Social media expert Mitch Joel recently spoke to a business lunch audience here in Burlington, and one big point he made may have burst a little bubble for many a company considering a jump onto Facebook or Twitter because “everyone’s doing it.” In fact, I’d argue strongly that the point Joel made in the form of a one-word question should also, and always, be applied to any discussion of sustainability as well. That magic word is “why.” And, what a telling starting point for any company’s sustainability commitment asking that question would be!

Back to the social media example for a minute: It’s pretty common for a brand to enter into it by sitting down with their marketing team and asking “What’s our Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn strategy?” Think about it. Especially when it should be about building strong, authentic relationships with consumers, shouldn’t the first discussion really answer this question instead: “Why be on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn?” From there, Joel argues, and I agree, you can back up into your strategy and tactics.

In the same way, sustainability has a “why” problem. Any marketing tactic that comes off as greenwash, for example, is likely something that started with, for very generalized example, the question: “what’s our sustainability strategy,” and not “why are we pursuing sustainability?” Instead, think about some of the answers that might have come up if “why?” was asked first:

- Our particular customers expect it.

- Our facilities and fleet will function more efficiently and save us money.

- Our mission from the start has been to serve our local community responsibly.

Going backward from there, you might get to “how”/”what”answers like these:

- Let’s audit our processes and products, and start to communicate where we are on our sustainability path- and where we plan to go.

- Let’s audit our processes and reward stakeholders, employees included, for making suggestions we can use.

- Let’s form an advisory board of community members, even the ones who may not be our direct customers, and see what their concerns are and how our company can do a better job addressing them.

In the above examples, starting with “why” has helped keep sustainability front and center – as it should be.

So, here’s the thing: sustainability is an investment, not a quick-fix or sexy sound byte. Asking “what’s our strategy?” before “why?” may well deliver that short-term, looks-good-on-paper ROI. However, in order to deliver a return that endures, whether we’re talking about social media connections or sustainability interconnections, the “what” must be founded on “why.”

Andrea Learned is an author (Don't Think Pink), blogger, and expert on gender-based consumer behavior, with a focus on sustainability influence and communication. In addition to her blog (http://learnedon.com), Andrea contributes to the Huffington Post and provides commentary for Vermont Public Radio.