4 Simple Tests for Ethical Urgency in Your Communications
I was recently working on a very real, very urgent campaign. As part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge, donors to an NGO had just one week in which their donations would be doubled. Now I don’t know about you, but if I made a donation on Wednesday that could have been doubled less than […]
7 Ways to Avoid Greenwashing in Marketing
And other climate musings The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has updated its Green Claims Code. Excellent news for sustainability. A potential minefield for brands and marketers. This week, I’m looking at how marketers can avoid accidentally greenwashing, as well as sharing some of the marketing and climate content I’ve loved. All while enjoying […]
When Marketing Genius Clashes with Environmental Values: Lessons from North Face’s Viral Response
Did you see that viral video of a faulty North Face jacket? The one with a rain-soaked hiker appealing to North Face to meet her on her mountain trail with a replacement (and actually waterproof) jacket. The company sprang into action, with a video of an employee in a helicopter, scouring the mountain for the […]
Sustainable Brands: Yes, You Need a Blog in 2024
In brainstorming this intro, I was laughing about starting with: “Blog. Sounds like bleurgh or any other word vomity sound you might make.” I mean, it’s honest. And I’ve certainly had conversations with CEOs and emerging brands who view their blog that way. And for these busy people, I get it. Time is a luxury, […]
The Greenwashing Hydra Strikes Again: How Greenlighting Damages Your Business and How to Avoid it
In June 2023, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found energy giant Repsol guilty of greenlighting. Thanks to some selective imagery, the company’s recent Financial Times ad portrayed it as far more committed to sustainability than it actually is. And the thing is, Repsol wasn’t technically lying in its ad, because it does have some sustainability […]
ToFu, MoFu, BoFu: The Funnel Stages Your Sustainability Marketing Needs
Let’s face it: much of marketing is selling. For climate-conscious businesses, it’s an uncomfortable truth. But what are you selling, exactly? More things to use up our resources and clutter up the world? No. You’re selling the promise of a reduced environmental impact. Of cutting down on plastic waste, or lowering carbon emissions. And while […]