One of my favorite clients is having a banner year. With
two recent and prestigious industry awards under their belt, this fruit and vegetable distributor can hardly contain themselves.
We've been working together for nearly two years to create a brand that reflects their long-standing leadership position. And it's working. They are breaking new ground, strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones.
While awards are great for affirming a job well done,
can they translate into increased sales? Absolutely. Consumers and customers ask themselves three questions before opening their wallets:
1) What's in it for me?
2) How is your product or service unique in the market?
3) Why should I believe you?
Awards are excellent credibility builders. They're impressive. They inspire confidence. And they speak to excellence, leadership and innovation. As an organic industry expert, green marketing leader and green advertising agency owner who specializes in working with LOHAS consumers, my team at firefly180 knows how to leverage awards in order to generate tangible results.
After all we wouldn't be doing our jobs if we weren't moving the dial to create financial and environmental change.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
The fireflies are back. I can see them by the hundreds flitting about in the meadow behind my studio. Each shines a light. Together they light up the night.
That's the brand promise behind my agency, firefly180 marketing—a firm that specializes in leveraging the power of the marketplace to create social and environmental change. We're experts in organic branding, green marketing, renewable energy marketing, LOHAS marketing and social change marketing.
So whether you're based in LA, Rome, Boulder, NYC, Hong Kong or Timbuktu, let your light shine. At firefly180, we're ready to help you spark change.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
The 40th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22 is fast approaching. Now is the time to focus your marketing department or ad agency around steps you and your employees can take to lighten your environmental footprint.
Here are two simple Earth Day strategies:1) Create an internal campaign for employees and stakeholders only.
2) Create a further reaching cause that your company can directly impact, then measure your impact and include the results as part of a green marketing or green ad campaign.
To start the process, here are three simple, yet powerful steps we can all make:
- I pledge to use a reusable shopping bag. (The average plastic shopping bag is used by consumers for just 12 minutes before it’s thrown away. If everyone in the United States tied their annual plastic bags together in a giant chain, the chain would reach around the earth 760 times!
- I pledge to ask my energy utility to conduct a FREE energy audit of my home. (Heating and cooling use the most energy. Together they account for 41% of energy used in a typical home. That adds up to more than $600 per year.)
- I pledge to replace at least one light bulb in my home with an energy efficient compact fluorescent. (A compact fluorescent light bulb will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about six months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.)
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are both hotbeds for creativity. So it's no surprise that there are countless advertising agencies and marketing firms to choose from. But how do you choose one that's right for you?
If you have a
green product, service or mission, it's essential to choose an agency that speaks your language. It's not enough to create a green marketing campaign that expresses the eco-consciousness of your product. Environmentally-friendly attributes alone are not enough to entice your customers to open their wallets.
So take a close look at the work of several green marketing and LOHAS marketing firms. Meet with them. Get a vibe. Talk to their clients. Ask for quantitative results of campaigns they've created. Then dive in. Have fun. And know that you are actively harnessing the power of consumer choice to create positive change in the world.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
A friend of mine just returned from Copenhagen. While he wasn't there to attend the UN Summit on Climate Change, he did stop by COP15 to take in the vibe, cheer on the protestors and bring me back a smattering of materials he managed to gather.
Perhaps the favorite item in my gift bag, was
Ode's special issue,
The Solutions We Need Now. Imagine my surprise when I received an email notice courtesy of LOHAS and Ode, offering a digital version of the
issue for free!
As the head of a green advertising agency and an expert in green energy marketing, social change communication and green marketing, I applaud this marketing effort. This beautifully conceived magazine issue is getting out to hundreds of thousands without the environmental cost caused by paper and ink, the energy needed to print or the recycling/solid waste realities after the issue is read. The online experience is simple and seamless.
