Enhancing Corporate Responsibility Reporting for Alliance Data

Situation

Alliance Data was looking to ramp up its Corporate Responsibility (CR) reporting and business integration efforts to better meet, and exceed, the growing expectations of its clients, investors and associates.

Impact

Anthesis supported Alliance Data with annual CR report development and was awarded first place in PR Daily’s 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in the category “One time/ Annual Report’.

Solutions

Anthesis has acted as an extension of our internal team – effectively guiding us throughout our sustainability journey, taking into account our unique business drivers, company culture, goals and objectives. Their expertise and partnership have been instrumental to our ongoing progress.”

Ex-Director – Corporate Affairs, Alliance Data

Situation

When we began working with Alliance Data in 2012, the company was looking to ramp up its Corporate Responsibility (CR) reporting and business integration efforts to better meet, and exceed, the growing expectations of its clients, investors and associates, especially as they moved into the S&P 500 Index. Alliance Data also wanted to be more strategic – identifying and capitalising on the business value of sustainability. Alliance Data and its businesses comprise North America’s largest, most comprehensive provider of transaction-based, data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions.

Solution

Since 2012, we have supported Alliance Data in the development of their CR strategy and reporting activities. This has included everything from the initial development of its CR strategy and focus areas, engaging internal stakeholders to develop the outline and storyboard for each report, data collection, goal setting, implementation of a CR data management system, development of their annual GHG inventories, and more.

Anthesis has also supported Alliance Data in a refresh of its materiality assessment with a broader outreach campaign targeting external stakeholders. The outcomes of the materiality assessment helped validate its existing CR strategy and focus, identify risks and opportunities, and inform their strategic planning process.

In addition to completing project-specific work, Anthesis has regularly advised Alliance Data on a variety of sustainability issues as they arise (including energy management, science-based target setting, associate engagement campaigns, CDP and other sustainability rating schemes).

Impact

  • Annual CR report development from 2013 – 2016 (using the GRI G4 reporting framework). Awarded first place in PR Daily’s 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in the category “One time/ Annual Report’.
  • Implementation of CR data management tool (in partnership with thinkstep and SoFi software).
  • Assistance in setting three-year CR goals.
  • Materiality assessments in 2012 and 2016.
  • External stakeholder perception audit and internal associate engagement campaigns.