At BBMG, we thank the client gods every day for giving us the opportunity to work with so many amazing companies and organizations. It’s impossible to pick favorites, but every once in a while, a cause comes along that just pulls at our heart strings and jump starts us into action.
This year, we found just that when we were given a chance to work with the Save the White Elephant campaign. Did you know that every holiday season, 54.7 quadrillion white elephants wind up in the landfill? That’s right – sequined top hats, bejeweled tricycles, football phones, afro wigs, tie dye jumpsuits, feather boas – you name it, and there’s someone out there who doesn’t want it. With just a little help, all of these wonderful, useful gifts could find a loving home, but instead are discarded into the abyss by short-sighted owners.
We at BBMG say enough! Here’s to letting old gifts live anew! To find out more about the story of the white elephant and how you can make a difference, visit www.savethewhiteelephant.org.
In a world that’s adapting to radical social and economic change, today’s nonprofits are forced to reimagine how they do more with less: What could things look like if our costs went down, our reach went up, and we could multiply our impact? Innovation is no longer the exception, it’s the new imperative.
As some of the nation’s most iconic nonprofit brands struggle to regain market share from their more nimble counterparts, the opportunity has never been more ripe for nonprofits to reinvent themselves. And it starts by listening to and engaging the new consumer. They are, after all, your next donor.
Our latest white paper: “From Legacy to Leadership: Is Philanthropy Ready for the New Consumer?” explores how branding, innovation and consumer engagement can drive social impact and help move legacy nonprofits into leadership brands.
We sit down with Mirm Kriegel, head of BBMG’s Philanthropy and Social Enterprise practice, to explore further.
Q: The premise of this white paper on philanthropy is based on insights into the conscious consumer – people making purchasing decisions based on their values. How do you make the connection between purchasers and donors/volunteers?
A: Ultimately, we’re talking about people here, not sectors. So the premise is that people’s values as consumers don’t change when they engage in philanthropy. They’re the same people demanding transparency, accountability and authenticity across all areas, whether they’re doing it as consumers or donors. At the end of the day, what we’re really talking about is engagement – how brands across all sectors create value and build lasting relationships with their audiences.
Q: One of the key trends in philanthropy that you describe is this shift in communications – from top-down to bottom-up. What’s involved in this sort of change, and what are the implications for today’s communications and marketing officers?
A: Thanks to social media, there’s been a clear transfer of power in terms of who owns the brand message. And that means some pretty profound consequences for CMOs and communications directors – not just in terms of becoming conversant in the language of social media, which many legacy institutions are already doing. More than that, it requires a fairly radical shift in culture. For an organization’s supporters to really champion the brand, there has to be a culture change from the inside, a willingness to let go of controlling the message and encourage your most passionate supporters (your Passionate 10%) to become your ambassadors. Because the most powerful brands thrive when they’re co-owned by consumers.
Politics aside, Obama’s campaign is the perfect example. He clearly owned ‘hope’ and ‘change,’ but his supporters each appropriated the brand in their own way. You’ll notice there’s no official Barack Obama site. It’s my.barackobama.com. The groundswell of support comes from individuals, from the bottom up – not from the top-down.
I’d say that’s one of the toughest and most important lessons: Let go. Because the truth is, if you’re relevant at all, you’re not in control of your message anyway.
Q: On a related note, you talk quite a bit about democratizing fundraising in this new paradigm, the voices of the many superseding the power of the few. For legacy brands in particular, what does this mean for major gifts fundraising, which in many ways exemplifies the power of the few?
A: While we’re not fundraising consultants, there’s no indication that major gifts fundraising is going away any time soon. The difference from a brand perspective is that for an organization to be seen as truly relevant to today’s consumers, it can’t afford to limit itself only to what’s worked in the past. In short, it can’t only (or even mostly) be about major gifts anymore. The organization, and ultimately the brand, has to be more inclusive than that. Especially with the demands of the new consumer – they want to be involved and engaged. They want reasons to believe and belong. They want to join and even shape the conversation. So nonprofits today have to be innovative in meeting that need, creating new pathways for participation. Which goes back to this idea of culture change – moving away from exclusivity and toward a broader community of shared values. This is the only way organizations will be able to build entire movements around their brand.
