Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) is committed to sustainable development in all its forms. To SMS, sustainability means acting responsibly; considering how its projects, strategies and day-to-day activities impact on society and the environment; and striving to ensure that its staff, clients and partners have a positive impact on the world.
In particular, as a business with a rich heritage in the sporting world, SMS is forever mindful of the contribution that sport and leisure can make, good and bad, to social & physical factors including climate change, equality, and liveable cities. Through projects, partnerships and daily actions and interactions, SMS endeavours to ensure that sport provides a vehicle for the overall good, both now and into the future, including:
- Promoting positive mental fitness and physical fitness;
- Inspiring and empowering people of all ages, genders, races, sexual orientations and beliefs to play, watch and volunteer in sport;
- Promoting the role of sport, leisure and exercise in delivering a greener world;
- Providing opportunities for communities to work in and benefit from sports events and venues;
- Promoting the role of activity and active travel in making cities, towns and villages across the globe more liveable places.
As a result, SMS takes a range of steps to minimise its own environmental impact and foster societal benefit through sport and to ensure that it meets the needs of the present while safeguarding and enhancing the possibility and opportunity handed down to future generations.
Partnerships, appointments and commitments
- SMS is a signatory of the R&A Women in Golf Charter;
- In 2020, SMS appointed Sue Anstiss MBE as SMS’ first special advisor in women’s sport;
- SMS has provided pro bono research to good causes in sport;
- This includes a research series to support initiatives to broaden access to employment for marginalised groups on behalf of a client in the football industry;
- SMS has also supplied pro bono research that supports advocacy and commercial sustainability for European cycling businesses;
- In 2020, SMS chairman Stephen Proctor awarded a personal scholarship to Liz Young for her exceptional commitment in creating the Rose Series events to provide female British Golfers the opportunity to compete during lockdown;
- Working with clients to encourage them to research the topic of sustainability;
- SMS is mindful of its responsibilities in selecting partners and sub-contractors.
Environmental impact
- SMS takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, SMS operates a policy of “think before you print”. Where printing is unavoidable, SMS uses only recycled paper in its offices;
- SMS promotes video, telephone and email interaction with all its clients and encourages its staff to take public transport to meetings wherever possible. When plane travel is required for attending overseas events for example, the SMS team flies economy in order to minimise its environmental impact;
- SMS attempts to minimise its use of electricity and heating and employs an environmentally friendly air management system in its Wisley Office.
Social impact
- Many SMS staff are active volunteers in grassroots sport, as committee members, coaches, organisers and captains in a range of sports;
- SMS’ is an equal opportunities employer. Its workforce and culture are diverse, friendly and welcoming to team members, clients and contractors;
- Where necessary, SMS uses local labour and materials where available to reduce CO2 and support its local community;
- SMS works with staff to increase awareness of sustainability goals and practices and empowers workers to suggest enhancements to company policy;
- SMS prides itself on its integrity and trustworthiness in all of its dealings with staff, clients and the public.
