Live from Social Media & Stakeholder Engagement Conference: M&S's Plan A

So after an interesting first panel of speakers, some of which I captured in my first blog of the morning, the conference is now moving on to a great case study highlighted at today's Social Media & Stakeholder Engagement Conference - Session 2.

Several years ago, Marks & Spencer realised that its customers were not clear why they trusted M&S. So their director of Internal Communications, Robert Nuttall, figured out what were the great things that M&S did - and they started telling the stories, from 'were reducing salt in our food faster than you can say 'sodium chloride' - and were amazed by the positive response. And they started the process of starting Plan A - 'because there is no plan B'. It was supposed to be bold -somewhere where they've never been before. It was a 'scary' process, where managers were asked to put ideas out that they had no idea how to achieve but that was, somehow, achievable. Their goals: efficiency, motivation, innovation and customers who are proud to shop at M&S. At the time, they had no idea how it would work. Their areas: climate change, waste, raw materials, fair partner and health. You know, the small stuff.

They built a community of credibility - going first to the NGO world to launch their new program, and got them (the WWFs and GreenPeaces of the world) to talk about M&S - far more effective than if M&S had just talked about it themselves. The NGOs were thrilled with their new work - and those partnerships have survived. Then M&S went on to survey their customers and their colleagues - did they care? when? They found a large amount felt 'what's the point' or (they cared) 'if its easy' they would do it. The later was 30% of their customer base - a great place to start.

They've made a hugely successful shift, and have to question how they do business. And these days? They are launching 'your green idea', which takes sustainability for consumer engagement to the next level. Social media is critical to that new program as well.

His lessons for the rest of us: link your core products/services with your sustainability story; you need to do the 'heavy lifting' then consumers will follow; involve consumers in change. Social media has played a big part, and its be en very exciting. Opinion formers matter- especially the NGO community. Unusual and external partnerships are always interesting. Important to 'take your people with you' - there are always those who don't get it or don't believe it, and you have to work with your employees to help them recognise the business case. There are increasingly more examples - at the end of year 1, it was cost neutral and it turned a profit at year-end 2. They were surprised at the fast benefits. Project/change management skills are really critical - its a bigger change than you think, no matter how big you think it is.

And I'm impressed - both with where they've been and, even more so, their clear recognition that they are only at the start of a exciting new world.