The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 is the watchdog overseeing the promise that the London 2012 Olympic Games will be the most sustainable ever staged. It independently advises the Olympic Board and reports to the public on sustainable development across the entire Games programme.
The Chair of the Commission, Shaun McCarthy, recently attended the Beijing Games as part of the Observer Programme. During this period we worked with the Commissioner to help him communicate a range of views on the key learnings London could gain from the Beijing Games.
Due to the role of the Commission and the media protocols that must be observed it was important that all communications should be very controlled. We recommended that the Commissioner supply information to a series of prominent on-line news sites and blogs. We directly targeted the top three publications of choice: BBC London Online, to reach a large and varied audience of Londoners and beyond; GreenBang, to tap into the environmental and business communities; and Building, to inform decision-makers in the built environment sector. Shaun provided a series of blogs for all three, penning 10 despatches in total.
Because the constituencies of each publication differ so widely, the Commissioner was able to cover an extraordinary range of topics. From a serious analysis of London’s air quality to anecdotes about cockroach kebabs, from the debate on ethical souvenirs to the science of embodied energy, Shaun reported back on it all! Armed with a top-of-the-range camera (with lots of mega-pixies, as Shaun confidently assured us), we were able to accompany the dispatches with wonderful images from the front line.
By cherry-picking the most relevant publications, and tailoring the content to specifically appeal to each readership demographic, these blogs have proven a high profile means of communicating the Commission’s aspirations for the London Games to those who really matter: the public. It is hoped that more people than ever now share its expectation for the 2012 Olympics to be iconic in its sustainability.
Digital pebbles 