filter by author: Jillian WilsonMartin

January 18, 2012 at 11:49 AM by Jillian WilsonMartin

It’s no secret – almost all of the products Americans buy are produced by workers in developing countries; workers who often receive low pay, work long hours and live in questionable conditions.

87% of consumers say they’ll hold companies accountable for ensuring human rights in their supply chains. Yet, when it comes to our favorite brands, many of us are willing to look the other way. We explored this topic at Cone Communications’ #whatsinyourstuff event, and, even among a crowd of transparency enthusiasts, the majority admitted they own and would continue to purchase Apple products – regardless of the ethics behind their iPhones.

 

Like the meat eaters who don’t want to think about the history of their steak, we have a hard time remembering – dare I say caring – about the people behind the labels.

But when it comes to our shiny gadgets, the truth is getting hard for everyone to ignore.

 

Since January 1, dozens of Xbox workers threatened mass suicide, the California Transparency in the Supply Chain Act went into effect and Apple agreed to allow independent monitoring on working conditions for the first time. In many ways it is truly exciting – workers mobilizing, government driving change and a major corporation essentially admitting “silicon sweatshops” are often a harsh reality.

But will the energy last? Will other companies follow Apple? Will “developed world” consumers actually boycott the companies that manufacture their “bling and zing”? As companies come to grips with today’s new, naked reality, here are a few predictions to consider in 2012:

· Tech is Next: Supply chain transparency is an issue for every industry, but there are trends in who we choose to critique. First it was food (Dole, etc.), then it was apparel and footwear, but now the big brands are in tech. Apple may be the current target, but if you accept “the cult of Mac” has issues, you realize everyone else does, too. It only takes a glance at the back of insert any brand’s label for consumers to question everything. Reporters will too. Consumers will accept short-term set-backs if brands demonstrate a long-term commitment to change, but companies should work quickly to get their houses in order now.

· Occupy Shanghai: The 99 percent is even larger in China, and the population there is living a strange dichotomy. Companies are outsourcing to China on the one hand and targeting a new consumer base there on the other – but it’s hard to buy a product that literally includes your blood, sweat and tears. The activist buzz is “Arab spring, American autumn, Chinese winter,” and, in the past year, thousands of Chinese workers have gone on strike or staged protests, demanding more pay and compensation. Unrest isn’t good for business – watch for multinationals to champion, not challenge the legalization of international labor unions and push the central government to do the same.

· Strange Bedfellows: No one company can solve an issue as massive as human rights or change the system on its own. Look for competitors to partner and form coalitions to take on this issue as a group. In aggregate, they can wield their power – pressuring sketchy suppliers to comply with tougher codes of conduct, educating consumers on the sacrifices that support a lower price and engaging employees to create solutions from within.

· Consumer Demand for Cruelty Free: Consumers currently feel paralyzed by this issue – they question the ethics of a tag that reads “Made in India,” but they don’t know if that feeling is wrong or right. Social media and online apps like Good Guide have begun to open the flow of information, but expect “sweat shop free” or a spin on “cruelty-free” labeling to give shoppers the data they need to act. And don’t think consumers will shop silently. Watch for a rise in consumer awareness and connection to films, games and advocacy groups, like Slave Free, Slavery Footprint and Phone Story, that push the issue.

 

· Experience Transparency: NGOs and corporations will take on new and surprising tactics to get their messages out. Watch for bold and innovative actions as leading organizations – or social media activists – open the curtain for consumers to examine supply chains. Think video feeds in factories, photos of assembly line employees purposefully left on every iPhone and living-wage products that knowingly promote a higher price.

· Fill in the Blank: What do you think will happen (or needs to happen) to drive product transparency forward in 2012? We’d love to learn more about the trends you’re seeing in the marketplace and your predictions for transparency in the future.

To learn more, check out a video clip from Cone Communications’ recent #whatsinyourstuff event with Dara O’Rourke, founder of the GOOD GUIDE; Theo Forbath, the VP of Innovation Strategy at Frog Design; Julie Wittes Schlack, SVP of Innovation and Design at Communispace; and Beth Holzman from Timberland.

 

Jillian Wilson-Martin is a Senior Account Supervisor in Cone Communications’ Cause Branding group.

