When Steelcase decided in 2007 that it wanted to share its vision of sustainability with the world, it also chose to make the project about much more than its own environmentally friendly efforts. “Too often in our industry, sustainability equals green,” says marketing communications manager Brad Doan, who heads the “Be a Green Giant” campaign. “We wanted to elevate the topic [and] broaden the discussion: not just helping the planet, but helping people.” Realizing that “it’s not about us,” says Doan, Steelcase opted to bring others’ green and socially responsible efforts to the fore. The resulting website—beagreengiant.com, which launched last February—reflects the company’s generous approach: brief profiles of such good samaritans as Architecture for Humanity’s Cameron Sinclair and Bill Strickland of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild; a place where visitors can promote other “green giants”; a resource library; and, finally, information on “Steelcase Sustainability.” And even though visitor numbers aren’t huge by any stretch, Doan points to another metric he’s clearly pleased with: “This is a North American campaign,” he says, “but we’ve had visitors from 111 countries.” The message seems to be getting through.
