In the “rainforest of the sea” with Cargill Salt.

My daydream about a January diving trip was interrupted by NPR’s reporting of the rapid global coral bleaching occurring right under our goggles.  This, the second hottest year on record, is severely stressing coral reefs around the world, with many species already dead or shedding color in a struggle to survive.   

Later in the afternoon, I was flipping through some food industry magazines and came upon Cargill Salt’s ad with the image of an entire sea bottom – coral, fish and everything – all in bright salt-shaker white.  I know the ad’s been running for a while, and I’ve always found it disconcerting.  But on the heels of the report issued earlier this week, I have to put it in the distasteful category. 

If you Google® Cargill +Environment, a not-so-pretty picture emerges.  They’ve been taking it on the chin lately for their environmental policies around palm oil, and they’ve been fighting back against the allegations made by Rainforest Action Network (RAN).   Earlier this month they made the news in Minnesota when RAN unfurled a banner at their hometown Twin’s game announcing “Cargill Destroys Rainforests”. 

In 1998, the hottest year recorded, 16% of the planet’s coral reefs died.  Since then, warmer and warmer seasons have had negative impacts on our “rain forests of the sea”, which are critical to many industries including fishing and tourism.  If you’re interested, here is the NY Times report.

The concept of “coral bleaching” as an indicator of climate change and irresponsible environmental policies has been in the public conscience for at least a decade.  So I have to wonder why Cargill would even think that depicting a salt-white seafloor in their advertising is a good idea.  Bad judgment?  Bad taste?  Or brand-right for Cargill?

Tags: B2B Marketing, Cargill, Cargill advertising, Cargill Salt, CBD, creative insights, global warming, Lori Colman, Sustainability

Alternative Energy Manufacturers—Support Your Sales Channels

Manufacturers may be happy to ride the wave of alternative energy as consumers look to be more efficient, appear green and save money. Governing bodies from Uncle Sam to your local municipality as well as utilities may offer incentives to adopt new technologies and upgrade, but this leaves consumers in a quandary—what technology and from who?

Home upgrade options are becoming more complex than selecting a home theater, which although a mature market, can still be complex as a customer tries to optimize their system. New sales channels are opening as technology and complexities go beyond a typical home improvement contractor. But consumers still face confusion and need clarity based on a number of variables—geography, type of home and even the age of the customer all factor into decisions.

Think of the options in solar, thermostats, yard and rainwater options now in the consideration set with roof installations, new windows, energy-efficient furnaces, tankless water heaters and other upgrades.

So what can a manufacturer do? Assuming you don’t have a huge marketing budget, here are some recommendations:

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Tags: alternative energy marketing, home improvement, manufacturers, solar

More on Millenials…the Eco Generation

LifeWay Research conducted a poll of Americans born between 1980 and 1991, and the results suggest that this generation possesses a common interest in environmental stewardship. 87% of poll participants feel personally responsible for cleaning up the ecological damage of previous generations.

LifeWay’s president, Thom Rainer, will capture these insights in a new book called The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation. 

Poll results also suggest that companies and politicians need to be very aware that this generation also acts on their eco-principles. 73% say they would like a job that benefits the environment, and most are alert to the environmental views of candidates when they go to the polls. An article on Lifeway’s site contains this quote from Ranier, “Any outright dismissal of environmental issues will be seen as crass ignorance regarding both the people and the planet.”

Tags: brand, consumer, Energy, environment, millenial, positioning, Research

Your Chance to Commit Social Media Suicide

It was bound to happen. A way to quickly unfriend, untweet, and unlink to everyone who has glommed onto you and your various social networks. In short–a way to end it all in the social media world. Kaput. Finito. Adios. The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine at Suicide Machine.org is the brainchild of Gordon Savicic and Walter Langelaar, who met in art school in the Netherlands. It’s getting lots of press and even a cameo on South Park. Here’s their pitch: “Liberate your newbie friends with a Web2.0 suicide! This machine lets you delete all your energy sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alterego. The machine is just a metaphor for the website which moddr_ is hosting; the belly of the beast where the web2.0 suicide scripts are maintained. Our service currently runs with Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and LinkedIn! Commit NOW!” Whoa. That’s strong talk. But maybe for those folks who jumped into social media and now have revised their view of its usefulness, or would just like to START OVER, it’s a really good thing. Wouldn’t we all like to know that nothing is forever–especially online where all those weird people we allowed to friend us or link to us “back in the day” still lurk. In any event, SocialMediaSuicide.org is an option and a good one for the over 4,000 people who have used it to bid adieu to their social media lives. I’m going to keep it on file. . .just in case.

Tags: Colman Brohan Davis Social Media, Gordon Savicic, Social Media, social media trends, South Park, suicidemachine.org, Walter Langelaar

Due diligence in brand campaigns

ABC News ran a great story today that is a follow-up to Drake University’s infamous “D+” campaign. In it, there’s a great reminder to me of two higher ed brand marketing best practices, which the article did not touch on.  Truly connecting with prospects and differentiating your school is hard. Being edgy presents a bit of risk, but it can also be rewarding. If you are considering a whole new edgy direction, here are two things you should be sure to do before you pull the trigger:

• Communicate your brand evolution and marketing plans internally before you launch a campaign. Do an internal awareness “road show”, and use it to uncover and address potential issues. Also use your road show to help internal audiences understand their campaign role as brand ambassadors. It’s true that many voices can muddy the waters. But internal backlash can be costly and painful.
• When you can, it’s a really good idea to vet your campaign across a sample of your key constituents. Alumni, faculty, employees, prospects, feeder school administrators, partners…even key employers of students. If you elect not to ask for a sample of opinions, you should at least closely consider the impact to anyone who contributes to your community or is affiliated with your brand.

It looks to me like Drake fell in love with a contemporary campaign idea, and they turned it into something of a brand platform. The strategy was aligned with what would pique the interest of prospects. But it was not aligned with the way students and alumni need to feel about the quality of education they receive at Drake, or the way employers would perceive a Drake graduate.

Are you “Lovin’ it”? New ad links fast food consumption to heart disease

For a mere $7,000, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is airing a provocative commercial AND generating a ton of free publicity. The target is McDonald’s, singled out for “epitomizing fast food and the permeation of fast food in the country”, according to Susan Levin, PCRM’s director of nutrition education. The group also claims that the PCRM dieticians have analyzed the menu of the world’s largest fast-food chain, and that McDonald’s offers almost no healthful choices.

The TV commercial began airing September 16 on local Washington, DC news programs and The Daily Show.  In it, a man appearing to be in his young middle-age years is on a metal table in the morgue … grasping a hamburger with his cold, dead fingers. While a woman stands above him weeping, McDonald’s arches are imposed above his toes with the words, “I was lovin’ it.” And a voice-over says, “High cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks. Tonight, make it vegetarian.”

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Tags: "I was lovin' it", brand, CBD, food, Lori Colman, McDonald's, PCRM McDonald's ad