Tags: HumanRights Tech

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April 7, 2011 at 10:35 AM by Jillian WilsonMartin

In last Saturday’s New York Times, reporter Stephanie Strom featured nonprofits that close shop when the cause they set out to address no longer exists. “Mission accomplished,” the article said. And I replied, “Right on!”

 

Nonprofits often say they want to put themselves out of business, and I’ve long admired organizations that are truly working towards that goal. Strom’s article highlights Malaria No More, which is determined to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015, and I would add UNICEF (Believe in Zero) and the National Breast Cancer Coalition (Breast Cancer Deadline 2020) to the list of nonprofits that are counting down to end their causes.

So why are corporate cause programs counting up? Sure, global causes are massive and no one company can do it all on its own – but companies can focus on smaller, yet meaningful targets that drive replication and yield significant results.

 

Global health is a great place to start. Just as March of Dimes achieved its original mission of eradicating polio in the U.S., Gates is now working to end polio worldwide. And companies who invest in health can end epidemics, too. Like polio, diseases that are preventable and long gone in developed nations are often major crises in emerging markets. Pfizer* is one company that’s not afraid to take a stand. It’s partnering with the World Health Organization to eliminate blinding trachoma by 2020.

 

But where are the other cool corporate examples? The truth is end goals for cause are rare – especially in the private sector. Let’s hope that is going to change. We must refocus our impact on solving problems as opposed to merely reporting beneficiary results. After all, isn’t that what sustainability is all about?

 

We’d love to hear your examples of corporations with specific commitments to solve issues. Share them here.

- Jillian Wilson-Martin, Account Supervisor

*Pfizer is a former Cone client.

Tags: corporate nonprofit results cause mission issue

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March 28, 2011 at 11:30 AM by Jillian WilsonMartin

What my clients want, they get. So when one told me I deserved a vacation, I listened! My husband and I jumped ship and booked a two week cruise to the Caribbean. It was relaxing, romantic and fun – and we enjoyed every minute (cue double rainbow – seriously, a double rainbow!).


But even with my new shades, I couldn’t help noticing Royal Caribbean International’s cause program. Overall, I was impressed, but, of course, I have some ideas on areas for improvement too.

Royal Caribbean has a number of community partnerships and prioritizes employee volunteerism as part of its GIVE (Get Involved Volunteer Everywhere) platform. Of all its programs, the most guest-facing is its partnership with Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since 2000, Royal Caribbean has hosted more than 1,000 Wish kids on its cruises and contributed approximately $3 million of in-kind services. During the cruise’s opening show, guests are introduced to the partnership via video, and throughout the trip, Make-A-Wish is included in various communication channels (e.g., in-room TV advertisements, featured tidbits in the daily “Cruise Compass” and a special flag is flown when a Wish family is onboard). These efforts culminate in a Walk for Wishes, in which guests purchase $10 Wishes at Sea T-shirts and join employees for a mile walk around the ship. On our cruise, guests donated nearly $2,000!


Amazing results, right? Absolutely! It’s a great cause, but it made me want more. While communications about Make-A-Wish on our cruise were abundant, they didn’t fully explain Make-A-Wish’s mission or Royal Caribbean’s results. Being the nosy person I am, I asked other guests (many of whom were international travelers) what they thought about the program and most of them didn’t understand who Make-A-Wish was or what they do. And they aren’t alone – while the cruise activities staff was highly knowledgeable about Make-A-Wish, waiters, chefs, stateroom attendants and others had little understanding and displayed minimal passion for the program. Also, the first time I heard of the partnership was onboard – where was the information when we were planning our trip?

Bottom line, Royal Caribbean and Make-A-Wish have a great program, but it could benefit from some of the market innovations we’ve seen this past decade. Royal Caribbean describes itself as the “Nation of Why Not” and I wish they would channel this energy for their cause. Why not leverage new media? Why not empower consumers through choice, personalization and deeper engagement opportunities? Why not incentivize employee participation? Why not highlight the partnership’s fantastic results and emotionalize the power of a purchase via social math?

I wish for the why not!


- Jillian Wilson Martin, Account Supervisor


(Full disclosure: Make-A-Wish is a former Cone client and Royal Caribbean participated in Destination Joy, a campaign Cone helped create in 2007.)