Get your free issue now. You'll love it.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
The
Wall Street Journal reported today that 130 developing countries walked out on talks at the
UN Summit in Copenhagen, but
Environmental Leader reports talks resumed after three hours. It is
impossible to overstate how much is at stake here. The world is watching. And as long as leaders are talking, there's still cause for hope. So I'm planting myself firmly in the optimistic camp called "Hopenhagen," and saying 'no' to the more cynical view of "Nopenhagen."
The time for wasting emotional energy on political posturing is over. The time for investing in a sustainable, renewable energy future is now.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
When it comes to three-ring binders, there are literally thousands of styles, materials and sizes to
choose from. So, as the head of a green marketing agency, when a client needed custom binders for a sales presentation, the choice was simple. We chose green.
Earthbinder, to be precise. Made from chipboard that's 95% post-consumer fiber, these binders are not only cool and functional, they send a message that speaks volumes about sustainability.
Making an intentional choice about green marketing materials is a must for companies in the business of wellness, organic, social change or environmental sustainability. In fact, when it comes right down to it. The choice is only natural.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
The
holiday gift giving season has begun. As businesses get serious about choosing gifts for clients and loyal customers, two vital considerations are often overlooked:
1. What does your brand represent?
2. How can your gift extend your brand?If the answer is environmental sustainability, fair trade, health or wellness, I strongly recommend giving green gifts. As the owner of a green advertising agency that specializes in organic branding, social change communication, yoga studio marketing, renewable energy marketing and the LOHAS consumer, that's not only what I recommend to clients, it's a philosophy I practice myself as a business owner.
A couple sites I recommend include:
spiralfoundation.org,
vivaterra.com,
heifer.org and
organicbouquet.com. Of course, this is just a start. There are literally countless creative ways you can choose gifts that are not only meaningful and beautiful, but that align with your values as a global citizen.
What's important is that you consider ways to give—and give back—
far beyond the holiday season.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
The
Oregon Sustainability Center, which is being called the first large-scale “living building,” is projected to have a zero carbon footprint, according to a recent issue of
Environmental Leader.
Powered by solar and geothermal energy, this 12-story office building complete with a plant-based water filtration system, is a prototype for the future. It makes so much sense.
Green marketing is another plant-based model. Each ad, message, website, social media campaign, logo and sales pitch is a closed loop. It's a creative and strategic process that guides consumers deep into the soil to explore the root of the message, then back up to the sun where they can see the light and take action. As the head of a green marketing agency that specializes in the LOHAS consumer, green advertising, yoga studio marketing, organic branding and renewable energy marketing, I believe that nature has much to teach. All we need to do is listen.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
According to
Environmental Leader, Marriott says it plans to learn from its “green” hotel prototypes and expand the program by a measure of tenfold over the next five years."
That's great news for travelers and great news for the planet. When a business as large as Marriott increases their green hotel initiative by 1000%, the impact is dramatic. Why is Marriott suddenly onboard? Because green programs result in energy efficiencies that save money. Plus, the marketing and public relations that will result are an added bonus.
As the head of a green advertising agency that specializes in the LOHAS consumer, social change communication, green energy marketing and the organic industry, I do my best to stay in green hotels while on the road. Typically, hotels like these are smaller, more personal and have stories to tell beyond a 7 a.m breakfast buffet. In fact, one hotel I've stayed in near Napa, California, actually featured an energy meter in the lobby that showed guests how much energy was currently being used and measured the resulting carbon emissions.
While Marriott may not choose to go this far, that's OK. What may seem like a small step by many, is actually a giant step for this chain. I look forward to following their success.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
What if we turned our city rooftops into solar power plants?
The
Wall Street Journal takes the city of Austin as a case-in-point in a recent article,
Solar City: Austin Sees Huge Potential for Solar Power, Thanks to Satellites
For most Americans, energy use is invisible. The only time it comes to mind is when we pay the
power bill. We turn on a light and give little thought to climate-change-causing emissions from coal or the radioactive nuclear waste that will stick around for thousands of years. But that may be changing. It's about time.
