Eco Advertising

Movie Message Calls Millions to Action

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

I attended the global premier of In the Age of Stupid in NYC last night. This new film addresses the climate change crisis and the need for action we and our world leaders must take in Copenhagen this December. This film is 2009's answer to Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth.

Last night's premier was broadcast live via satellite throughout the globe and was attended by 1 million people—surpassing Star Wars, and is set to break a world record. Already inspiring international action, this film is a testament to the power of media, storytelling and good grass roots marketing. Check out www.ageofstupid.net.

As a leader in green marketing, renewable energy marketing, organic internet marketing and eco advertising, climate change has been a passion of mine since I began working on TV and green energy print campaigns more than a decade ago. I've seen the power of consumer choice. And I've been honored to create messaging that has educated, empowered and created real change.

In the Age of Stupid offers a powerful message about pending disaster, but also one of hope. I am proud to answer writer/director Frannie Armstrong's call to action to join millions of people in reducing my CO2 emissions at least 10% by 2010.

Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director for firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.

Marketing and Coming Clean

Thursday, August 20, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

It's been raining for days. The meadow outside my office door is green beyond belief. (Sorry this photo doesn't begin to capture the richness of color.) Which got me to thinking about green marketing.

As the head of an agency that specializes in the LOHAS consumer, eco advertising, green energy, organic campaigns, green marketing and yoga advertising, to me the rain is symbolic for washing the slate clean. Rain brings a new start. New growth. Transparency. And aliveness.

As marketers, one of our central roles is to wash away all brand distractions, so that the light of our clients' messages can shine through. The rain comes by this gift naturally. It's the same for all good green marketers.

Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director for firefly180 marketing—

a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing,
wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing

Is Your Marketing Hitting its Target?

Thursday, August 20, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

As the head of an agency that specializes in the LOHAS consumer, eco advertising, organic campaigns, yoga advertising and green energy, it's critical that the work we create isn't just show-stopping—it needs to get results.

Recently, I've been working with a client on an extensive brand evolution. We've created new market positioning, designed a new logo, ad campaign, direct response material and more. My client was quite certain that they already had sufficient technological infrastructure to measure response. Until they found out that they didn't.

Fortunately, company leadership saw the wisdom in tackling the challenge head-on and a new system will be in place shortly. It's not uncommon for companies to invest heavily in strategy and creative and neglect the information architecture to measure and quantify results, maintain current databases and create a structure that allows the marketing team to better boost sales.

If you are one of those companies, know you're not alone. But I encourage you to take the steps necessary to ensure that your marketing efforts are hitting their target. While a move into the database world may feel like a step back, it will actually help propel you a quantum leap forward.

Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director for firefly180 marketing—

a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing,
wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing

How to Avoid Greenwashing

Friday, August 14, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) has just released a co-authored new report, “Understanding and Preventing Greenwash: A Business Guide,” to help companies better communicate their environmental message based on a company’s true sustainability practices.

As a leader in LOHAS marketing, green marketing strategy and eco advertising, I have a deep understanding of the LOHAS consumer and have worked on many organic campaigns. While the advertising industry has long ago established that "sex sells," I maintain that "truth sells."

So, to companies who are thinking about engaging in a little greenwashing, I'd recommend that you don't. Once trust is broken with your customer, audience or market, earning it back is not only an extraordinarily expensive proposition—it can be downright impossible. Why risk your business on a lie?

Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director for firefly180 marketing—

a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing

Research and the LOHAS Consumer

Friday, August 7, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

What do consumers want in a healthy lifestyle
and what do they actually do to achieve it?

To learn the answer, you'll need to buy Natural Marketing Institute's (NMI) latest study. Their

work has been critical to marketers for years. As a leader in Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) marketing, eco advertising, social change communication and organic marketing, I am considered an expert on the LOHAS consumer. This psychographic group includes one in four adult Americans and a $209 billion marketplace.

During my career, I've launched many organic campaigns, attended green energy conferences and worked with lots of progressive businesses. While each creative and strategic effort has required varying strategies and approaches, a key part of the foundational success of each campaign has been thanks to research from organizations like NMI.

While it's important as marketers that we take into account what we know, it's just as important to remember that the market is a shifting and evolving organism. And research can be a vital tool in filling the gaps of what we don't know.

Does Your Marketing Agency do Windows?

Saturday, July 11, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

I learned a great lesson from Tom, the guy who washes my windows. A second generation window washer, with sons who have followed in his footsteps, Tom loves his work. It's all about creating clarity.

It's the same with marketing. Good branding and communication strategies are designed to create the same kind of clean, clear results. Instead of using a few drops of dish soap in a pail of water and a squeegee, my agency, firefly180 uses words. And images.

With a specialization in green advertising, LOHAS marketing, alternative advertising and eco advertising, my team and I use our tools with the same passion as Tom. The result is creative and brand strategy that sparkles. And our clients who are often eco businesses, progressive organizations and wellness companies are left with a clear vista that reveals limitless opportunities.

Organic Evolution

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by Lisa Proctor

While some who have worked in the eco advertising and environmental trenches for decades express concern about organic going mainstream, I couldn't feel more optimistic.

The movement toward eco awareness has been an organic evolution. The explosion of curbside recycling programs in the '90s was one of the first indicators that mainstream America was beginning to understand not only how empowered they felt by a simple act like recycling a bottle, but how GOOD they felt. In fact, while working as one of the lead creatives in Mpls. on a national advertising campaign to promote renewable energy, we leveraged that "feel-good, what's-in-it-for- me," desire to craft a direct response piece shaped like an aluminum can with a headline that read, "If this makes you think of recycling, have we got an electric company for you."

Would this strategy be considered alternative advertising or sustainable advertising? Not really. It was simply good, solid advertising. Chinese General Sun Tzu, in 500 B.C. said, "Know your enemy." When it comes to paradigm-shifting advertising, I say, "Know your audience."