filter by date: March 2012
Consumers May Not Be “Buying” Companies’ Environmental Claims
We're pleased to share our newest environmental research, the 2012 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker, the third in a series of benchmark surveys examining American consumers' perceptions of environmental marketing. The good news: Americans continue to buy with the environment in mind. The bad news: consumers are not necessarily trusting companies' environmental claims.
The trend tracker revealed a majority of Americans (80%) don't believe companies are addressing all of their environmental impacts, and only 44 percent trust companies' green claims. This skepticism may even affect sales. In fact, as many as 77 percent would be willing to boycott if misled by an environmental claim.
Even as consumers express skepticism, they also voice their high expectations. They hold companies accountable for addressing the full environmental impact of a product's lifecycle, from the impacts associated with manufacturing the product (90%), to using it (88%), to disposing of it (89%). They are also asking companies to be thorough in their communications. Seventy-three percent of consumers want companies to provide more environmental information on the product packaging to help inform their shopping decisions, and the majority of consumers (71%) wish companies would do a better job helping them understand the environmental terms they use to talk about their products and services.
The implication is clear: the onus is on companies to bring consumers into the environmental conversation, and Americans are primed to do so if they feel they can trust what they're hearing.
For the complete findings from the 2012 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker, including the types of environmental messages that resonate best with consumers and environmental purchase barriers and drivers, please visit our website.
We encourage your thoughts and comments. Continue the conversation on Twitter by using #WDYSF.
Tags: environment marketing green boycott
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Top Three Entertainment Marketing Need-to-Knows
Knowing the ropes of celebrity partnerships can be an integral part of any marketing campaign, whether your organization is for- or non-profit. Take heed of these three entertainment marketing “need-to-knows” and you’re on your way to a successful and impactful celebrity partnership.
No. 1: Content is king
Carefully crafted celebrity partnerships help brands “tell their stories” from a credible third-party and highly influential perspective. More and more, a major part of this storytelling includes, and relies on, content – and lots of it. Engaging, creative content helps corporate and nonprofit brands differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace where people are increasingly looking for honest, transparent and “human” brands. To do this well, clients are tapping into relevant celebrities and entertainment partners to bring their stories to life.
When American Cancer Society celebrated its “Choose You” cause campaign in the spring of 2011, Cone Communications partnered the nonprofit with Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank to create the “Choose You” documentary, telling the powerful stories of three women on their journeys to put their personal health first. The full-length documentary was released nationally and promoted through social media channels.
No. 2: Celebrities and brands are social
Social media continues to be one of the most quickly evolving areas in public relations. Social platforms are no longer leveraged as “add on” tactics, but can be the foundation of some of the most successful campaigns. As social platforms continue to rise, so does the impact of celebrity voices.
During Fair Trade Awareness Month in October, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, a Cone client and the largest purchaser of fair trade coffee in 2010, sought to drive awareness of the impact of fair trade with an authentic and powerful campaign for its Green Mountain Coffee brand. Green Mountain Coffee harnessed the power of social media along with Michael Franti and Grace Potter – two up-and-coming music artists who deeply care about fair trade – to raise the volume on the issue. Both artists hosted exclusive live performances on Green Mountain Coffee’s Facebook page to educate consumers on how small choices – like the coffee we drink – can help drive big change.
No. 3: Celebrities can work to draw attention to important issues
Nonprofits have been using celebrities to generate awareness, support and funds for many years… and the strategy still works, if done well. Whether a nonprofit is launching a new platform, trying to raise money for new research or continuing to keep an important issue top of mind among people nationally or globally, the power of celebrities – and the many people they touch both on and offline – is invaluable. However, choosing the right celebrity, and making sure the celebrity is doing it for the right reasons, is a must.
American Kidney Fund, a Cone client, recently launched Pair Up by partnering with spokesperson Laila Ali who has a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure, both which put her at risk for kidney disease. She signed on to be a spokesperson because she has a passion for the cause, and with her personal connection, she was able to deliver campaign messages authentically.
-Cone Communications' Entertainment Marketing Group
Tags: entertainment marketing nonprofit celebrities
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Inviting Consumers to Innovate
Smart companies are embracing the notion that sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected sources, outside of their four walls. Crowdsourcing and cross-industry partnerships, modes of innovation involving consumers, competitors or other surprising partners, are becoming ingrained in business strategy, as companies move away from traditional problem-solving. Unilever is taking this concept one step further with the launch of its online platform "Open Innovation". In its quest to design a product that is both environmentally and user-friendly, the company has opened its doors to ideas from anyone and everyone, including those individuals who will ultimately buy and use its products.
