One of our favorite CBC podcasts is The Age of Persuasion with Host Terry O'Reilly

I re-listened to parts of Season 5 while driving to a project in northern Alberta, and wanted to share the fantastic Episode titled "It's Not Easy Being Green"

It originally aired January 2011 on CBC, but it is still fully relevant today.

It was really humbling to listen to, as I think EcoAmmo, our team, and our clients (with our help), are doing it right, and making sure we don't fuel the green washing machine :)

Hope you enjoy it!

....................................REPOSTED FROM CBC.ca.............................................

Below are all the TV commercials and print elements we referred to in the show, as well as one bonus video. Enjoy.

In the world of marketing, advertisers can create their image and messages with virtual freedom. But that's not the case when it comes to "green" products - because the scrutiny is too intense. Therefore, the ever-changing world of Green Marketing is very challenging for advertisers.

Many believe that the green movement can be traced, in large part, to this woman:
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist who wrote a book that stated, in no uncertain terms, that DDT was harming the world.
That book was Silent Spring.
Her book is credited by many as ground zero for the green movement. Even David Suzuki told me that it was this book that launched him on his life-long crusade for sustainability.

The Green timeline has many beats. A loose timeline would include the creation of "Earth Day" in 1970.

A few years later, the widespread concern about phosphates in detergents began. It prompted the public to start demanding "phosphate-free" detergents, so manufacturers started rolling out products like this:

Another beat in the timeline saw the appearance of a hole in the ozone layer, which lead to another term entering our lexicon - greenhouse gases:

One of the most important aspects of Green Marketing, for advertisers, is to remain humble in their communications. Taking a moral high ground is dangerous, and leaves an advertiser open to intense scrutiny. Many believe British Petroleum made that mistake in their "Beyond Petroleum" tagline and advertising - suggesting they were better than other fuel companies. Here is one of their commercials from that campaign:

One of the best, and most unusual commercials I've seen for the Green Movement is the commercial/video called "Mr. W." We didn't have time to include it in the episode, but here it is. A unique and creative way to talk about a green issue (won't spoil the surprise):

As adman and author John Grant says in his excellent book, The Green Manifesto, the key element of Green Marketing is to make green products seem normal, instead of trying to make normal products seem green. That is a profound insight - because it means the real task becomes to market truly green products in everyday terms. That one of the things advertising is very good at - normalizing issues. Like the cause against drinking and driving, and seatbelt use:

One of the companies that seems to be doing it right is Marks & Spencer in the UK. They have made a big commitment to achieving 100 sustainable goals in five years. It's a lofty mission, but it's a noble one, and the public is responding and getting behind the company's drive to succeed. I love the tagline:

More and more people are choosing to spend their money with companies that have clear values and sustainability plans. But the real power is with the consumer. If you demand green products, manufacturers will be forced to deliver. As Bruce Philp says in his new book, The Consumer Republic: "Buy the change you wish to see in the world."

Sometimes we forget how awesome Edmonton is!!!  Our good friend and colleague Shafraaz Kaba has been on an adventure with his family for the past few years.  And we are not talking about a "stay-cation" or a relaxing trip to the Rockies.

The Kaba family has tirelessly and diligently been "Chasing Net-Zero" throughout the design and construction of their home and have been sharing their stories and discoveries along the way in person and on their blog chasingnetzero.blogspot.com .  We were happy to help where we could during the interior work, and always had a great time meeting the vast network of people Shafraaz had called on for some good ole' skill sharing and building.

The result has been an amazing home, dreamt up by a family, executed by an amazing team, and built by a community.

The highlight for us was when David Suzuki and his daughter Sarika spent the day at the Kaba house, learning all about the unique aspects of the homes systems, construction and finishes, while filming for their new show "the Suzuki Diaries".  They even donned safety glasses and work gloves, and with a nail gun in hand, helped finish off the second floor patio!! Amazing!

The Episode will air on CBC this week so be sure to check out the Suzuki Diaries website to see when it airs in your region, or watch it online!

As we mentioned before, YEGwood.com launched their new line of wooden glasses over the weekend, and we were there to celebrate.  We also joined in on the photo contest fun!  If you are so inclined, you should vote for Stephani and I (Brandy) and we might just win a pair of those fancy shades.

VOTE HERE

(Reposted from Metro)

Yegwood throwing a launch party Dec. 17 at DaCapo Cafe for their new line of environmentally-friendly sunglasses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Edmonton entrepreneur Joey Hundert started his latest venture, he knew Yegwood (eco-friendly Wayfarer style shades) was a great idea, but he also knew he needed more than an event to spread the word. 

“The frames are all-natural woods, typically cut from one solid block of wood. We choose wood because it tells such a great story, whether it’s a recycled century-old abandoned bar, old maritime ships, or beetle-kill from B.C. This is visible in the constant grain patterns on our glasses, where the rings and sometimes even knots can be distinguished,” Hundert explains. 

While the concept is cool, it’s a mouthful to sell. So Hundert and his team got creative.

Relying on the old adage of a picture being worth a thousand words, the team decided to blend an event with a photo contest in order to test the market.

“We sponsored Sustainival, the eco-friendly carnival that took place at the Fringe Festival and that was our first public outing,” says Hundert. “People truly freaked out over our stuff. We held a photo contest at the Fringe and it sparked a huge wave of viral interest in our online story and story.”

In fact, over 30,000 people viewed the contest website during the 10 day festival.

The contest winner garnered over 500 votes alone.

That was enough evidence to get Hundert to organize a stand-alone event for the new line on Dec. 17 at DaCapo Cafe (8739 109 St.).

“We’re throwing a launch party to celebrate the new line of Yegwood sunglasses.”

In addition to being entertained by one of Edmonton’s most legendary DJ’s (Remo de Janeiro), Yegwood is hosting another photo contest where contestants sport one of the new pairs of shades, style it up, and get their photo snapped in a photo booth by a local pro.

The pics are then uploaded to Facebook and yegwood.com where people will vote for their favourite glam shot.

The winner walks away with a custom pair of wood frames worth over $400 and some cool art from Latitude 53. For more information, visit yegwood.com

Yegwood launch party is Dec. 17 at DaCapo Cafe

We were happy to assist in reviewing the roofing options in the third edition of EcoLiving Magazine.  You can check us out on page 24, and view the entire issue online HERE. But don't just skip ahead, there are actually some great Canadian products and solutions in ScotiaBanks EcoLiving Magazine.

There are also contests, awards and information about rebates. If you're a paper person you are welcome to pick up a copy at your local branch. Enjoy and let us know what your thoughts are.