How to become a change agent? (3) The Golden circle starting with "WHY"

Golden triangle for sustainability

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The golden circle of Simon Sinek (@simonsinek) is probably the best tool to map the 'business know-why' that I've seen so far. This is the slideshow we used to turn it into an exercise to apply the golden circle to our own individual sustainable entrepreneural projects @recentre, Maastricht (Milk the green cow)

A more complete set of guerilla techniques for 'change agents' will follow soon (ca. 24th of June)

How to become a change agent? (2) The Country clean-up project "Let's do it 2008"

1) Watch this movie

2) Watch it again

3) Take a notebook

4) Write down the different steps in this project

5) Write down the key success components of the project

6) Now apply to your own

Woman, the most underserved market of all time

Marketing to women

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First Shown at 10 Harvest, 10 Advertising's own inspiration festival

Religie toegepast op een merk van zonnepanelen

Om te antwoorden op de vraag om religie toe te passen op een duurzaam product of merk, hieronder een oefening om de receptuur toe te passen op een merk van zonnepanelen.

Eerst en vooral moeten klanten met zonnepanelen dit via een bepaald teken of symbool kunnen uiten. Een herkenbaar paneeltje aan de deurbel wijst erop dat de bewoner (of het gehuisveste bedrijf) deel uitmaakt van de zonne-community van dat merk. Wat op zich ook goeie reclame betekent. Het brengt immers het juiste verhaal op gang als gasten aanbellen. En is mond-aan-mond-reclame niet de beste reclame? Daarna zouden de gasten bij het aperitief met bewondering kunnen kijken naar een hip meettoestelletje in I-pod design op de salontafel.

Het zonne-energiebedrijf kan in haar reclame-campagnes het zonnetijdperk aankondigen en in schil contrast met het ‘passé’-tijdperk van fossiele brandstoffen stellen. Zo creeërt ze niet alleen zichzelf, maar ook haar vijand. De vijand wordt zowaar ontmaskerd als een monster dat de mensheid al jaren onfair behandeld heeft. Zo hebben klanten een goed gevoel over zichzelf, voelen ze zich superieur en in verbondenheid met het merk ten opzichte van ongelovigen.

Want net zoals een religie hoort een merk te communiceren vanuit een sterke wereldvisie. Ze moet een formule aanreiken hoe u en ik kunnen toetreden en toewijden. Het merk heeft ook concrete zaken te vertellen: bijvoorbeeld hoeveel kilowatt-uur, hoeveel vierkante kilometer of hoeveel daken er nodig zijn om onze hele wereld te voorzien van zonne-energie.

Een belangrijk evangelie om gelovigen te winnen is de terugverdien- of investeringsformule. Dit overtuigend rekensommetje is de doctrine die voor de consument de bevrijding van hun aloude elektriciteitsleverancier inluidt. Dit evangelie moet goed vormgegeven zijn, want het stelt gelovigen in staat om andere gelovigen voor het ideeëngoed te winnen.

Het merk moet er voor zorgen dat zich dagelijks een interessant ritueel bij de klanten voordoet. Dat mensen op hun hippe meettoestel kijken hoeveel ze produceren en consumeren en zo iedere dag opnieuw hun geloof in duurzaamheid bevestigd zien.

Ik kan nog een tijdje doorgaan, maar voeg tot slot een bijkomende, heel sterke analogie met religie toe. Het merk van zonnepanelen creëert best gewijde plaatsen. Ze zou ze het dak van bekende en zichtbare gebouwen een kroonlijst met zonnepanelen moeten geven. Of wat dacht u van gekende voetbalstations? Zo zal het merk in het stadsbeeld op monumentale wijze aanwezig zijn. Mensen zullen omhoog kijken. Het merk wordt een religieuze grandeur aangemeten.

Volunteering during micro-slots of time via your cell phone

Creating Hero brands

Hero Brand Summary

View more OpenOffice presentations from Guillaume Van der stighelen.

My previous boss, Guillaume Van der Stighelen, co-founder of Duval Guillaume wrote a book called Hero Brand. In this book he explains how the process of becoming a brand is similar to the process of becoming a hero.

On his blog "heldenmerk" he answers questions about the book. In this 30+ conversations so far, you find smart thoughts and angle points on how to market "urban biking", "social services", "fundraising", non-profits, even the reputation and self-esteem of a country, and many other cause related subjects.