The company, who launched the website as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, isn't shy about listing the challenges Unilever is facing and what it needs the public to contribute to its process. Some of the projects currently listed on the website include: a more sustainable shower, an active ingredient that helps prevent viruses without relying on harsh chemicals and an alternative to sodium that would reduce salt intake. Businesses and individuals alike are directed to the Open Innovation Submission Portal to upload all types of solutions for review, with the hope that one might be the next big idea.
By seeking submissions from the public, including its own consumers, benefits for Unilever are two-fold: the company taps into previously untouched innovation from a new pool of creative minds, and, it has the opportunity to profit from the intimate knowledge that can only be gained from someone who interacts regularly with its products. By incorporating the end consumer in the innovation process, Unilever has learned to embrace a very integral and powerful stakeholder. A company can have the very best and brightest scientists and innovators at the table to solve important problems, but it runs the risk of ignoring a powerful proposition: a problem-solving product that's made for consumers, by consumers.
We encourage your thoughts and comments. Continue the conversation on Twitter by using #WDYSF.
Tags: innovation stakeholders consumers
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How Do You Solve Water?
It seems like every month, week and day is associated with a cause – October is synonymous with breast cancer, April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week, and yesterday was World Down Syndrome Day. The observance of every cause is important, but for me one stands out – World Water Day.
For the past five years, I have had the pleasure of learning about and supporting water issues as part of my work on Xylem Inc.'s* corporate citizenship and social investment program, Xylem Watermark, and every year I learn something new. Today – I’m learning about solutions to the global water crisis as our team promotes two new infographics that demonstrate how Xylem Watermark solves water.
For each share of the infographics on Facebook, Xylem will donate $1 to partners Water For People and Mercy Corps (up to $10,000, March 19-30, 2012). Visit www.xylemwatermark.com/infographic to participate.
Solving Water through Community-based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education
Taken by a Xylem employee who traveled to West Bengal, India as part of Water For People’s international volunteer program, this image demonstrates the power of water, sanitation and hygiene to change lives – clean water nearby means children, especially girls, can go to school instead of fetching water.
Solving Water through Disaster Risk Reduction
Capturing the devastating effects of water-related disasters, this image – taken in Jakarta, Indonesia after massive floods by Xylem Watermark nonprofit partner, Mercy Corps – represents the untapped power of disaster risk reduction, a newer approach to solving the global water crisis by proactively securing water resources from natural disasters before they happen. According to estimates, every dollar spent on disaster preparedness can save four dollars in disaster relief!
At Cone Communications, we support water because we are motivated to make a difference in the world. Today, I encourage you to find your reason. Maybe it’s because you, too, believe Sarita should have the chance to go to school rather than fetch water. Maybe it’s because you, like Rahmad, know the chaos and stress that water-related disasters can breed, and you want to help prevent that feeling from overwhelming someone else.
Whatever your reason, this World Water Day I encourage you to join me and help solve water.
*Cone client
Jillian Wilson-Martin is a Senior Account Supervisor in Cone Communications’ Cause Branding group.
Tags: Program Water Volunteering
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Can Low-Tech Cause Marketing Still be High Impact?
Nary a day goes by when cause marketers don't talk about using Facebook Timeline, Pinterest, QR Codes or SMS for their campaigns, but that does not mean more traditional communications tactics are obsolete. Although no one can deny the power of a tech-savvy cause or nonprofit marketing campaign, it's still possible to have 2.0 results with 1.0 tactics.
Samusocial, a Romanian organization charged with providing care and medical aid to homeless people, has come up with a low-budget, low-tech but high-impact campaign. When the organization wanted to provide warm clothing to the homeless for the coming winter months, it looked no further than the local dry cleaner. A tag attached to each hanger asked customers to donate old clothing. They simply had to hang unwanted clothing on the hangers, return them to the cleaners with their next load of dry cleaning, and the nonprofit would take it from there. The highly effective campaign has already received 1 ton of clothing donations that will clothe nearly 5,000 homeless people with a total campaign cost of only 645 Euros.
One the other side of the world, Joe Waters, cause-marketing guru and Selfish Giving blogger, recently analyzed the inner workings of the highly successful "pin-up," a cause marketing standard found at cash registers across the nation where customers are asked to donate to a certain cause at the point-of-sale. Pin-ups have been around for decades, but they are still a popular cause marketing tactic. And that's because they work. Waters deems these campaigns a success because they feature an old-fashioned, face-to-face interaction between a customer and a cashier, and consumers undeniably tend to say "yes" when put on the spot. It also helps that producing each pin-up runs less than 18 cents but sells for between $1 and $5. As Joe notes in an earlier post, he's raised as much as $300,000 in just a few weeks with this 1.0 cause marketing method.
Cause marketers should certainly keep their eye on the digital future of marketing, but not while overlooking tried and true tactics. Whether it's a tag on a hanger at the dry cleaner or a paper icon at the register, success comes from embedding the call-to-action into consumers' daily activities. In this way, it's simple to act and to execute, as well as easy to draw the connection between consumer, company and cause.
