Challenge
To help meet its environmental objectives, Qantas needed a program that could meaningfully engage internal stakeholders across the company’s diverse business units and job functions. A big hurdle to implementation was creating meaningful behavioural change all across the diverse roles of the brand, from cabin crew and pilots to engineering, catering and the corporate centre. Third-party labour hire, retail customers and partner airlines presented an additional set of messaging challenges. Qantas needed to create a global strategy that could deliver locally.
Insight
OgilvyEarth identified the need for employee education and capacity building in key messages and proof points. To allow each business unit to take ownership of targeted environmental initiatives, OgilvyEarth developed an overarching action plan that could be cascaded and localised.
Solution
OgilvyEarth conducted research to gather employee opinions and gauge levels of employee engagement in Qantas’ environmental programs. Employee recognition mechanisms, environmental communications materials and the employee “Green Team” were evaluated as part of the research. OgilvyEarth identified the need to make the messaging more personal and relevant to employees’ individual experiences. Building on “begreen”, the internal visual identity of Qantas’ sustainability program, OgilvyEarth worked with Qantas to create “mybegreen”. “mybegreen” reminded employees that every individual can help make a difference. It highlighted the importance of everyone’s personal contribution to improving Qantas’ environmental footprint.
Results
Qantas has already seen a number of exciting actions, ranging from the brand team turning off Qantas logos on buildings, to turning off lights in offices when not in use and deeper education on fuel conservation plans. These and other actions have yielded measurable improvements in the company’s environmental footprint around waste, water, fuel efficiency and electricity use. Awareness and growth of the program continue to be strong with over 1000 Green Team members joining since 2008.