Tags: employees events cone awareness fundraising engagement causebranding

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March 1, 2011 at 2:41 PM by Jillian WilsonMartin

This summer I’ll celebrate a decade of being vegetarian (yeah, I’m getting old). Being a veggie isn’t always easy, and I can’t say I haven’t cheated on occasion (for some reason, I really craved buffalo wings when I first started), but year after year the cause has stayed important to me.

But this post isn’t about me; it’s about Whole Foods’ new animal welfare ratings. Last month, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods announced the launch of the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards, a new labeling system designed to educate consumers on the living conditions of the meat (pigs, chickens and cattle) they eat.

What does it all mean? The ratings are determined by independent third-party certifiers using auditors trained by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP). Essentially, the higher the step, the better the conditions for the animal. Step 1 equals “no crates, no cages,” meaning the “animals live their lives with space to move around and stretch their legs.” Step 5+ means the animal has enjoyed Step 1-5, including a “pasture-centered” life and living only on one farm.

Though organizations like PETA have been remarkably silent, others have questioned the transparency of these standards, including Certified Humane which compares GAP with other ratings available to Whole Foods. To be fair, Certified Humane offers a competitive rating system to GAP’s so it’s bound to be pushing for the use of its standards, but some of the issues it raises are worth noting. Even at Step 5+, the best rating, GAP does not have standards for slaughtering, does not guarantee animals are allowed dark/sleep periods and does not ensure animals receive disease prevention health care.

Compassion is the number one reason I choose to avoid meat, and, as of 2003, 96% of Americans agree animals deserve "some" protection from harm and exploitation. While I would love to see greater transparency in Whole Foods’ current initiative and a shift from publicizing humane treatment to requiring it across its supply chain, I appreciate the operational challenges that must exist and personally applaud the company for taking this important first step.

In the meantime, I’m eager for Whole Foods to apply these standards to other animal products and bi-products and look forward to a day when Whole Foods expands the program to include Step 6: No animal life was sacrificed to produce this product.

- Jillian Wilson, Account Supervisor

Tags: activism corporateresponsibility transparency labels retail

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March 22, 2010 at 10:43 AM by Jillian WilsonMartin

If you haven’t heard, today is World Water Day, an international day of awareness and action in support of our planet’s growing water needs.

For months, Facebook and Twitter have been abuzz about this momentous occasion, which should not come as a surprise given the water sector has been at the forefront of social media fundraising (think water Tweestival). From activating followers to participate in stunt events (longest toilet queue), to taking over users’ statuses for a week, water leaders are leveraging the power of social networks to support their cause.

 

ITT (Cone client) is no different. The company, a global leader in the transport, treatment and control of water, is conducting a social media campaign of its own in support of World Water Day and its corporate citizenship program, ITT Watermark. ITT will donate $1 to safe water solutions for every new fan of ITT Watermark’s Facebook page between March 22 and March 26. Money raised will be evenly distributed between ITT Watermark’s nonprofit partners: Water For People, Mercy Corps and China Women’s Development Foundation. Given that experts estimate the global cost of providing water to someone for a lifetime is just $25 – or 25 fans in this instance - the campaign provides an opportunity for ITT to rally its stakeholders to make a real difference.

So why would a B2B company invest resources in a social media fundraiser? The biggest reason is the company’s employees. According to the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study, 79% of Americans who are active on new media believe companies and nonprofits should use these channels to raise money and awareness for causes, and employees are no different. By engaging employees via social media, ITT is connecting with key stakeholders where they are.

 

ITT epitomizes a Cone best practice: offering a range of ways to support the cause. By providing a spectrum of engagement opportunities – from the easy, click-to-give campaigns – to the more time-intensive global volunteer trip, ITT is giving everyone a chance to get involved. On World Water Day, this is especially true. In addition to the Facebook campaign, ITT is activating its 40,000 employees through local awareness, fundraising and volunteer activities at its sites around the world, while hosting 11 employees on a volunteer trip to India.

 

To learn more, or to join the cause, visit www.ittwatermark.com/facebook.