We encourage your thoughts and comments. Continue the conversation on Twitter by using #WDYSF.
Tags: causebranding nonprofit campaign tactics
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Leading Granola Bar Company Goes Digital
Most know Nature Valley for its classic Oats N’ Honey granola bars but just as the brand’s product line has continued to evolve, so has its dedication to America’s parks. Last Thursday, Cone Communications helped the granola company launch into the digital space with a new platform called Nature Valley Trail View – designed to expand upon the brand’s commitment to preserving our national parks.
Nature Valley Trail View, announced on March 7 by the New York Times, encourages outdoor exploration and education through 300-plus miles of immersive national parks content, including interactive guides and panoramic views of trails at three iconic parks: Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone. The new platform debuted to media and technology influencers on March 11 at the internationally recognized South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive (SXSWi) Conference and Festival Mashable SXSWi House in Austin, Texas.
Nature Valley is a longtime supporter of our country’s outdoor heritage. Through the “Preserve the Parks” program – a partnership between Nature Valley and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) – the brand encourages Americans to get outside and enjoy our beautiful national parks, while raising funds for their preservation. For more than two years, Cone has worked alongside the General Mills-owned company providing strategic counsel and helping to further develop its partnership with the NPCA to generate awareness for parks’ critical needs. In 2012, funds raised for the NPCA will top $1 million.
So, as you’re virtually hiking a trail in Yellowstone National Park during National Parks Week (April 21 – 29), make sure to take a water break on the Nature Valley Facebook page. By visiting the page, nature lovers can help support NPCA restoration projects; for each Facebook “Like” during this time period, Nature Valley will donate $1 to the NPCA, up to $50,000. In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the new platform – share them with us on Twitter (@nature_valley) with the hashtag #TrailView.
*Cone client
Kristin Flynn is an Assistant Account Executive in Cone Communications’ Brand Marketing group.
Tags: nationalparks causebranding philanthropy newmedia
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Kony: Famous in Four Days
Who is Joseph Kony? If you're one of the 55 million KONY 2012 YouTube views, the 2 million Facebook likes or the 2.3 million tweets using the #KONY2012 hashtag over the past week, you have at least an inkling. And in all likelihood, you probably didn’t before. Invisible Children, a California-based nonprofit, launched the KONY 2012 campaign this year to bring one of the world's worst war criminals, Joseph Kony, to justice. Although the campaign is as much embroiled in controversy as it is embraced, it is hard to argue it has accomplished its immediate goal: "Make Joseph Kony famous."
Invisible Children posted a nearly 30-minute video only four days ago that has taken the social media world by storm. The first goal of the nonprofit is to bring awareness to Kony, leader of the rebel group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), who has been committing atrocities in Uganda and central Africa for more than 20 years. After watching the video, viewers are directed to the Invisible Children website to purchase t-shirts, bracelets and posters in support of the cause. Those who are really inspired can even purchase a "Get Everything Pack + Limited Edition Peace and Action Necklace" for $2,500. After gearing up, Invisible Children asks supporters to message "Culturemakers" like Tim Tebow and Lady GaGa and "Policymakers" such as Condoleezza Rice and Mitt Romney. Many celebrities have already been inspired to participate, with Ryan Seacrest tweeting, "Was going to sleep last night and saw ur tweets about#StopKony...watched in bed, was blown away. If u haven't seen yet."
Using this growing awareness, the nonprofit seeks to ensure that "U.S. military advisers support the Ugandan Army until Kony has been captured and the LRA has been completely disarmed," according to the Invisible Children website. The movement all culminates on April 20, with supporters taking TO the streets to plaster every surface with KONY 2012 posters to ensure the issue will no longer be ignored.
Meanwhile, a host of critics have popped up to draw attention to the nonprofit's questionable use of funds and two-star "Transparency and Accountability" rating on Charity Navigator. The organization has also received criticism for its alignment with the Ugandan Army, which itself is riddled with controversy.
This fastest growing viral video in history, according to online measurement firm Visible Measures in the Wall Street Journal, will "expire" on December 31, 2012. Before that time, will KONY 2012 overcome its criticisms and turn this immense awareness into advocacy that, ultimately, becomes action? Will it achieve its end goal of bringing Kony to justice? Invisible Children must move quickly to activate this attentive base because in today's social media world, Kony's 15 minutes of fame will soon be up.
We encourage your thoughts and comments. Continue the conversation on Twitter by using #WDYSF.
Tags: viral marketing nonprofit video campaign
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Getting to "Yes" with Greater Success
A common problem I see organizations and agencies run into when developing new campaigns and programs is forgetting that as highly educated and passionate advocates of the chosen issue, product, etc., we cease to be accurate representations of our target population at large. As a result, we may overestimate the importance of/interest in our issue outside of our walls and forget to take a step back and do a reality check on what our target audience is actually willing, able and likely to do.
