Deutsche Post World Net: Sustainability Report

The Brief

Deutsche Post World Net (DPWN) is the world’s leading logistics group with over 500,000 employees in 220 countries worldwide.  Its DHL, Deutsche Post, and Postbank brands provide solutions for the management and transport of goods, information and payments.  First&42nd was engaged to develop their Group 2008 sustainability reports, reflecting the Group’s ambition to become the global leader in sustainable logistics.

Strategic Approach

To understand the Group’s approach to sustainability and develop an effective approach to communicate it, First&42nd:

• Conducted detailed review sessions with the divisions and functions
• Undertook audience analysis, including an audience and issue mapping workshop to agree priority audiences for the report
• Reviewed KPIs for inclusion in the report
• Collected quantitative and qualitative data from across the Group
• Conducted a data and performance analysis

We wrote sustainability reports in German and English - similar in style and content but with a focus on issues most relevant to either the home-market or global audience.  We developed a design concept for the hard copy and online versions of the report which will run through future sustainability publications and communications, making them distinctive to DPWN, and managed external verification of the reports.

Results

• Parallel English and German sustainability reports, launched in June 2008, in hard copy and online versions
• DPWN’s revised sustainability targets, including targets on climate change, have been defined and communicated
• A distinctive design concept which will run through future sustainability communications
• A marketing plan to generate internal and external awareness around DPWN’s sustainability activities and successes