Stora Enso – from perception to reality

Philips Design is now proud to be the brand custodian for Stora Enso, the global paper, packaging and forest products company. One of the main tasks so far has been to weave the company's stance on sustainability into its brand communications.

The story starts with the 2007 Stora Enso annual report. "We successfully pitched for the project, and and as part of the briefing talked to CEO, Jouko Karvinen, about the bigger picture," says Ally Cane, Senior Creative Director at Philips Design in Amsterdam. "We discussed his vision of the company and also met with the global executive team. It all went very well." So well, in fact, that when asked to tender for the 2008 annual report Philips Design was also approached with a view to becoming Stora Enso brand custodians.

Changing perceptions
One of the first tasks was to help define the company's new values, vision and mission statements, collectively known as 'Our Promise'. After extensive research into the company, including workshops with management and interviews with employees, Our Promise was launched in October 2008. "This was necessary because the wood and paper industry was changing completely," says Ally. "Stora Enso's sustainability policy is incredibly strong, and totally ingrained into the way it does business, but this wasn't reflected enough in the core messaging. We needed to help change the public's perception of the company into reality."

Ulla Paajanen-Sainio, Stora Enso's Vice-President for Investor Relations and Financial Communications, agrees, "Ethical investors have been saying to me for many years that pulp and paper could be the ultimate sustainable industry, which is very different to traditional perceptions. So it is up to companies like ours to get this message across."

Powered by old paper
Ally explains how this message is communicated, "Take the mission statement; 'We will win with solutions based on renewable materials'. This isn't just some empty PR claim. Stora Enso is developing some really innovative materials, like paint cans made from cardboard, or a new type of paperboard package for food products that is based on renewable and recyclable fibre - a perfect alternative to packaging made of plastic or aluminium.”

As another example, “The company vision is 'Today we as a company, people and planet face new challenges never before seen. The world needs a new approach to materials.' There is plenty of proof of this - the Langerbrugge Mill in Belgium is actually powered by old paper! They are helping the fast food industry to become more environmentally sustainable by producing a 100% biodegradable paperboard cup made from renewable wood fibre.  And the Stora Enso paper mill in Finland provides energy through its discharge water treatment to warm up water for a fish farm. And the company has never carried out deforestation of rainforests. So it was really a question of communicating this commitment more effectively to the outside world and, in doing so, changing people's perceptions of the company."

Nordic heritage
An area which also received considerable attention was the refreshment and harmonization of design elements like colors, typeface and photography used in all communications material. "For this we did a tremendous amount of work examining the cultural context of the company," says Ally. "We looked at things like design, people, natural environment, companies and products from Sweden and Finland. What you see is a Nordic aesthetic of perfect simplicity in form and function. An accent on natural materials, uncluttered shapes and quality. And people who are heavily influenced by and very much in touch with their natural surroundings."

All of this was taken into consideration in the new design elements.

The company's corporate colors used in the logo, orange and red, were maintained because they offer clear differentiation from the direct competition (who almost all prefer green and/or blue), but the secondary color palette, complimentary to these two colors, is now a reflection of the Nordic landscapes. The company values are also better represented. "We chose the Helvetica typeface for a number of reasons, one of which being it is highly legible and recognizable and has an enduring style which promotes a feeling of trust; one of the core values."

Annual report with a difference
The 2008 annual report was the first external publication presenting the new design elements. But there were many more changes as well. "We carried out a major analysis of annual reports published by competitors and other companies to determine - together with Stora Enso management - the best way of showing figures and statistics in an easily-digestible format." The photography style was also refreshed to bring a more personal, human feel that uses natural light and colors.

Standard elements were also given a new twist. Instead of the usual CEO statement, a creative conversation between Jouko and the new CFO was included, in which they discussed the challenges experienced during the previous year. “This received a lot of media attention because it was so fresh and frank," says Ulla. "It was actually a news item on TV in both Sweden and Finland!"

A further innovative aspect was the personnel interviews. "We talked to people throughout the company and their views are expressed in the report," says Ally. She was particularly impressed by one particular story. "A union representative said that if the company was serious about its core value of trust, we should interview someone who had just been made redundant. So we did. The man has now set up his own business, and he expressed some forthright views which were included in the report. This shows that the management truly believes in transparency. ”

Ulla was also pleased with the ‘challenge & solution’ format that had been adopted to show how her company was tackling major issues. "Throughout the document we would pose relevant questions, such as ‘how can we ensure a future for print in today's multimedia environment?’ and indicate how we were answering it. This was very well received."

So far Philips Design has produced two annual reports (including separate at-a-glance overviews), quarterly interim reviews, and a sustainability folder which contains three booklets on key pillars of the Stora Enso approach. Work has also been carried out on the new photography guidelines, typography and color palette, as well as an audit on marketing communications activities and vendors. "I'm really pleased with the results," says Ulla. "I very much appreciate Philips Design's approach and admire their artistic capabilities. I enjoy working together with them."

Continuing cooperation
There is almost certainly more to come. "Messaging and brand architecture projects are in the pipeline," says Ally, "which means we would be examining the whole branding of the company." She is also very happy at the prospect. "It's fantastic having a client which has made such great strides forward in sustainability and which is so obviously committed to the cause. I'm sure that the people who work for Stora Enso must be very proud of that, and we're proud to work for them as well."