At SIGWATCH, we believe that activist groups and NGOs are some of the most important stakeolders for businesses to engage with, and listening to activists can help companies proactively approach risks and turn them into opportunities. Often categorised as biased or troublemakers, companies can be hesitant to engage with activists and actually engage with the issues they bring forth.
A very common objection we hear while talking about our work is: “But aren’t activists biased?”
In conversation with City AM, with whom SIGWATCH has partnered for their ESG Impact campaign, SIGWATCH’s Editorial and Marketing Manager Arpita Raj explains why regardless of one’s opinion on the activist agenda, engagement is almost always key.
“Activists are biased, but so are companies and so are governments. What sets them apart is that activists believe they have a moral high ground because they’re working in public interest, they’re not motivated by money making or profiteering. So, in their eyes, they immediately tend to galvanise public support and public trust because they’re functioning in the opposite way of companies and governments.
She added that because of this ‘moral high ground’, activists tended to inspire public confidence, because of which the issues and narratives they put forth tend to have a policy or regulatory outcome.
“So whether or not you or I, or companies and governments, believe that activists are biased or not, the point is they still have impact, they’re key stakeholders and you must engage with them because they can impact the environment in which you’re working.”
What our clients say
What our
clients say
“In our experience, SIGWATCH is one of the few sources of ESG data we can absolutely trust to be reliable.”
“Our company is based in Japan. Most employees are Japanese and we don’t really know what is happening around the world. SIGWATCH gives us visibility of the global ESG issues and trends we need to have on our radar.”
“With SIGWATCH, we’re able to absorb NGO data in an awesome way that
simply wouldn’t be possible otherwise. We can hear the NGOs’ voice, to better
strategize and get ahead of trending issues.”
“With social listening, we’re limited to knowing what people are saying only about OECD. With SIGWATCH, we see not only what is being said about us, but also what is being said about everyone else.”
“A lot is said and written about sustainability and ESG every day but no one,
apart from SIGWATCH, provides the big picture, SIGWATCH offers a comprehensive overview of what’s happening in the corporate sustainability
world rather than just a narrow snapshot.”
“SIGWATCH is a good source to show that NGOs are watching us and watching our clients, and we definitely need to be aware of the issues they are bringing up.”
