An eight-week campaign highlighting three sustainable procurement research reports generated more than 3.25 million impressions, revealing continued professional interest in sustainability research despite its declining visibility in public discourse.
Sustainability may be receiving less attention in the headlines, but that does not mean professionals have stopped paying attention. Across organizations, procurement specialists, sustainability practitioners, researchers, and institutional leaders continue to seek credible information about how to translate sustainability commitments into meaningful action.
A recent LinkedIn campaign by American University's Sustainable Procurement Research Initiative (SPRI) offers encouraging evidence of this continued interest. Over eight weeks, a series of research-based messages generated more than 3.25 million impressions and attracted hundreds of new followers, many with professional expertise directly related to sustainable procurement.
The results suggest an important distinction: sustainability's visibility in public discourse is not necessarily a reflection of professional interest in the topic. Even as the broader conversation shifts, professionals continue to engage with research that can help them navigate sustainability challenges and identify practical solutions.
Making Sustainable Procurement Research Accessible
Between August 5 and October 3, 2026, SPRI conducted a targeted LinkedIn campaign (17 posts) highlighting findings from three reports examining opportunities to advance sustainable procurement at American University and across higher education. The NSF-funded research was led by American University professors, Garima Sharma (PI, Kogod School of Business), Sarah Iverson (College of Arts and Sciences), and Nicole Darnall (Kogod School of Business and School of Public Affairs).
The campaign featured findings from:
- Amplifying Sustainable Procurement at American University, examining institutional opportunities and barriers to more sustainable purchasing.
- Accelerating Sustainable Procurement Impact in Higher Education, drawing on stakeholder engagement to identify opportunities for advancing sustainable procurement across colleges and universities.
- Scaling for Impact: Sustainable Procurement at American Universities, exploring opportunities for broader institutional and regional collaboration.
Together, these reports reveal why sustainable procurement requires more than individual purchasing decisions. Meaningful progress depends on organizational policies, institutional capabilities, stakeholder coordination, and the systems that shape purchasing behavior.
Through a series of accessible LinkedIn messages, SPRI translated these research findings into practical insights for professionals interested in advancing sustainability within their organizations. The goal was to extend the reach of academic research beyond traditional scholarly audiences and connect evidence-based knowledge with those positioned to use it.
The Results: Strong Reach and a Professionally Engaged Audience
The campaign attracted approximately 250 new followers, bringing SPRI's LinkedIn audience to more than 4,500 followers. Its 3.25 million impressions represent substantial visibility for a specialized academic research initiative, demonstrating how research-focused communications can extend the reach of sustainability scholarship well beyond traditional academic audiences.
Yet the most revealing finding is not simply how many people encountered the campaign. It is who chose to follow SPRI. Among the new followers whose professional backgrounds were analyzed, more than three-quarters (78%) identified expertise or affiliations in procurement and supply chain management, sustainability and ESG, or higher education. Specifically, 45% identified with procurement or supply chain management, 29% with sustainability or ESG, and 25% with higher education. These categories overlap, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of sustainable procurement.
The campaign also reached beyond SPRI's existing professional network. Nearly 80% of the analyzed new followers were second or third-degree connections, indicating that the campaign attracted people outside SPRI's immediate circle.
These findings are particularly meaningful because they suggest that the campaign was not simply generating broad exposure. It was attracting professionals whose work and interests closely align with the research being shared.
What This Tells Us About Sustainability Interest
At a time when sustainability is less prominent in mainstream news coverage and public debate, SPRI's experience offers a different perspective. Professionals are still paying attention. They are encountering sustainability research, following organizations that produce it, and engaging with information relevant to their work.
This distinction matters. Public attention to sustainability may fluctuate with political developments, economic conditions, and competing news priorities, but organizations still face consequential decisions about their supply chains, purchasing practices, and environmental impacts. SPRI's campaign demonstrates continued professional interest in research that moves beyond broad sustainability commitments to identify organizational barriers, opportunities for collaboration, and practical strategies for improving procurement practices.
The results also underscore the importance of making academic research accessible. Professionals may not routinely read scholarly journals or lengthy research reports, but they can encounter research findings through concise, relevant messages that connect evidence with the challenges they face.
Of course, social media metrics have limitations. Impressions do not establish that individuals read or understood the research, and new followers do not demonstrate that organizations changed their procurement practices. Nevertheless, the campaign provides measurable evidence of reach, audience growth, and interest among professionally relevant audiences.
Building on the Momentum
For SPRI, these results reinforce the importance of connecting rigorous research with the people who can use it. Academic research provides the evidence needed to understand complex sustainability challenges. Effective communication helps ensure that this knowledge reaches practitioners, policymakers, and institutional leaders who can translate it into organizational decisions.
The campaign also creates opportunities for deeper engagement, expanding SPRI's professional network and laying the groundwork for new conversations, collaborations, and research partnerships. SPRI will build on this momentum by continuing to make its research accessible and actionable for organizations seeking to strengthen their sustainability practices. After all, while sustainability may be quieter in the public conversation, professional interest in learning how to advance it appears very much alive.
The Amplifying, Accelerating and Scaling for Impact reports highlighted in this campaign acknowledge support from American University’s Translating Research into Action Center (TRAC) and Center for Environment, Community, and Equity (CECE)