The Fast Company Co.Exist website recently featured an article called, "A Bandage That Allows You to Save a Life While Patching up Your Cut," which highlights a new bone marrow donation registry kit placed in packaging alongside adhesive bandages. The product, created by Graham Douglas of Droga5 and his advertising and design students at the Miami Ad School in Brooklyn, debuted at TED earlier this week. The kit is a simple, yet elegant, solution to address a huge need, which is encouraging more participants to join the National Marrow Donor Program by collecting a small blood donation when they are already tending to a cut. Douglas's kit is a great example of someone putting themselves in the shoes of the audience they are trying to reach and developing an appeal that is delivered in exactly the right way and at the right time to get to "yes".
I would suggest that there are three simple questions that can help us consistently ensure greater success in this regard:
1) What is the specific problem are we trying to solve?
In Douglas's case, the problem was a critical shortage of bone marrow donors because of a lack of awareness of the need and a misunderstanding of what it takes to join the registry. I didn't know a simple blood test is all that is required (nothing as scary as a spinal tap like I imagined), and I'm sure many of you didn't either.
2) What is the easiest thing someone could do to help in a meaningful way?
Providing your contact info and a blood sample is all that is needed to join the National Marrow Donor Program, but it can have a huge impact for individuals on the waiting list and in desperate need of a donor match. Douglas isn't asking people to commit to being a marrow donor or even to prick their own fingers to join the registry. He's just asking them to help by capturing a drop of blood while they are already bleeding and then send it in using the kit right in front of them. The assumption is if someone gets on the marrow donor list, he or she will most likely agree to help someone in need if presented with the opportunity as a match. Going back to our breast cancer example, getting the recommended health screenings and diagnosing cancer early goes a long way in preventing cancer deaths. In addition, once a woman schedules an appointment for a mammogram, she is more likely to show up for it, so just getting more women to schedule appointments could make a big difference in changing behavior.
3) How could we reach our target when the barriers to a "yes" are at their lowest?
Douglas's kit takes strong messaging around the importance of joining the marrow registry, provides easy tools to make the donation and pairs it with a box of bandages to ensure the "ask" occurs at a moment when the barriers to "yes" are the lowest.
Applying this to breast cancer, instead of asking women to pledge to get their mammograms or even come to a free local screening, it might be more successful to partner with Microsoft, Google or Apple to have an educational pop-up window show up on a consumer's screen prompting her to schedule a calendar reminder. Or, another idea would be to work with hospitals and primary care providers to proactively schedule mammogram appointments for women with the appropriate risk factors and have a corporate partner cover the co-pay.
By asking ourselves and our clients the three questions above, I'd suggest we could ensure our campaigns and programs consistently move beyond basic education and awareness to highly effective engagement and simple, but impactful, actions.
Chris Mann is an Account Director in Cone Communications’ Cause Branding group.
Tags: nonprofit engagement campaign donors
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Silent Sustainability
At last weekend's Harvard Social Enterprise Conference, Ayr Muir, founder and chief executive officer of Clover Fast Food, Inc., a Cambridge, MA-based restaurant and food truck company, revealed his secrets to success. He told the audience how his restaurants try to use local and organic ingredients as much as possible. They also limit the menu and intentionally run out of food items as the day goes on to curb food waste (considering 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. goes to waste, this is a noble goal). But the real success secret? According to Muir, most of Clover's customers have no idea of the company's green mission.
A growing number of companies are achieving lofty green goals and working to incorporate sustainability into the very essence of their companies. While many organizations are proud to shout achievements from the rooftops, others remain mum. There are a number of reasons for doing so, including fear of communicating successes because it might open a company up to scrutiny in other areas. Muir is on a mission to provide his customers with healthful, inexpensive alternatives to fast food, but he doesn't want the words "organic" or "local" to scare budget conscious consumers away (by the way, a majority of Clover's menu items come in at under five dollars). And in a recent CNN Money article, John Stein, the founder of Kirei, a design materials manufacturer that produces sustainable and non-toxic products, said he steers clear of touting its credentials because he fears it may actually be a turn-off to mainstream consumers. At the same time, Maker's Mark, deemed by CNN Money as "possibly the most environmentally friendly and socially responsible alcohol company in the world," doesn't flaunt its responsible actions because the company believes it's "just a part of doing business."
Although silent sustainability champions may honor humility over haughtiness, there is a real opportunity for communication, and perhaps more importantly, education. Many of the companies that remain reserved are also the ones who have made amazing progress breaking age-old "green" stigmas by providing low-cost, high-value products. If these companies can tell their stories, perhaps consumers will begin to understand that buying green doesn't have to be a sacrifice.
We encourage your thoughts and comments. Continue the conversation on Twitter by using #WDYSF.
Tags: sustainability local communications green
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