Gotta love what Domino's Pizza did last week. Using what they call "green graffiti," they placed over 200 messages on sidewalks in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
No chalk. No paint. They powerwashed the messages into the grimey concrete.
So, now, as AdRants' Steve Hall quips, what's a city to do? Have the sanitation department go out and make the sidewalks messy again?
Too funny. Too cool.
Locales around the world will voluntarily turn off their lights for one hour beginning at 8:30 p.m. this Saturday to observe Earth Hour. Toronto is one of those cities. No surprise there.
But here's where brilliant marketing takes what could be considered lemons for a hotel and turns them into a sensational lemonade confection.
The Fairmont Royal York hotel is offering locals the sensational rate of $99. Check-in and dinner will be by candelight. Members of the hotel’s “Green Team” will dim the lobby lights and light the grand candelabra. Guests can also visit the candlelit pool.
Throughout the evening, The Fairmont Royal York’s Library Bar will treat patrons to candlelight service and a special Earth Hour drink menu created just for this year’s cause: the Polar Cap (a cool drink in a highball glass), the Organic Globe (an icewine martini) and the controversial Carbon Footprint.
Going green never sounded more fun.
Thanks to The Tourism Exchange for the catch.
Well before Al Gore shamed Americans into considering the environment, hotels were encouraging guests to reuse sheets and towels. Nevermind that there was a fiscal advantage for them not to launder these items on a daily basis...it still created awareness of the problem and made some guests think twice.
But, all those little soaps and plastic mini-bottles of shampoo and lotion continue to make me shake my head in wonder at just how many landfills we're packing with these absolutely nonessential throw-away items. On a recent trip to Dickinson ND and the Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, a group of us were discussing the opportunity to save money on these throw-aways while reducing the environmental footprint we leave with these unnecessary necessities.
Had the opportunity to stay at the way-cool hotelVetro in Iowa City last week...and they are several steps ahead. The industrial-looking locker room-style soap/shampoo dispensers would never work for an upscale hotel...so Vetro has partnered with the guys at The Soap Opera to develop customized bathing gels, conditioners and shampoos with evocative scents like Blackberry & Sage and Fig.
Good for the environment. Good for the bottom line. And, good for the Soap Opera as, if guests like what they just smeared over their body parts, they can buy it and take it home. Very cool.
From the latest edition of the Iconoculture e-Newsletter: 10% of the U.S. population are skeptical, irritated and unmoved by environmental media. 26% are unconcerned about helping the environment. Sadly, they also tend to be upper income, middle aged and conservative males.
In Seattle, "Green Fatigue" is threatening the move to assess a 20 cent fee on all plastic and paper bags.
True, the majority of Americans DO care...and are taking steps (however small) to do their part. But, that the push-back has begun should remind all marketers to avoid preaching. And really avoid greenwashing.
A lot of Destinations talk green...but fewer live it. Travel Portland's website is wind powered. The Greater Madison CVB's recent renovation of its offices was about as green as you can get.
And then, there's the Durham CVB...which last month began harvesting rainwater off of its roof to feed the landscape irrigation system.
Reyn, you guys consistently blow me away...
Another content and laughter rich day at LSB's annual Brandworks University. Roll the highlights:
Rex Briggs (CEO of Marketing Evolution, author of "What Sticks"...and pictured): The Old Marketing Model is B-to-C...the new Model is C-to-C. It's not about getting people to come to your website...it's about getting them to take something from your website. Because we still are using marketing effectiveness measures designed 30 years ago, we are often unable to capitalize on new technologies. It's a Catch-22: we can't spend money on a strategy because we can't prove it and we can't prove it unless we spend money on it. TV is great for building awareness. Print is best for creating "purchase intent"...But online and in-store is best for harvesting the sale.
Christopher Vollmer (VP of Booz & Company): 62% of marketers avoid new online strategies because of the difficulty in measuring effectiveness. Nike reduced reliance on traditional media from 40% to 33% from 2003-2006...but increased sales by 7% during the same time period.
Jason Weaver (CEO of Sway): Web 1.0 was about Commerce...Web 2.0 is about People (attributed to Ross Mayfield). eMarketer expects Podcast listeners to more than triple to 67 million by 2012...and half of the U.S. population will watch online video this year. To the notion that you can't brand online...Google is the 3rd most recognized brand in America (no ads). Owning a website without RSS is like owning a fast food restaurant without a drive-thru (guess I gotta get on that).
Ellen Brothers (President of American Girl): Our success is because we know what business we're in...and it's not the doll business. It's the "Girl Business."
Eric Erickson (VP/Creative Director of Target): Successful brands don't resort to half-priced sales. "Speed is Life." Words to live by....
And Gary Hirshberg (CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm): People want to be a part of a "mission-driven" team...and associate with companies that do good. And Stonyfield does just that. Not familiar with this coolest of brands? Check out their website AND their cause: ClimateCounts.org.
Day One Highlights are here. And a MUCH DEEPER accounting can be found here from Carlos Grande (World Advertising Research Center).
Marsha...thanks again for a sensational 2-day mindstorm of thought leaders.
Now, where am I gonna find the time to launch just one of the cool ideas that are exploding in my mind?
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