“Getting to zero emissions should not be the end goal but the crossover point”

From “blah blah blah blah” to “cha cha cha cha”. This is the slogan of Good, the new business unit created by the consultancy Roman, aimed at accompanying brands on their journey towards sustainability, promoting their social impact and activating their purpose.

At the head of this unit is Jose María Batalla, Chief Creative & Purpose, founder of the design studio La Casa de Carlota, acquired this year by Roman, who has extensive experience in the sustainability sector.

Batalla explains to DIRCOMFIDENCIAL that, unlike other proposals, Good. offers “in addition to accompanying brands in their transition with strategies and projects, to work afterwards on the internal and external communication of all initiatives, using the resources of each of Roman’s business units. It’s something no one else can offer. It’s a complete service from 0 to 100 with real specialists working across the board”.

Society and consumers are key stakeholders on the road to social commitment. Batalla believes that “practically all companies are absolutely aware that they can no longer remain oblivious to what society is demanding of them. They know that in order to compete in the market they have to become activist players in a transformation that improves the lives of people and the planet. It seems a bit of a hippie manifesto, but it is undoubtedly a new way of understanding the role of companies and business. Anyone who doesn’t think like this today is out of the consumer shopping basket.

Many companies have realised in recent years that an optimal way to join this global cause has been to redouble their efforts in purely aesthetic campaigns. The director of Roman’s new area stresses that “until now we have lived a lot on blah blah blah” and “consumers need to trust the companies we buy their products and services from. And the only way to trust them is for them to demonstrate their commitment by solving our problems. Batalla warns that “there is no longer time even to compensate for the negative impact of companies on the environment and society” and believes that “getting to zero should not be the ultimate goal but the crossing point. The Cha- cha- cha”.

Communication and measurement

Industry experts agree that communication plays an important role in this business challenge. Batalla argues that “it is right for companies to explain their efforts, their involvement and their commitment, both to their own employees and to their consumers, but this communication is not just press releases or happy TV commercials”. He stresses that “now more than ever we need truthful, contrasted, real communication that explains the results that the company’s sustainability measures have produced and how the world has changed thanks to the company’s existence. If we also do it creatively, bingo.

The cotton wool test is measurement. The director of Good., which develops a specific working methodology in this field, affirms that “it is necessary to know what change has been produced, according to the established objectives and KPIs, but it is also important to evaluate and put the thermometer on the company to discover from the beginning what opportunities for improvement the company has in the short and long term, what is the impact on which we want to focus our efforts and how much time we are going to need”.

The objective of Good., says its director, is to discover what impact Roman as a brand is capable of producing on society and the environment and to turn it into a real and measurable project.