As the owner of a green marketing agency who specializes in green energy marketing, organic branding, social change marketing, green advertising and the LOHAS consumer, I know I'm as much a part of the problem as I am part of the solution. But I am conscious of my power use. That's why both my home and office are heated and cooled with geothermal energy, solar lights keep outdoor paths lit, compact fluorescents reduce our energy use and I drive a car that gets 50 mpg.
Each of us leaves an environmental footprint. But it's up to us how light or how deep it will be.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
It used to be that the world of calculating pollution levels was reserved for those who were: A) Nerdy B) Academic or C) True Blue Enviros. But no more.
Thanks to a
marketing climate that increasingly emphasizes transparency, so called green geeks are now mainstream. Fueled by concerns about climate change, more and more businesses are looking to track, measure and reduce their environmental footprint through life cycle assessment. And they're sharing their results with consumers through product labeling and environmental assessment reports.
As a leader in the field of green energy marketing, social change communication, organic branding and the LOHAS consumer, I've worked with a lot of green and progressive businesses. Being at the forefront of this segment has very much been an exercise in rewriting long-established marketing rules.
Green marketing companies like mine have long known that the surest path to success is to run every aspect of your company in the most sustainable manner possible. In the best models, green companies take a
lesson from nature so that waste from one aspect of their business becomes food for another. The good news is, the idea is catching on. Why? Because sustainably run companies are profitable companies.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
I just bought a new laptop bag and it's safe to say that I am in love.
Not only is it totally cool and extraordinarily functional—it's green. New from Urban Junket, the fresh t.o.t.e (to observe the earth) collection is made from 100% organic canvas coated with azo-free dyes. The interior lining is made from recycled plastic water bottles and saturated with bright turquoise vegetable dye. Plus $1 from each sale is used to offset the climate-change-causing carbon from the manufacturing process.
As the head of a Minneapolis marketing agency that specializes in green marketing, yoga advertising, the organic industry, renewable energy marketing and social change communication, I know firsthand how important it is to walk your talk. Now
I've got a laptop bag that lets me wear my environmental commitment.Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
According to treehugger.com:
"A new study by the University of Rochester found that
after looking at nature scenes, people feel closer to their community, are willing to give more money to a charitable cause, and care more about social outcomes than they are after looking at man-made scenes. The reason, the researchers state, is communing with nature helps people also commune with their basic values."
Of course, those of us who have pioneered green marketing categories like LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) and environmental marketing, discovered this fact long ago. But it's always great when
research quantifies what we've arrived at through intuition, experience and proven success. As the head of a Minnesota marketing agency that specializes in yoga advertising, green ad campaigns, organic branding, social change communication and eco marketing, I have long believed that the reason an image from nature resonates so strongly is that while most of us live in cities, we are intrinsically connected to the natural world.
Even if we see a dandelion poking through cement, sunlight rippling over a fountain, or a moon rising over a cityscape, we can't help but be entranced. We are drawn to all that's green, living and alive. That's the essence of being human. And it's only natural.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
I head a marketing agency in Minnesota and was at a photo shoot yesterday. Since I've worked for years creating green ad campaigns, eco promotions, environmental advertising and green marketing services, I know the power of images to convey excitement, beauty, inspiration and message.
Yesterday as I watched the shoot and the images unfold, this understanding resonated even more deeply. Consumers are extraordinarily attuned to what they experience through their senses. Shapes, colors, images, shadow and composition are all viewed, processed and cataloged through their eyes.
When working to develop green marketing strategy, I liken the photos or images we use to a beautifully wrapped gift. These images attract consumers. Cause excitement. Anticipation. It is the wrapping that entices consumers to "open" the box. But it's the gift of the "message" that your customers will thank you for.
Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a branding and advertising agency that specializes in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green marketing and renewable energy marketing.
