What makes our human impact stories credible?

Dematic's first sustainability report used its rigorous internal ESG reporting as the foundation for storytelling. The report's development then drew on Dematic's business leaders to explain the stories behind the numbers, presenting its sustainability pledges honestly and humanely. The useful practice is to start with what the organisation has documented, then use the knowledge of people responsible for the work to explain its meaning. That gives the narrative substance beyond a statement of commitment, without treating a pledge as an achieved outcome. A 2025 survey by Anthesis found that 61% of respondents, employees assessing their employers, say their company's actions do not match its purpose statements. Connecting the narrative to documented work helps keep purpose and practice in the same account.

First-hand accounts can supply the emotional substance of a human impact story. In a brand redesign for an insurance group's charity, funding applications revealed people applying on behalf of loved ones, motivated by love, grief and hope. Those accounts shaped a manifesto celebrating bravery and vulnerability: the emotional direction came from the people the charity existed to support. For IBM's 2020 diversity and inclusion campaign, employees spoke to camera about their experiences of inclusion, difficulties they had faced, hopes for the future and things that unite people. Authenticity and humility were central to the design. The practical lesson is to build emotional communication from specific experiences people describe, rather than deciding in advance how an organisation wants its contribution to feel.