Q: You talk about larger nonprofit brands losing market share to smaller organizations like the charity:waters of the world. At the end of the day, does size matter? And is it actually a detriment in this new economy?
A: I think it’s less about size and more about an ability to be nimble and proactive, to anticipate the needs of today’s consumer. Sure, smaller organizations have some advantages there, but there are plenty of large nonprofits doing some very innovative things, from leveraging social media tools to cultivate loyal tribes (March of Dimes, Smithsonian, Planned Parenthood) to integrating new revenue streams into their business model. And some of them have been doing it for a very long time (Heifer International). Even big organizations can act small. It’s less about size and more about delivering value and impact.
Q: Some would argue that one of the silver linings of the economic fallout is that it forces many nonprofits that are duplicating services to streamline operations by either collapsing or merging. At the end of this economic chapter, how do those organizations left standing distinguish themselves?
A: This is where defining your triple value proposition™ becomes so important. It helps organizations maintain or enhance their relevance. Consumers are looking for three types of value: practical value (personal relevance), social value (positive impact on the world) and tribal value (community of shared values). If an organization can’t legitimately define its personal relevance, demonstrate its social impact and identify reasons for belonging, it will lose out in the competition for mindshare and resources. Bottom line, brands that demonstrate their practical, social and tribal value will survive. Those that don’t, won’t.
Q: If you had to identify one thing that this past year has taught us, what would it be?
A: Transparency would certainly be up there, but in addition, I’d say it has taught us the importance of being nimble and breaking free from old ways of doing things. We’ve seen this year that even the most tried-and-true methods – of soliciting, of investing, of doing business in general – aren’t in fact always true. And so the most successful organizations, from both an operational and brand perspective, will be those that can stay relevant by creating innovative solutions that might defy institutional memory and break the rules a bit.
Q: Congrats on your baby boy! We hear he just passed a big milestone – the three-month hump. Is he sleeping through the night yet?
A: Well, if 4:30 AM is officially the next morning, then, sure, I guess you could say he’s sleeping through the night…
The Aesthetics of Trust, or What It Takes to Break Through the Clutter
You would think, with some 400+ trustmarks vying for consumer attention, that most would dedicate a modicum of time and attention to the actual design of the trustmark. You know, so it stands out from the crowd. So it projects trustworthy attributes. So it’s scalable, legible and all those other things prized by designers.
But that hardly seems the case. No points for originality here. With but a few exceptions, the sea of trustmarks is a mess, a pea soup of poorly conceived (and poorly explained) seals and certifications.
Why is that?
Tough to hazard a guess, really, but experience says it’s probably due to (a) not having the expertise at hand, (b) not having the budget at hand or (c) not making it enough of a priority, the certification team arriving somewhat exhausted to the finish line after spending months putting the standards in question together, with little time and patience for the iterative process that great design requires.
To say “trust me,” a well-designed mark usually goes through several rounds of revision. In the end, it takes a simple form that is bold, memorable. It doesn’t try to communicate too much. Its forms and counterforms, words and symbols, colors and line qualities work harmoniously to create a unified impression that, at its best, is strong, meaningful and elegant. Easily read from a distance. Easily reproducible. Clearly connoting a quality, a tone, a certain je ne sais quoi, that fits the task at hand.
In 2009, BBMG showed 13 representative trustmarks to 2,000 U.S. consumers. The top three symbols — Energy Star, Recyclable and USDA Organic — are all federally sponsored and have benefited greatly from prominence and exposure, two factors that seem to go a long way toward cultivating trust, regardless of aesthetics or even the actual standards behind the mark.
