind-the-scenes videos from production centres or visual representations of our progress. 
• Email Newsletters:
  • Utilize MEC’s existing customer/member mailing lists to share information. This could include exclusive content for MEC members, like an early heads-up on product launches or upcoming community events. 
  • Our email newsletters can have a designated section for updates and progress reports. 
• Press Releases:
  • Press releases (like the one written below) are essential to share important information about our initiative and progress with local news and media outlets.

Evaluation Methods

• Engagement:
  • Monitor website traffic and social media interactions (e.g., views, likes, comments, shares, follows). 
• News/Media Coverage:
  • Track the amount of coverage we receive from local news and media outlets.
• Customer Feedback: 
  • Conduct online surveys to monitor awareness and support for Pledge to Protect.