This study examines how organizations communicate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information across owned and shared media and whether communication strategies vary by organizational context, message characteristics, and website. Using a quantitative comparative content analysis, 26 global consumer-facing brands were evenly distributed across three regions: the US, the UK, and the EU. The three regions provide a strong basis for comparison due to their related yet distinct institutional ESG contexts. Organizations were purposely selected from global consumer brands across multiple industries to facilitate comparisons among ESG rankings. ESG Scores were taken from publicly available Ethos ratings, which are primarily impact- and stakeholder-oriented. Individual messages published through owned and shared media constituted the primary unit of analysis. Dependent variables included message emphasis, website and page placement, evidence-based framing, and media richness. Independent measures included ESG performance, brand value, geographic region, and industry. Composite measures of evidence-based framing and digital media richness assess the extent to which messages substantiate ESG claims and incorporate multiple communication features. Results showed that higher ESG-aligned brands communicated about social issues and movements nearly three times as often as comparison brands and relied more extensively on visual evidence. A significant association between geographic region and message emphasis demonstrated that European brands emphasized environmental and governance themes, while U.S. brands framed ESG more frequently in economic and business terms. Findings also show that higher ESG-aligned brands primarily share ESG information with consumer stakeholders via social media rather than on their consumer webpages.

Authors:
Amiee Shelton, Roger Williams University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Amiee Shelton is a University Professor/Principle Lecturer at Roger Williams University in United States

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

Bookmark