When brainstorming a way to recognize our clients, vendors and friends this Christmas, our thoughts went to Heifer International, the humanitarian organization whose headquarters we had the pleasure of visiting last summer and discovered the gift of honeybees. When you think of giving back and paying forward, what could be more appropriate than helping to increase a healthy bee population on planet earth, while in turn giving a family a viable way to support themselves?

With the gift of honeybees, hives and training in beekeeping, families around the world — from Uganda to EL Salvador — gain the ability to earn income through the sale of honey, beeswax and pollen. And, when placed strategically, beehives as much as double some fruit and vegetable yields through natural pollination. In this way, a beehive not only helps one home; it can be a boost to a whole community.

Bees are possibly the most essential living creatures, and they are in danger. Planting flowers that provide nectar and pollen for bees, and reducing pesticide use, when implemented by many people, can save our bees and restore health and diversity to our agricultural and urban landscapes.

Simple and sweet, honeybees are just one of Heifer International's solutions to hunger and poverty. And this Christmas we're proud to honor our clients and help make a family's life sweeter.

Wherever home is for you, we hope you'll "bee" home for Christmas. Peace.

Every communication has some impact on the environment. Whether we email or send a letter, post a website or mail a brochure, we consume energy and resources. There are environmental tradeoffs in every choice we make.

Consider this: The electricity needed to produce 440 pounds of paper—the amount of paper each of us typically consumes every year—is the same amount of power required to operate one computer continuously for five months.

So, what is our response? How do we conduct business in a way that lessens our impact on the environment—short of just lying down and doing nothing?

Well, as it turns out, my mother’s advice to me as a child was right in more ways than I would have guessed: “If you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

You’ve seen the eco-warning at the bottom of email messages from some well-meaning eco-conscious senders: “Think before you print.” With some 247 billion emails sent each day*, a better suggestion might be “Think before you write.”

More than ever, businesses need to make every communication effort count. We must print with purpose. Design deliberately. Build websites with objectives in mind. Know our audiences. Focus our messages. Publish with a plan.

Interestingly, our approach to communication has always been intentional — even in our blog we strive to post something of value, something that might spark an idea or prompt an action.

When I started Perdue Creative 20 years ago this month, our tagline was “Creative services from the right side of the brain.” Funny how some things come in and out of fashion—like design and communication trends. And some things stand the test of time—like a mother’s sound advice.

There are a lot of ways that CSR and sustainability are manifested in today’s businesses. By discovering what CSR personality type your company is, you can help to differentiate yourself from competitors and begin to communicate your efforts in a more compelling and individual way. If you’re using phrases like “integrated into our business model” you’re not telling your customers anything – you’re just filling in a blank on the corporate lingo bingo card. You can start defining yourself by finding your type.

Lifestyle

A lifestyle company is one whose commitment to the greater good drives the business. Many non-profits fall into this category, but companies like Patagonia, Seventh Generation and Timberland also come to mind. A lifestyle company is one that attracts people who live sustainably at home – who are personally committed and who look for a place to work that shares values they already have. In these companies, social responsibility is “in the blood.” They don’t do it because they have to, they do it because they want to.

Change Driver

A change driver company is one who has influence over other companies and drives change down through the supply chain. Big box stores are the best example. These companies can dictate the future of responsible business practices across the globe. By imposing standards on their vendors and refusing to do business with anyone who doesn’t meet those standards, they truly drive change in the global marketplace. Their customers become better stewards by default. It’s a powerful business model that literally forces everyone into a more responsible position.

Low-Hanging Fruit

A low-hanging fruit company is one whose products and/or practices have traditionally been easy targets for criticism. The forest products industry is a prime example. It’s easy to say, “Don’t use paper because you’re cutting down all the trees” and get lots of people to jump on the bandwagon. These companies aren’t always the bad guys, but they take the brunt of public criticism. They have the complex challenge of improving their practices, countering a negative image and assuring a modern workforce pool that they are operating responsibly.

Little Leaguer

A little league company is one whose business isn’t really under scrutiny for environmental or social behavior, but still feels that their CSR story is worth telling. Perdue Creative is a little leaguer. Who cares what this design firm does? In our case, WE care. We want the world to know that we seek out vendors who can provide paper and printing services that are third-party certified as sustainable – that we contribute to the greater good as a company and as individuals – that we’re concerned and active citizens of Planet Earth. Little league companies may have a greater philosophical story than lots of hard facts and figures, but that story is powerful.

Influencer

An influencer company is one who is actually altering public perception and behavior. Fast food chains, soft drink companies, automobile manufacturers come to mind. Whereas a big box will eventually alter public perception, their primary effect is backwards into the supply chain. An influencer company is changing public perception in order to generate a more sustainable business model, stay competitive and ensure that their image is changing with the times. By changing what their customers want, they improve their social and environmental performance.

Evolver

An evolver company “acts their way into a better way of thinking” because that’s what the times require – increased sustainability is part of surviving in business. Most companies fall into this personality type. Sometimes an evolver company may think that the changes they are making are imperceptible and not worth reporting, but today’s more educated customer wants to make sure that they are buying from a company who is making their best effort. Also, by highlighting efforts, no matter how small, an evolver company can create aspirational behavior within the ranks and may actually elevate the overall company mindset to a higher level of commitment to sustainability.

Defining your CSR personality type can help you craft a better – and more authentic – story for your stakeholders. It helps you to more precisely define your objectives and put your efforts into context. And it also gives your employees a better understanding of their role in the larger sustainability picture.