I'm attending the world premier of,
The Age of Stupid in NYC tonight. It's being launched from a solar powered cinema tent to more than 400 theaters nationwide. The film is about a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, lamenting
why we didn't do something about climate change when we had a chance?As the head of a an advertising and marketing agency that specializes in green energy marketing, environmental advertising, green ad campaigns, eco promotions and green event marketing, I couldn't be more excited about attending this premier.
The team on this film got it right. Not only is the topic of the film vital, but the NYC solar powered cinema tent and "green" celebrity carpet is an excellent strategy to garner media attention and drive ticket sales.
Green marketing is about so much more than "selling." It's about creating a lasting and meaningful experience. Inspiring action. And creating positive change. I'm hoping that
The Age of Stupid becomes not only a catalyst for change, but a film that move others to use to power of media for good.
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.
I've been a fan of Kripalu yoga for years, but just had the opportunity to visit the center, take a few classes, dine on delicious organic fare and soak in the beauty of the Berkshires.
I wasn't expecting to have an aha marketing moment during yoga class. But today I did. I've
always struggled with a posture called, "the crow." But when my instructor suggested I use a block to learn the pose, suddenly struggle transformed to ease. It's the same with marketing. As a leader of a Minneapolis marketing agency that specializes in sustainable advertising, green marketing services, yoga marketing and environmental marketing—we've found that strategic or creative struggle can be instantly transformed. Sometimes all that's needed is a little help.
Whether that help takes the shape of a new learning, perspective, a walk or a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies, each represents shifting and refocusing energy. So the next time you find yourself stuck, or feeling like a solution is nowhere in sight, find a way to shift your energy. You'll find the answer was within you all along.
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.
I love the practice of yoga. I also love jewelry. So when Lisa Anderson, a jewelry designer from the Berkshires asked for some branding assistance with her yoga inspired line, I couldn't wait to begin.
As the head of a Minnesota marketing agency that specializes in yoga marketing, environmental marketing, eco promotions, green energy marketing and LOHAS marketing, I help clients grow their businesses while helping consumers align with their values.
Lisa Anderson's jewelry is a personal passion. Worn by yoga devotees and novices alike, her line of gold and silver lotus pendants, earrings, bracelets and rings inspire and convey deep personal meaning and beauty (http://lisaandersonjewelery.com). So should her brand. And as we begin work, it will. Just like yoga, branding is the practice of finding balance, flexibility and presence.
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.
This one is tricky.
Powerful, yet controversial environmental print and TV spots for WWF comparing the 9/11 terrorist
attacks with the 2004 tsunami, were recently entered at Cannes. They've caused quite a stir. Although not the kind the agency DDB had hoped for.
Turns out this agency created what is known in the industry as a
fake or phantom ad. A campaign created and placed often at the expense of an agency for the sole purpose of winning a prestigious award. What's more, WWF claims the first they knew about this spot was when they found it on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFHeQsOULng
As the head of a green advertising agency that specializes in green marketing, LOHAS marketing, organic promotion, natural advertising and environmental communication, I am all for compelling creative that moves millions to take action to protect the planet.
But unfortunately, this incident uses the brand power of WWF for a cheap shot at a big award. Too bad.
The world needs exceptional advertising and green marketing strategy to wake us up. Shake us up. And to bring about much needed action and change. But to create work that is all about the creative shop, at the expense and credibility of a client, is simply inexcusable.
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.
As marketers, there are important lessons to be learned from compost.
Listen to this. According to greenerdesign.com, researchers in India have figured out how to turn toxic textile sludge waste into lovely compost. As the owner of an advertising and marketing agency that specializes in environmental advertising, organic branding, green advertising and sustainable advertising, I can relate.
Clients often come to us with a similar problem. Although instead of slimy sludge,
the mess they most want to clean up is their messaging. That's where good brand strategy comes in. Our team takes a look at the sludge and through a variety of creative and strategic filters begins to remove unwanted waste, impurities and artificial ingredients. The result?
Rich, beautiful, exciting and nourishing advertising and marketing that benefits consumers as much as it boosts our clients' bottom lines.
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.
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