Interesting reads, fresh views on branding, always in relation to the broader societal and empathy driven context.

You can buy his book here, and the English version will be available soon.

Dig a hole in the ground and plant a three with your Iphone

This is nice example where fundraising mashes up with entertainment, social networking, cause related marketing and smart phones. 

The guy who already developed the Obama Iphone-application (allowing you to co-manage and participate his campaign), now came up with an iphone-app that allows you to plant and grow a tree. Both virtually and in real life. This is a digital campaign of an underwear brand called Ecolife.

After downloading the software for $4.99, you dig a virtual hole by creating a digging motion with your iPhone until your seedling appears. Then you plant it.
Not only might the gardening bring happiness to you, The Conservation Fund also benefits. For each virtual tree planted, the fund will plant a native tree in real life--starting with the restoration of vulnerable wildlife habitats along the Gulf Coast in the United States.
But even if your garden is virtual, you'll have to be a constant gardener to make your iPhorest tree grow. Shaking your phone produces rain to water your seedling, and when the virtual sun shines, your tree begins to grow.
You can plant additional trees in the forest view screen by clicking on the shovel, and send your tree to others. The creator, San Francisco-based iPhactory, has also included a world map showing everyone who has downloaded the application, so you can see where other fellow iPhoresters are doing their planting.

"One who plants a garden plants happiness."

UseMore: an excellent example of how the internet is connecting the right dots

Zeus Jones Phizzpop SXSW Finale from Zeus Jones on Vimeo.

My talk on Pecha Kucha Night Brussels, 20th of Marsh

7 Do S And Dont S Of Green Marketing

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Next Friday, I will do a talk on the Pecha Kucha night about Green Marketing (providing seven do's and don'ts).
The concept is that you have 20 slides, and have 20 seconds for each slide. it promises to have a good tempo ;- )
You'll find my slides here that will function as background illustrations. Wanna hear the story? Be quick and
register to attend the event for free, here

Responsible Business Summit 2009: 11-12 May, London

the 11th and 12th of May, I will probably attend the Responsible Business Summit in London.

It seems like a big moment as there is a list of 40 speakers of both big international companies (Nestlé, Cadbury, BASF, ...) and organizations that are well known for their credible CSR reputations (Innocent, Timberland, Bodyshop, Green & Blacks ...)

I hope I'm not paying a lot of money for a greenwashing circus (what is SUEZ doing there?) but besides that, I believe it's a good occasion to collect new insights, models and learn from best practices, tactics to gain boardroom buy-in etc...

Some items on the program seem promising:

• The Business Ethics Imperative: Can responsible business  save the reputation of capitalism?
• How to reduce carbon footprint and save money
• Banks and responsible business
• Avoiding Greenwash
• Convince the board to invest in corp. responsability
• ....

You can find the program, brochure and subscription form here

Beyond Engineering

It happens once a year (maybe twice) that you see a campaign that makes you feel: "damn, I wished I had the chance to come up with this."

I had this experience last week, when I discovered the "Beyond Engineering Campaign" of Group T,
promoting Engineering as a bright future career for young students.
What is flattering me is that the campaign challenges the preconception that Engineering is boring, technical and old fashioned.
It positions Engineering as smart and creative problem solving.
To demonstrate this, they come up with surprising and smart solutions for big civil problems.
On top of that, the four examples are found in EV, biomimicry, resources management... relevant in the face of the big challenges of our time!

Brilliant stories, and excellentl art direction
Enjoy the campaign at the campaign site here.
And find the print execution on the Belgian portal of Media & Marketing, here

If it doesn't spread, it's dead (insights on spreadable idea's)

The following series of articles provide a mature series of insight on the do's and don'ts of 'viral marketing'. A team at the MIT institute have done an incredible job at pulling together all the relevant academic research and combining it with real-life examples to explain "Spreadable Ideas".

One of the outcomes is this series of articles that can be used as rules of thumb in viral marketing.
One of the most remarkable quotes is that to make something spread, it better canot be an ad (which is richly illustrated with the Cadbury Gorilla and Cadbury Eyebrow ads)

You can learn about viral marketing via the latest research, examples and research below:

1) Media viruses and memes

2) Two paradigms: spreadabiliy and stickiness

3) The gift economy and commodity culture

4) Thinking trough the gift economy

5) Communities of users

6) Spreadable content

Is marketing evil?

Take your time to read this article of Set Godin. 

Good thinking.

