sustainable choices every day
April is Earth Day. And as much as I love all the posts about putting your feet in the soil, recycling and cleaning up the beach… it’s time for us all to do more.
After what feels like a few weeks of green-washing and one-off events, we have to ask - what about the rest of the year?
For those of you who know me, you know I’ve been pushing on this for what feels like decades now. It’s not enough to just post a ‘feel good’ quote that checks a box for the latest trend or capitalizes on the moment. Impact is not about expanding your market share. We need to focus on real impact that creates sustainable systems change.
Is anyone else having flashbacks to BLM social media brand support that went nowhere? Years later, we’ve seen many of these sentiments fall to the sidelines – it’s become pretty clear who is in it for real.
From the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the products we love, to the local businesses we support –how we choose to participate in the world as consumers, matters.
It can be as simple as using a tote bag EVERY time you go into a store. According to Environmentamerica.org, Americans on average use more than 100 billion plastic bags each year! That’s more than 300 bags per person per year used for an average of 12 minutes total; even though a single plastic bag has a life expectancy of up to 1,000 years.
Or the next time you need to buy clothes, look for more sustainable clothing options. Say no to fast fashion. The textile industry alone is responsible for 10% of global emissions.
Retailers like Stella McCartney, Adidas and Zara have started to feature products using a new fabric called NuCycl. It’s water-efficient, stronger than polyester, biodegradable, and can be recycled again and again. That means the next time you are picking out a T-shirt or summer dress, keep an eye out for that fabric.
Please reach out if there are any brands you love that I should have on my radar; as I will keep sharing the companies and products that are doing this well with all of you.
The choices we make every day matters, because we as consumers have the power to set the demand.
Natalie
what the FRIDAY!
Bud Light has left us all wondering what they care about and who they stand for.
Earlier this week Bud Light customers reacted to the brand’s marketing campaign with a trans social media influencer named Dylan Mulvaney. Online reactions included everything from Kid Rock shooting cases of beer to Travis Tritt removing Bud from his backstage riders.
While Bud Light drinkers aren’t generally known to be the most progressive on social issues, the long-term damage to the brand could have been greatly mitigated if the company had stepped into the debate in an authentic way.
Somehow AB InBev has managed to upset both sides of their customer base and the silence has said a lot more than they intended. Ultimately, the way the brand handled the backlash will continue to haunt them long after headlines have moved on.
The left is criticizing them for dodging the issue completely, neither defending the campaign nor giving us any sense of if they actually support trans rights. The statement AB InBev released was generic - ‘we work with hundreds of influencers across brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics.’
Notice the use of the word - authentic - yikes!
From the blank space perspective, we think there’s a lot that could have been done differently. Day in and day out, we work with brands of all sizes to help them strategize the what, when, why, and how to use their platform for positive, authentic impact. While we do commend AB for taking a bold stand on a divisive social issue, what is REALLY missing here is the WHY.
Without a clear understanding or communication on the strategy, we are all left wondering where they even stand. By saying nothing, a lot of people are left feeling it was simply a woke-washed attempt to connect with a younger audience.
Since the backlash began, it’s been reported that their sales have plunged 17% compared to this week last year and that two executives Alissa Heinerscheid, VP of Marketing and her boss, Daniel Blake, have been put on leave. Not a great move.
Heinerscheid said last month on a podcast ‘I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light. And it was, this brand is in decline for a very long time. And if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light.”
And therein lies the problem. Brands can’t keep thinking of social impact as another marketing trend. Trying to reach a younger demographic with an empty marketing campaign is simply not going to work anymore.
Our advice? DO first and TALK about it later. You must create an impact-focused support system IN ADVANCE.
Nike and Disney were recent targets on similar issues. The difference – those companies knew why they did what they did and were able to stand up clearly to the public on it.
Companies will not end including diverse people in ads and marketing because a small number of loud, fringe anti-L.G.B.T.Q. activists,” Sarah Kate Ellis, President of GLAAD. She noted that a 2020 survey conducted with P&G found 75% of non-LGBTQ Americans were comfortable seeing LGBTQ people in ads.
We don’t see this as something that will deter brands from taking a stand on social issues, but we do see this as a perfect example of why diving into a company’s values and thinking about long-term impact to the brand is so necessary.
more blank space
It was fun to dive into all with Jordana Fortalexa and Dianne Quirante on the Break the Mold podcast.
We talked about ways to better align our work with our values and how to create a purpose-driven life. Knowing who you are, taking care of yourself, and being connected to what you do and why you're here, are all so important in feeling good and showing up 100% in life.
And they didn’t mind getting into the weeds with me - - I shared my feelings on cancel culture and why I think it holds us ALL back.
Check out the episode and let me know what you think!