 

- Jillian Wilson-Martin, Account Supervisor

Tags: Twitter causebranding employees campaigns global Volunteer newmedia

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October 7, 2009 at 10:23 AM by Jillian WilsonMartin

Aristotle once said, “He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.”

While I can’t say he was referencing Twitter, the wise philosopher certainly knew what he was talking about. In the age of new media, following is an increasingly overt component of leadership. Leading companies take advantage of Facebook, myspace, Twitter and the like, to follow the conversation about their brand and business opportunities and engage with stakeholders in transparent and courageous dialogue resulting in mutual gain.

 

But who should you follow? It depends on your target audiences and needs. For companies promoting corporate philanthropic programs, a few ideas on who to follow and why are below.

• Nonprofit Partners: Learn what they’re doing, who they’re working with and how you can help. Don’t forget to encourage them to promote your program using new media.
  
  
• Employees: Connect with your employees online and outside of work to create internal and external program ambassadors, solicit feedback on the program and identify volunteer opportunities.
  
  
• Customers: Gauge consumer interest in your cause of choice, monitor for program commentary, and spread awareness by activating consumers virally online.
  
  
• Issue Leaders: Stay abreast of the latest trends from the mouths of the movers and shakers; identify opportunities to engage and collaborate on the next big idea.
  
  
• Issue Competitors: Keep track of the newest programs other companies are implementing that impact your issue, discover best practices and apply them to ensure your program becomes the best.
  
  
• Convening Organizations: Learn about upcoming conferences and events and program promotion opportunities and identify the value of participating.

 

- Jillian Wilson Martin, Senior Account Executive

Tags: philanthropy corporatepartnerships nonprofitcausebranding newmedia Twitter

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November 5, 2008 at 5:22 pm by Jillian WilsonMartin

My work at Cone is never boring. With each new account, I get the opportunity to learn about new industries, new issues, new programs and new organizations. I get to talk to new and different people about ideas, problems and solutions I wouldn’t learn about otherwise.

 

It was in this capacity that I was introduced to College Summit, a nonprofit committed to serving the 200,000 academically capable, low-income students who graduate from high school but do not enroll in college. It’s approach? Harness the positive power of peer pressure by training a core group of influential students to drive a college-going culture in their classrooms.

 

The training starts with a four-day workshop for 20% of rising seniors. The workshop is held on a college campus and students get a head start on college applications by learning how to effectively write a personal statement, meet one-on-one with a guidance counselor, learn the basics of financial aid and gain concrete skills in self-advocacy. Armed with real experience, these students then return to their schools and spread their enthusiasm to their peers.

 

 

Inspired by College Summit’s model, I considered volunteering as a workshop writing coach, utilizing my paid volunteer time as part of Cone’s Hours for Good program. College Summit’s only criterion is that you are a college graduate, but I was hesitant. I assessed my skills: I knew I was capable of writing memos and issue toplines, but would I be able to guide a group of students through the complex and emotionally draining process of creating a personal statement? My account team encouraged me and I bit the bullet. Before I knew it, I was on my way to Amherst College for what would be one of the most powerful four days of my life.

 

After receiving a thorough training, I met the members of my team – seven teens from inner-city NY. Immediately my nerves kicked in and I clung to the curriculum like it was a life raft. We followed the book and did a 10-minute free write. Then I asked students to read their work aloud. The first student to read shared an eye witness account of his grandmother’s murder. He was seven when it happened. We all started crying.

 

And the tears didn’t stop. For the next three days, my students shared their deepest fears, personal struggles, challenges, fondest memories and biggest dreams. We shared and we cried and we wrote. The students recognized new traits in themselves through their writing. They were surprised to discover they are courageous, smart, resilient, eloquent, funny and strong. And they were empowered when they realized these qualities looked pretty damn good on a college application.

 

Today the students in my group are back in school and are working to inspire their peers to take the same steps they did – to believe they are college material and to make their dreams a reality. As a team, we made a pact to reunite at their college graduations; if not sooner. Until then, I’m signed up to use my Hours for Good with College Summit again next year.

 

To learn more about College Summit and find out how you can volunteer as a writing coach, click here . 

 

- Jillian Wilson, Senior Account Executive, Cause Branding

Tags: cone

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