Scientific American Earth 3.0

This special publication of Scientific American is called "Earth 3.0", and I was lucky to find and buy 2 copies in Dutch newspaper stores. The amazing this is that it is full of "creative sustainable alternatives" of any kind:
eco-design, geo-engineering, nature conservation, public awareness, etc...

From the very first page, this magazine feels different. It is not about problems-problems-problems, but the focus and editorial foundation is about solutions. It appeals our fascination for technique and nature just as National Geographic does, and it inspires with insights and creative idea's on how to solve the major problems of our time.

find more info on the content, here:

www.SciAmEarth3.com

How to gain share of heart among the broad public with the Smart Grid?

Electricity companies don't fall into the most exciting advertising categories.
On top of that, a "Smart Grid" is not the easiest thing to explain to consumers or to gain "share of heart".
But it needs goodwill, as the American powergrid was not renewed since 112 years and needs a make-over in the perspective of cutting down greenhouse gasses and Repower America.

This General Electric campaign introduces its Smart Grid technology and is using an exciting augmented reality function to bring the idea to life, in a continuation of the consistently excellent Ecomagination campaign.

The statistics and benefits were brought to life through data visualisation, a film and 3D augmented reality experience designed to turn consumers into Smart Grid advocates at the stunning and informative 

www.plugintothesmartgrid.com

The augmented reality component allows users to manipulate 3D models of wind and solar power using only a webcam and a solar panel marker, a distinct symbol that activates the hologram. The marker runs on GE print ads, can be printed off or the site or pulled up an iPhone. Watch a demo here

The campaign is making ecological waves, being picked up on numerous blogs and by newspapers, shortly after the campaign’s launch, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the official publication of the United Nations, not to mention impressive dwell times on the website with users sharing videos of themselves ‘testing’ the alternative energies via the digital hologram.

Green Marketing model for fast movers

As I'm currently digging deep in my files, this is a nice artifact that I found
on my hard disk. It is a model with communication tactics that is especially
relevant for sustainable fast mover brands.
It was the basis of one of my first recommendations, and it was largely based on the book "Green marketing- Opportunity for innovation" of Jacqueyn A. Ottman, probalby on of the first marketing books on the subject.

the triple-E model

The Triple E Model

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: sustainability trinity)

The triple P-model (Profit, people, planet) is grown into a kind of principle or symbol for the philosophy of responsible entrepreneurship. Sometimes it is referred to as the 'triple bottom line'.

The angle point of William Mc Donoug and Michael Braungart is based on eco-effectiveness (doing good) in stead of eco-efficiency (doing less bad) is interesting and inspiring and delivered the triple-E model (Equity, Economy and Ecology).
More or less, it is the same as the tripl-P model. But they see it as a tool. They see it as an instrument that any entrepreneur can use to discover opportunities for positive growth. Because it is an business opportunity, and not an obligation, they call it "the triple-topline"

Tom Friedman's new book: Hot, flat and crowded

I just got the new book of Tom Friedman, the author of 'the world is flat'. It is a brilliant and inspiring read for everyone who evangelizes sustainability and eco-effectiveness in his job.
His book is full of vision, brilliant wording and thought leadership.

Tom Himpe, a strategic planning collegue of mine attended his lecture on this publication, early ths summer. You can still read his full review here, which clearly depicts the straights of the book.

marketing that is part of the product

The Conversation Starts From Within

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: eco advertising)

This presentation of Tom Himpe shows in an inspiring way that there are better idea's then advertising. It focuses on configurations where the marketing is part of the product. On top of that, it explains that marketing can better be useful to empower people's life instead of buying attention to promise and convince.

Studio Brussels hacks the intro of Belgian soap opera

The intro of Belgium's most popular soap opera has been parodied to announce the central theme of this year's edition of Music For Life. Music for Life is the yearly charity media event of Studio Brussels, Flanders most popular and progressive radio station.

This year's issue that will receive its attention and support is: "Mothers on the run for violence and war"

After the intro-movie we see a small documentary that zooms into the lives of four African women. To my believe this is brilliant. The campaign uses the codes of a very familiar cultural item and connects with a world that seems very far away.

It understands where "home and family values are best represented and knows how to transfer it to the charity issue.

Finally we see again a campaign that breaks out of the barriers of the conventional advertising resort. 

Where are other organisations like "banks" for example? Don't they have a larger social challenge today as well that makes them able to break with advertising conventions in a creative way? Make their challenges real?