Design-wise, none of these marks truly raises the bar but they do offer some lessons. First, each is contained in shape: square (Energy Star), triangle (Recyclable) and circle (USDA Organic). Each employs a simple, bold color palette. And each leverages a visual metaphor: Energy Star’s scripty type conjures notions of Thomas Edison’s incandescent adventures, while the star symbolizes efficacy and quality. The universal recycling symbol, created by a 23-year-old contest winner in 1970, boasts three chasing arrows that form a Mobius loop, clearly reminding us that a product’s lifecycle does matter. The ever-more-present USDA Organic label smartly connotes the verdant fields tilled by our country’s industrious farmers, although the rendered quality here is more officious and lab-like, less nostalgic and pastoral.
In addition to frequent, prominent and consistent usage, what’s a purveyor of trustmarks to do? To help you break through the clutter and avoid common pitfalls, here are seven prescriptive recommendations, in no real order of priority:
- Claim ownership. If you’re going to go through the time and trouble of establishing and promoting certification standards, you deserve credit. Acronyms need help. The LEED trustmark is clearly brought to you by the U.S. Green Building Council.
- Design for the long haul. Reducing a complex idea to its visual essence takes time and expertise. But it’s done every day. Give designers clear direction (and space) to create symbols that are durable, functional and beautiful. Most people will only know the certifications through the symbol; it’s important.
- Go for one clear idea. It’s amazing how many trustmarks say…nothing at all…or way too much. It’s laughable to consider Fruit Loops a smart choice for breakfast, but at least the Smart Choices mark sends a clear message.
- Break the box on color. How many green logos can there be? Or blue, for that matter? Blue is often considered the safest color. Energy Star earns points for breaking out with a brighter blue.
- Get metaphoric. How might we move beyond the obvious — checkmarks, light bulbs, the scales of justice — without compromising legibility? Whatever metaphor you land on, make sure it has a clear connection to the standards at hand. Does that leaping bunny connote cruelty-free on its own? Does the Vitruvian-esque figure in the Fair Trade label capture empowering farmers and farm workers?
- Think avatar. Long before Second Life, avatars have advanced logo design: Elsie the Cow, Elmer the Bull, the Energizer Bunny. The Rainforest Alliance frog is often brought to life to support awareness-raising campaigns. How might your trustmark feature a character that can give the program real personality?
- Connect the dots for us. At the end of the day, make sure the mark on the front of the package is clearly connected to a communications platform on the back-end: how easy is it to find out what’s behind the mark, how the standards were created, how they are upheld and how it makes a difference in our lives today? Consumers care more than you think. And, given our research, so-called “box turning” conscious consumers will go to great lengths to learn the ins and outs of your program.
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Thanks to my BBMG colleagues Scott Ketchum, Molly Conley and Rachel Lichte for contributing their thoughts to this post.
(It seems as though WordPress took off early for the holiday weekend and left us with technical difficulties. We wouldn’t let you down though, so let’s check out what the first week of September had in store.)
What’s on tap:
“Is Social Media a fad or is it the biggest shift since the industrial revolution?” Well that’s enough to get me to sit through the next 4 minutes and 22 seconds. This video, loaded with statistics about the rise and adoption of social media set to moody music, is definitely a must to welcome in the last third of the year. My favorite statistic you ask? “1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media” Wow! Socialnomics
Thank you Triple Pundit! For offering us a round-up of some exciting predictions and ideas from the Social Capital 09 conference. Predictions, Warnings and Best Practices
The ultimate in collaboration—biological diversity! “In the 1800s, farmers were growing 7,100 named varieties of apples, today 6,800 of those are extinct.” Check out Cary Fowler’s talk on the importance of agricultural biodiversity in a time of great change. His team developed an international secure seedbank (right) for the long term. Saving the world’s seeds for the future of food. Cary Fowler: One seed at a time, protecting the future of Food
As I sit in this very hot office, I have problem to solve, “How can I regulate my temperature?” This seems like a common question, but with the inspiration of Janine Benyus, I have an uncommon but age-old way to try to answer that question—I’ll Ask Nature! Welcome to a biomimicry mecca, where you can learn how nature solves problems from temperature to construction to community. Oh how I wish I were a skunk cabbage! www.AskNature.org
For those of you with a desire to learn more about the sexual reproductive habits of sea creatures than the first and second seasons of Green Porno could provide, fear not. And behold, Season 3! Yes, Isabella Rossellini is back for the third batch of highly creative and entertaining, yet scientifically accurate stories from the great sea. If you haven’t seen this yet, you can brush up on the first two seasons, and the third season will be out on the 11th! Green Porno
And for the locals:
In NYC: Benjamin Barber invites us all to imagine a new way of viewing and living in public space—more specifically, a new Times Square. Imagine videos from local artists light the square and free music from the mini bandstand provides the sound track. (Thanks for the tip Worldchanging) The Art of Public Space
In SF: The last week of summer was big on local foods and biodiversity. For all you Californians out there, check out the latest on Californis’a Ag Crisis and our Concentrated Food System
A keen cyclist while living in London, I recently observed the huge increase in people cycling to work for health and financial reasons, or simply to avoid an uncomfortable commute on the Tube. So I missed my daily ride when I studied for my MBA in New York this year.
