The Future of Digital Communication – CSCP moderated session at conference organised by three ministries from North-Rhine Westphalia.
Michael Kuhndt, Director of the CSCP, moderated a workshop, which addressed how ICT is influencing positively or negatively the exchange and dialogue between civil society and companies. This was discussed together with the speakers Hartmut Gahmann, Head of Corporate Communications, Nestlé Deutschland AG, Dr. Meike Gebhard, CEO Utopia GmbH, Heinz-Gerd Peters, Climate Change and Sustainability, Deutsche Telekom AG, and Stephan Schaller, Senior Project Manager Sustainability, GS1 Germany GmbH and an audience of 60 workshop participants.
There was a general agreement that ICT can help to increase transparency in communication and digital interaction, as well as contribute to more informed (sustainable) purchasing decisions thanks to easier access to more background information. Experiences showed that it was easier to interact with consumers regarding concrete products than on e.g. general sustainability strategies. It was also highlighted that while the majority of the consumers would not regularly make use of the information provided by companies, the fact that the company made them available would increase trust and reliability. More technical advancements such as by providing consumers with digital filters to search for sustainable products could be very beneficial to consumers and as a result further increase the dialogue between society and companies. Regarding the use of data collected the speakers underlined that feedback on products and services would only be used internally (e.g. for improved development).
Workshop participants also had the opportunity to learn more about best practices of eco-innovation that is based on communication between companies and society thanks to a gallery walk prepared by the EU funded greenXpo project. The project, to which the CSCP is a partner, kindly supported the workshop.
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