Carrotmob: Harnessing Consumer Power so Everybody Wins

What happens when hundreds of people agree to give a single business their business in exchange for an environmental commitment? Watch and find out:

Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.

This really is the perfect example of how the strength of individuals can benefit business and the environment. It bridges the typically hostile gap between activists and Big Corpo. It appeals to the everyday shopper. It has the potential to make real change. And they've even got a business plan (okay, not yet). If you're an angel investor looking for the next perfect project, this might be it.

Marketing Resolutions for the New Year

Trying to find the perfect marketing resolution for 2008? Try any of the ideas below to strengthen and grow your business through the coming year. Some of these ideas are simple to implement, while others may require investing a bit of effort and even money. But investment is all about ROI; everything on this list offers at least one significant benefit for organizations of any size.

Words of warning! Not all of these techniques may be right for your business, and almost all of them will be far more effective if you hire the right professional to help. And while that may sound like just a little bit of a pitch, it's also very true.


Brand Builders:

1. Create or update your logo
   Benefit: Creates an immediate visual connection with prospects and customers. Sums you up at a glance.
   
2. Create or update your identity collateral
   Benefit: Sends the message that you're a legitimate, professional business. Unifies your brand image.
3. Define your core values
   Benefit: Focuses your business, aids in decision making and strategic planning, and provides customers a point of connection.
4. Write a blog
   Benefit: Develops a consistent voice for your company.
5. Issue a press release
   Benefit: Enhances reputation, increases company exposure to the public.
6. Update your packaging
   Benefit: Creates a cohesive look and association with your company. Can also increase sales.
7. Create a marketing budget and feed that kitty
   Benefit: Enables you to actually afford to market your business, saves headaches when it comes time to implement your marketing plans.
   

Relationship Builders

8. Start an email newsletter
   Benefit: Keeps your business front-of-mind, educates prospects and customers about your company and offerings, opens the lines of communication between your business and your audience.
   
9. Network off-line
   Benefit: Creates real-world connections with prospects.
10. Network online (in forums, user groups, and on blogs)
    Benefit: Increases public awareness. Builds online connections and resources.
    
11. Conduct a survey with a prize drawing
    Benefit: Opens the lines of communication with your audience, solicits useful information for strategic planning, builds goodwill.
12. Offer something useful (product sample, e-book, white paper, etc.) for free
    Benefit: Builds goodwill, creates demand, engages prospects.
13. Write your policies down—all of them (if you don't have specific policies, create them)
    Benefit: Minimizes mistakes, creates a clear framework for customers to work within.
    

Sales Builders

14. Build/update your website
    Benefit: Too many to list! Strengthens reputation, builds legitimacy, informs prospects, offers customer support, increases sales (particularly with shopping cart functionality).
15. Conduct a highly targeted direct mail campaign
    Benefit: Reaches only those who are prequalified to buy from you.
16. Exhibit at a trade show
    Benefit: Puts you in direct contact with those who want your product or service; personalizes the business.
    
17. Solicit referrals from current customers
    Benefit: Leverages your current customers, automatically establishes trust with prospects.
18. Explore a new demographic
    Benefit: Expands your market reach.
19. Run a print ad in a consumer or trade publication
    Benefit: Reach a large audience in one shot.
20. Design an easy-to-use product catalog or service brochure
    Benefit: Informs prospects and encourages direct sales.

Do you have ideas of your own that can be added to this list? Post them in the comments below and I'll add them as they come.

The power of the personal.

Ever heard of Seth Godin? He's a prolific blogger, author and all-around marketing guru. He also probably gets hundreds of emails a day from folks commenting on his blog, asking him questions, seeking advice, and generally vying for his attention. At a time when influential personalities take public offense to publicity efforts, how do you get through to someone like that?

I'll tell you how I did it: I emailed him.

While reading his blog post encouraging marketers to reveal truths rather than hide them, I immediately thought of my own reaction to Pennsylvania's recent ban of "growth hormone-free" labels on dairy products. What a perfect illustration of what he's talking about, I thought. I also thought that if he were to mention the ban on his blog, it would get a lot more attention than my little diatribe ever could.

