EnBW is the German leader in the communication of ESG topics

Since 2016, the global provider of AI-based media & marketing intelligence UNICEPTA has conducted an annual study of the media positioning of the 250 top-selling German companies on important social debates. In cooperation with the German Public Relations Association DPRG, the company with the greatest media impact is honored with the Thought Leadership Award. For the first time, the focus of the past twelve months was exclusively on ESG topics, i.e. topics that revolve around sustainable commitment in the areas of environment, society and corporate governance. Based on the analysis of a total of 1.8 million reports in both editorial media and social media with a total of 67 million user responses in the digital space, the winner is clear: The energy provider EnBW has succeeded in achieving a particularly strong positioning on ESG topics. For this achievement, EnBW receives the „Thought Leadership Award 2023” from UNICEPTA and the German Public Relations Association (DPRG) for the best communication in shaping the public discourse on ESG topics.

Making the energy transition a convincing top priority

The multi-level, data-based evaluation process assesses not only the visibility and engagement of media users in the form of likes, comments and other reactions, but also the sentiment, i.e. the general tone of the reporting. The analysts also included a qualitative content analysis and a representative opinion survey. Only those that scored above average on the individual criteria made it to the final. In addition to EnBW, the following companies qualified for the shortlist: BMW Group, Bosch, Deutsche Telekom, Mercedes-Benz and SAP.
 

„Nowadays, corporate management is expected to do more than just keep a grip on the key figures. Stakeholders increasingly evaluate companies based on a visible sense of responsibility and a clear stance. Business leaders are often expected not only to respond immediately to ESG risks in their environment, but also to align their corporate governance with higher ESG goals and to take appropriate and apparent action to live up to their corporate and social responsibility. EnBW has been particularly successful in doing so. Not only was the company omnipresent on topics relating to the transport and energy transition, the EnBW communications department was also able to make the company’s governance time and again visible. The energy transition thus became a convincing top priority,” says Jochen Freese, CEO UNICEPTA Group.

„We are being heard and encourage conversations as well as important debates in the right places”

Of all the finalists, EnBW demonstrated the strongest integration of ESG topics in its corporate communications. Around 40 percent of all topics actively promoted by the company’s communications, for example on its own social media channels, fall into the ESG category. EnBW’s statements furthermore found particularly good resonance with various opinion leaders, for example on Twitter.
 

„As one of Germany’s leading energy companies, we take our social responsibility very seriously and aim to be a driver for change in energy and mobility. We develop sustainable solutions to be a reliable partner for our customers and ensure supply reliability in challenging times. For us, sustainability plays a key role in every action and with our communication. We see the award as a sign that our messaging is being heard and that we are encouraging conversations and discussions in the right places. That's why we are particularly proud of the award,” said Christoph Ringwald, Head of Communications and Politics at EnBW.

In addition, UNICEPTA again expanded its multi-level analysis for the Thought Leadership Award to include a representative population survey carried out in cooperation with the opinion research institute Civey. Again, EnBW emerged as the clear winner.

The „Thought Leadership Award” will be presented at the DPRG International German PR Awards ceremony on April 27, 2023 in Hanover.

For further information around this year's award visit:     Thought Leadership Award Report