Eager to get back in the saddle while working here at BBMG over the summer, I realized, much to my dismay, that my new apartment did not have the facilities to keep a bike. So, my two legs and the pavement reluctantly made friends. I soon learned, however, that a visual feast awaited me as I walked the 20-odd blocks to the office and back each day. One thing that struck me, as I glimpsed at the kaleidoscope of colorful shop fronts, was that so many of the stores were featuring bikes in their window displays. And the funny thing was that none of these stores actually sold bicycles!
So I wondered, “Is this a sign of the times?” A recessionary-induced play by clothing brands to show how to reduce your transportation costs but still spend, spend, spend when it comes to fashion!? Or is the bike itself the fashion? Well, evidence suggests that more and more people are eschewing the automobile for all its spluttering, costly, congestion inducing habits and opting instead for two wheels and a bit of legwork. In fact, more bikes were sold in the first quarter of this year than cars and trucks!
So are brands just jumping on this environmentally friendly ‘bikewagon’? Carefully suggesting to consumers how their brands’ designs can successfully co-exist with a more frugal and healthy chain-driven lifestyle? It seems that new bike brands catering to the practical benefits and lifestyle elements of cycling are becoming more common. Specialized has recently introduced a sub-brand called Globe Bikes to the burgeoning $6 billion industry – ‘a brand of bicycles that have (sic) the unique ability to become an extension of people’s lifestyles and personal tastes rather than simply a piece of sporting equipment’.
All these observations seem to indicate that lifestyles of health and sustainability are penetrating the mainstream, becoming a bigger part of the consumer shopping experience. Below, I have included some pictures of shop windows and store displays that I’ve come across in the past couple of months in this magnificent city.
If you see any more, please take a picture, post a comment and upload here.
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- Paul Smith Window Display, 5th Avenue
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- Tretorn Shop Window, Spring St
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- Levi’s Window Display, Broadway
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- J Crew Store Display, 5th Avenue
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- Paul Smith Window Display, 5th Avenue
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- Manhattan Portage Store Display, Elizabeth St
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- Camper Window Display, Prince St
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- Kate’s Paperie Window Display, Spring St
Conscious consumers are feeling disheartened and deceived, as news broke earlier this week that SIGG stainless steel water bottles produced before August 2008 contain trace amounts of Bisphenol-A. This chemical was once widely used as a protective coating on plastic water bottles, but in recent years has been outed for causing reproductive issues and is even classified as a toxic substance in Canada. The original BPA backlash led many consumers to abandon their favorite Nalgenes in favor of “safer” stainless steel bottles, and this new information might now lead the same people to abandon SIGG for Kleen Kanteen, CamelBak and other certified BPA free options.
