Primal's Kurt McGuiness 'Waste Not, Want Not - PRIMAL Storytelling's Guide to Being a More Sustainable Agency (3).pdf

1. Waste not, want not:
How to be a more sustainable agency…

2. Why sustainability
matters.
Sustainable practice has many benefits for businesses,
including:
Improves the quality of our lives
Protects our ecosystem
Preserves natural resources
But also, it…
Reduces business risk
Builds consumer trust
Reduces expense
Creates a point-of-difference

3. A bit about me.
Founder, PRIMAL Storytelling
Masters in Journalism and Comms, UNSW
Former Volkswagen Group PR and comms,
and Group Head of Electric Vehicles
Podcast co-host, Driven to Distraction
Occasional car expert on breakfast TV
Previously auto/lifestyle journalist and editor/
marketing and ad agency executive
Currently working with auto, tech and lifestyle
clients, with a focus on e-mobility

4. A bit about
PRIMAL.
Virtually-led ‘un-agency’, launched in early
‘22
Sustainability principles applied to all our
work
No fixed, bricks-and-mortar office
Team of experts in PR/comms,
photography/videography, events and
graphic design
Channel agnostic storytelling – the media
is not the message
Focus on only what is necessary, a bit like
our mascot…

5. An inconvenient
truth.
2015: Volkswagen diesel vehicles in the US discovered to
have ‘defeat devices’ fitted, altering results in emissions
testing
Story goes global as world markets race to ascertain the
extent of the technology in vehicles
Australian vehicles subject to recall, although no
emissions testing or formal regulations present
Volkswagen AG taken to court by ACCC, no fault finding
on Volkswagen Australia
In the wake of ‘Dieselgate’, Volkswagen commits to new
generation technology and moving to full electro-mobility
Australia still lags behind – missing out on new technology

6. Take a deep breath…
While lockdowns sucked, they did improve our air quality
temporarily at least
Post-COVID, there are many more ways of working sustainably
Remote working, video conferencing have become more
common, and the tech has improved
Refocus on objectives and outcomes, rather than process…
mostly…
Re-evaluation on personal priorities and work/life balance – which
in-turn affect the stories we tell and where we tell them
The recent change in Federal Government has refocused our
attention on climate action and moving towards net zero
This push will be supported by Government, but ultimately will be
passed on to businesses to do the leg work

7. Pobody’s nerfect…
The journey to being a more sustainable business starts in small
increments
By distilling our core competencies as practitioners, we can focus on
what is important to our clients and what value we bring
There is no such thing as a completely sustainable agency, so don’t
make that an objective
Start small, and focus on what you can change now, and then look to
improve in other areas where/when you can
Remember, sustainability has value to your brand as well as your clients’

8. Embrace the inner-
hippie…
Running a more sustainable business starts with a mindset
Evaluate the work you are doing, and how you can minimise
its impacts
If your work has the potential to create a big environmental
impact, how can you offset some of that, and most
importantly, how can you maximise the return on that impact?
Could you do more now, so that you don’t have to do it again
in the future?
Are there more sustainable products that you could use, (bio-
degradable golf balls are a thing!), or even products that
could be used again?
Can you give something back to the community/environment
as a result of your work?

9. Easy wins.
Energy and transport are two very easy things to improve
Carbon offset your internal combustion engine vehicle/s through a one-
stop shop like Go Neutral if an EV is not an option
Add carbon offsetting/renewables to your energy plan, often at only a
dollar or two a month
Flights can be carbon offset for a few dollars more
Solar panels with battery storage for your office can go a long way, or
perhaps go without an office at all
Go paperless: use QR code enabled digital business cards (like Blinq),
rewritable notepads (like Rocketbook)
PRIMAL uses its virtually-led business model to reduce wastage and
emissions, and save clients money

10. Make sustainability
work for you.
Integrating sustainability and sustainable practices into
your core business offering can become your point of
difference
Large corporates and government agencies particularly
are looking to prioritise partners with more sustainable
credentials
While smaller businesses may not need audited
credentials, showing that you care about the impact of
your work and have processes to reduce wastage will
always be a drawcard
Businesses that value sustainability are often more
attractive to potential talent, as jobseekers look towards
businesses with a mission statement
There’s nothing wrong with making your sustainable
credentials a selling point, if they’re legit

11. More than just
hot air.
Sustainability can apply to virtually everything we do in business
By focusing on quality and longevity, we can add further value to
our client offering and how we position ourselves as professionals
One aspect of sustainability that often gets forgotten: relationships
Maintaining relationships and contacts for long-term, mutually
beneficial growth creates a win-win for businesses and their
clients
PRIMAL utilises a growing roster of creative partners and subject
matter experts that collaborate on work as per client brief
As we are all entrepreneurs and business owners ourselves, we
all support one another and often work as agents in securing new
work for our partners

12. Thank you.