In December 2023, DS Smith launched a high-impact social media campaign to emphasise the sustainability credentials of single-use cardboard boxes versus reusable plastic crates as it sought to influence key decision makers around the European Parliament’s vote regarding the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
It was specifically highlighting an amendment to the transport packaging aspect of the legislation, which - according to an external study - would unleash 3.5 billion new plastic crates, packaging that would need to be reused more than 63 times to be more sustainable than a cardboard box.
It was the first time that DS Smith had taken such a proactive and bullish position with its online content, but the legislation had the potential to materially impact the organisation if cardboard was not excluded from some of the reuse targets designed for plastics.
PPWR is an EU regulation to reduce packaging pollution, and stop billions of pieces of new plastic being unleashed into the environment, adding to the pile of 91% of plastic ever produced that remains unrecycled.
It will impact every European citizen or holidaymaker, from banning miniature toiletries in hotels to changing every bin in Europe to stopping fruit and vegetables from being sold in plastic. It will also set specific design requirements for recycling content in packaging.
The communications team had to work extensively to check its facts and messages, as well as developing a capability to analyse and continually adapt to a changing conversation and respond to any resulting engagement, often from the vocal pro-plastic lobby.
The social media strategy was focused and precise, targeting decision-makers that were pivotal to the PPWR discussions. It was based around key parts of the European Union’s political establishment and adjusted as the legislation moved through various processes, bringing in new member countries as required.
X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, was identified as the most active for PPWR debates, and so became DS Smith’s primary channel. As the conversation evolved, LinkedIn was deployed to reinforce the message among professionals and stakeholders.
Targeted ads, based on job, industry, interests, location and even school attendance, were also used to reach specific decision-makers, leading to tailored messaging for bespoke audiences.
The campaign reached more than 880,000 people and directed more than 30,000 visits to DS Smith’s website, where it outlined its thoughts. The content also gained 9.9 million ad impressions, leading to an increase in positive sentiment towards corrugated materials and recyclables and increased negative sentiment about plastic reuse.
Indeed, DS Smith’s PPWR content on X significantly outperformed all its competitors, and at the campaign’s peak, it was responsible for four in ten of all items of PPWR content being shared.
Following the EU Parliament’s adoption of the PPWR, DS Smith introduced an explainer page on its website to inform and educate stakeholders. More significantly, key reuse exclusions for corrugate that were not present in the draft legislation text when the campaign launched, were included and ratified.
The judges recognised that this campaign has set a new benchmark in social media advocacy by engaging key stakeholders and driving substantial shifts in sentimentality.