So I sent him an email about my post, and he promptly linked to it from his own. The result was a spike in visitors to Blog! numbering in the thousands (they're still flowing in), as well as rss subscriptions. Given what I assume to be a huge volume of email coming into Seth's inbox from everyone and their brother, I certainly didn't expect a linkback; at best, I hoped he would be as interested in the story as I was and mention it on his blog.

The key to success? I kept my email simple, honest, and relevant.

Simple.
My email was short and sweet: I briefly introduced myself and explained my reason for writing. I didn't reference my own blog post until the end of the email, and then I signed off. The entire email was less than 200 words.

Honest.
My intention was never to get Seth to link to me. My intention was to get eyeballs on the issue of the Pennsylvania ban on "rBST-free" labeling, and I told him as much. I included a link to my post so he could read my own take if he so chose. Happily for me, he did.

Relevant.
My email to Seth was right after he posted his "Conceal vs. Reveal" entry, and it referenced a story that was a direct illustration of his point. More importantly, because I'm a regular reader of his blog, I know that he values fairness and consumer respect—values that played a big part in this particular story. I come across things every day that would probably interest this guy, but I knew that this one in particular was exactly suited to what was just on his mind.

By sending a personal note rather than a generic "you might like this blog entry I wrote," I got what I wanted: Seth Godin made a whole lot of people aware of a dangerous legal precedent. The link to my own site was simply icing on the cake.

Thanks, Seth!

Public Relations 101: How to Screw It Up

Yesterday I was pointed to a press release issued by Catalyst Papers, a Canadian paper company who seems to be taking their environmental impact quite seriously. Since the paper and pulp industry is the 3rd largest industrial polluter in North America (or is it the U.S., will have to check on that), it's fantastic to see larger companies commit to reducing their impact and offsetting the difference. Catalyst's news release was about Rolling Stone magazine's use of one of their papers. The release, however, featured a very misleading statement:

"Catalyst Cooled paper is manufactured carbon-neutral, which means during its production it adds no carbon dioxide to the environment... Catalyst was able to support the Rolling Stone initiative by...offsetting the few remaining direct emissions through a carefully chosen ecosystem restoration project."

I sent an email to Catalyst's press contact published with the release. In it, I explained that the definition of carbon neutral does not mean that no CO2 is added to the environment, but that any CO2 emitted is offset in some way. This is a significant difference, as the press release makes it sound like Catalyst's paper production is totally clean. It's not—and they reveal this contradiction by admitting that they do, in fact emit CO2 that they then offset.

The response I got (from someone else entirely) reveals a lot about how the company handles their green marketing. The email I got back was certainly prompt, but this was what it said:

Thank you for your interest in our company, and for your comments on the Catalyst Cooled paper news release. I have attached a fact sheet that may help clarify our approach to carbon neutrality.

Thanks,

That's it, in it's entirety. And the "fact" sheet? It describes how Catalyst defines carbon neutrality, which is a definition much different from what most would consider accurate. Catalyst spends untold amounts of money reducing emissions and offsetting those they do produce, but they completely undermine their efforts by greenwashing their marketing. This is not a small thing; they are positioning themselves to appeal to the very market who would be offended by such actions. If they're not honest with me in their marketing materials, how can I trust that they'll be honest with me in our business dealings?

There is another problem with Catalyst's response beyond redefining terms to suit their needs. My original email was six paragraphs long, and I took great care to provide a detailed and researched explanation of my dissatisfaction. I also closed with a direct question: "Can you please explain how a company that has claimed as much of a commitment to environmental stewardship as Catalyst has, can then disseminate such false information to the public?"

Their response not only ignored my question outright, but the company threw a "fact sheet" at me that also ignored my question, expecting me to do even more work to change my own mind. Now that's the perfect example of a company that doesn't care what its customers think. If a customer complains to you, or asks for an explanation of a policy they take issue with, you need to address it directly and honestly. A "Thanks for writing" just doesn't cut it and, in fact, makes the situation much worse. Consumers expect more from businesses these days, and the ones that recognize this are the ones who will succeed.