What is interesting about this particular issue is that the public outcry is not over the existence of BPA in the stainless steel bottle liners, but rather over the lack of transparency demonstrated by SIGG. Even though the company claims the bottles absolutely, 100% do not leach BPA into water, moms, bloggers and branders alike are questioning the way SIGG chose to casually omit information regarding the presence of the chemical in their bottles – bottles consumers consciously chose with the belief that they were BPA free.
The people have spoken (on Twitter, FaceBook and blogs), and they don’t like being lied to. See the links below for some articles that address this issue, including an Ad Age take on what this means for the SIGG brand, quoting BBMG founding partner Mitch Baranowski.
Ad Age: Sigg Tries to Control Brand Damage After Admitting Its Bottles Contain BPA
Cool Mom Picks: Breaking News – Sigg Bottles Contain BPA After All. Sigh.
Triple Pundit: Surprise! Sigg Bottles Contain BPA After All
With Twitter, RSS feeds and good ol’ email, you could make a whole job out of reading the inspiring, creative (and sometimes depressing) stories and analysis online. But until you become Chief Poke-around-the-Internet Officer, we decided to offer you a few of our favorites.
While we’re media-agnostic and aspire to let no great article, photo or video go un-read, un-seen or un-heard… we can’t be everywhere. So, in return, we hope you can dish out some of your digs as well.
What’s on tap:
We tried to resist, but when Good posted this article on the environmental and personal health benefits of the four-day work-week, we didn’t have a choice. TGIT! TGIThursday
The streets of NYC or SF pretty much give themselves away…yup, definitely manmade. In this photodoc on Matador Network, while the amazing landscapes are clearly not manmade, their presence on this blue (& green) planet seems questionable. (Morgen, you’ll have to check on number seven for us next week.) Photo Essay: The Most Alien Landscapes on Earth
“What is a Moment? … When cause is killed, and effect is born? @wnycradiolab” A video: Moments
No review of the week could call itself a review without a tribute to the late Ted Kennedy. After 46 years of service as a Massachusetts Senator, he has lived a life of service that, regardless of political leanings, is honorable and vastly inspiring. Senator Kennedy
“Girls are as good as boys,” this quote from a man whose wife, after receiving a microloan, is now a successful business owner employing (read: supporting) thirty families in Lahore. This is an epic, statistic-filled story from Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn about why women’s rights are the cause of our time. Huge! The Women’s Crusade
And for the locals:
Hey New Yorkers…would you pay $.03 more per ride on the subway (the city’s most electricity-hungry consumer) if you could help transition it to alternative energy? Steal This Idea: Wind Powered Subways
In the SF Bay Area, this weekend is brimming with activity. We’ll be getting some urban gardening and farming lessons at the Eat Real Fest in Oakland Eat Real Fest. While others soak up the sun fog in Golden Gate Park at the second annual green music fest Outside Lands
In his recent article “A Clockwork Green” Michael Mercier proposed adding key descriptors to make the general term ‘green’ more specific. “For example, a label such as ‘Green Community Contributor’ would clearly tell consumers that a brand has programs that give back.”
I applaud the impulse and desire for clear communication. Yet labels like “Green Community Contributor” and “Green Nonpolluting Packaging” aren’t all that clarifying for me. Why not simplify and stick to what it is “Nonpolluting Packaging”? Without the term green, the phrase still goes a long way to explaining how this company operates in a less harmful manner.
To be clear, I recognize the power of green. The benefit of a broad term is that without a lot of background knowledge (scientific or otherwise) anyone can conclude that a green company addresses environmental or social concerns. In certain cases, when referring to a broad effort across industries or the general ‘green space,’ it’s very helpful and appropriate to use such a broad term.
The downfall is that the term has become so broad and standard-less that any company or person can throw it around without actually doing anything environmentally or socially beneficial. It has become so easy to use the word that sometimes marketers just miss the point—communicating the unique benefits of their product. Like the examples above, in these instances, I have to question the relevance of using green. If green is more distracting and confusing than clarifying then why use it at all?
The concepts under the umbrella of green are deeply exciting, but we shouldn’t use this buzzword at the cost of communicating real value. The basics of marketing communications still hold strong: Stick to a unique value proposition that is clear, compelling and relevant to consumer needs.
But what do you think? Is green an automatic go?
Car-maker Nissan-Renault revealed its first all-electric car last week – the LEAF – due on our highways next year. Although half a million hybrids are sold worldwide each year, and high-end all-electric vehicles are now available, the LEAF will be the world’s first mass-produced, globally marketed, highway-proficient electric vehicle (EV). Nissan is trying to distinguish itself in an increasingly crowded parking lot to steal a move on Toyota, which has recently sped into the No.1 global auto-maker position, thanks to its Prius halo. Is the hybrid just a predecessor? It seems motor manufacturers think so; many believe the EV could be the next big thing and are betting big on it too.
So what’s so significant about this launch? Well, for me it will mean that, if the car is charged by renewable energy, which is becoming more abundant, driving the car will mean zero emissions and guilt-free motoring. In addition, the driver will not be subject to the vagaries of oil price volatility – remember $4 gallon gas? You won’t have to worry about this when the economy ambles out of recess. The price to top-up a battery will be equivalent to 75 cents per gallon of gasoline. And prices for renewable electricity will only get cheaper compared to oil and gas as more power plants, more efficient technology, carbon pricing and investments in transmission all come on stream. Insurance and tax for an EV is lower too, with a $7,500 rebate from the government for buying an electric car. And, families will have the pleasure of knowing that they’re not contributing to climate change, leaving the planet in a better state for their offspring and grandkids.
There are some serious questions to be asked of this disruptive industry, however. How the electric vehicle will overcome some of the technical drawbacks, and usurp the internal combustion engine’s dominance, remains to be seen. Recharging speeds will surely get faster but even if they don’t, infrastructure provider Better Place is planning a battery-swap network too. We’ll see what business model prevails but with Nissan planning to sell its car without a battery, the door is open for companies like Better Place to climb in and lease batteries and power through ‘electric miles’ packages, similar to the way you get a subsidized phone with minutes through your cell phone provider.
Is there an existing demand for electric vehicles? Many asked this same question before the Prius hybrid launched and went on to become one of Toyota’s best-sellers. Maybe we could use its rise to prominence as a proxy for the EV?
And how will the U.S. economy benefit from the EV? With U.S. automakers on their knees, the government believes that ‘Car 2.0’ is the best way to rejuvenate the industry, and has provided billions in stimulus funds, backing the development of battery-makers.
What’s more, is there enough infrastructure to support the EV? With start-ups like Better Place and Coulomb Technologies engineering the infrastructure for a recharging network, power suppliers increasing their renewable energy investments and independent providers, like solar-innovator Stirling Energy, stepping up to harness the sun’s rays, it seems the electric-car superhighway is currently well under construction.
So, with all the supply-side issues covered, will there be a tipping point for electric cars? As much as environmentalists would like everyone to bike or take public transport, the nation’s love affair with the automobile, with all its flexibility and versatility, will never end. Consumers are increasingly rewarding brands that do good, basing their purchases on practical benefits such as convenient transportation and lower running costs, social benefits like emissions reductions and the tribal benefits of belonging to this new ‘club’ of informed drivers. With this trend, and the promise of cleaner cars on the streets, our motoring freedom and the planet’s survival look set to cruise together in electric dreams.
Last week, TreeHugger posted an article asking the question, “Is Walmart the Most AND Least Responsible Company?” While they applaud the big box store’s recent efforts to green their operations, they note that consumers might have a hard time forgetting Walmart’s past “unsavory” practices. These factors, among others, contribute to the public’s confused perception of the company. Ultimately, though, they ask if due to Walmart’s sheer size — both a benefit and an obstacle when it comes to sustainability — it is possible that at once they truly are the most and least responsible company? Furthermore, they raise the important question of how we even define “green business” on such a large scale. Check out the article here for a more in-depth perspective from TreeHugger, including many insightful comments from their readers.
Makena Cahill
Mitch Baranowski
Morgen Wolf
Rachel Lichte