Green Business Marketing

While discs for data storage seem to be on the edge of extinction, there are still times when they come in handy. And when they do, consider EcoDiscs. I got mine as a sample in the mail and have to admit, I'm intrigued.

Fifty two percent less C02 emissions, 50% less polycarbonate, 50% less production energy and no toxic binder...how can you go wrong?

As the head of a green and LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability) marketing agency near Minneapolis, my teams and I are very intentional that the materials we spec for production are as green as our message. For instance, 100% post-consumer, chlorine free fiber paper and soy-based inks are standard.

Why? Because the materials you use are just as much a part of your brand story as the words and images. Now that choices are opening in the world of data storage, here's one more opportunity for extending a mantra of sustainability. After all, what goes around, comes around. 

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 joint effort by Coca-Cola and the World Wildlife Federation just might change the way we think about billboards. This living advertisement actually reduces CO2 and air pollution.

This kind of innovative thinking is what green marketing is all about. And  our team at firefly180 applauds the effort. Whether creating green ad campaigns, organic branding, renewable energy marketing or wellness marketing—great creative is about not only crafting a message, but delivering it in a way that can't be ignored.

Good green adverting should always come alive. And in this case, the message and the way its delivered will definitely grow on you.



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. 

In my business, all marketing whether it's green advertising, yoga studio marketing, organic marketing, renewable energy marketing or social change communication—it's all designed to drive response.

Great marketing is about creating movements. Inspiring action. And building momentum. So, speaking of driving, when the clutch gave out on my car on my way to a meeting last week, I couldn't help but feel...well, rather stuck. Especially as I waited on the side of the road for a tow truck.

Stopping gave me time to think. And to ponder next moves. What to do? Buy a sexy new hybrid? Or stick with my trusty ride that has driven many a mile powered by biodiesel.

In the end, I decided, 'Why buy new, when used will do." It's the ultimate in re-use. To some, new is sexy. To me, saving resources to restore our planet is sexier.


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. 

 As in life, green marketing and social change communications is like a labyrinth.

There is a beginning. There is an ending. But the path is never a straight line. As I walked a labyrinth overlooking the ancient Smoky Mountains of North Carolina last week, ringed with stones, shells and sacred objects—I couldn't help but see the parallel.

As a leader in the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market and head of an advertising agency that specializes in creating meaningful marketing, I've explored and appreciated this meandering journey with clients again and again.

The thing is, whether creating messaging around climate change, organic food or even green printing—there is no step-by-step guide to ensure success. Each approach is unique. Each step is new. And every business or organization deserves the same level of mindfulness as a journey through a labyrinth.



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 striking new peer-reviewed study in Environmental Health Perspectives found that in just three days by replacing canned and other prepackaged foods with fresh, organic meals, the body's levels of BPA and phthalates dropped dramatically.

The same is true when it comes to marketing. As the head of a Minneapolis green advertising agency that specializes in organic branding, yoga marketing, LOHAS marketing and social change communication, my team and I know that a prepackaged approach can be as toxic as chemicals.

Each brand, message and audience is unique. By attempting to apply off-the-rack strategies that may have worked for others, a business or organization could well be cheating itself of a fresh, nutritious and delicious opportunity.

The power of good green marketing is not so much what's visible from the outside—but what's within. So before you go shopping for convenience, consider the quality of ingredients first. Is your approach to marketing a cheap, quick fix? Or is it healthy and designed for long-term growth.


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 heard the Dalai Lama speak recently. In his wise and loving way, this great spiritual leader shared his vision for world peace. He spoke of those who spend their lives praying for it. But laughed heartily at the thought. Because while he fully acknowledges the power of prayer, he clearly knows that action is required beyond intention.

It's the same for great brands. As the head of a Mpls. based advertising and marketing agency that specializes in green marketing, organic branding, social change marketing and the LOHAS consumer, I know very well that as much as you wish for your message to be heard. It won't be unless you find a way to give it a voice.

And whether your brand whispers or breaks sound barriers, is all in the way you craft your message. The key is to truly, deeply understand and respect your target audience. And to be clear about creating a message that doesn't just inform or educate—but that actually serves.

As consumers, we have developed selective listening. The messages we are most likely to hear are the ones that answer one question: What's in it for me? It's not that we're simply self-serving. It's just that we're mindful about what we're taking in.

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 our client, Minneapolis produce distributor H. Brooks and Company decided it was time for a brand evolution, a key element was their website. This family-owned business that began more than 100 years ago with a few dollars and a produce cart, has grown into an award-winning company deeply rooted in relationships with farmers throughout the world. Their brand promise? Fresher delivered faster.

Their new site is just that. Fresh. Fast. Juicy. And delicious. This mostly business-to-business site offers existing clients innovative marketing and resource tools, while serving as a gateway to new business.

As a Minneapolis marketing agency specializing in organic branding, the organic industry, and wellness marketing, our team worked closely with Brooks to create a digital representation of not only their brand—but their brand promise. Response has been enthusiastic, but perhaps more importantly, this site is a vital step toward introducing healthier food to our communities one byte at a time.

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.

Last week, nearly 150 senior level LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) leaders gathered for the first-ever Twin Cities conference.

As a leader in the category, and one of the first marketers in nation to begin working with this powerful psychographic, I couldn't have had more fun. While there are thousands of LOHASIAN businesses globally that represent this nearly $300 billion market segment, it's rare for those of us who work in the same region to connect. 

But it's events like these with a roster of like-minded, cause-oriented business leaders that spark ideas, bring forward new data and create a platform for new friendships. For me, it's like eating a heaping platter of soul food.

I was asked to host a lunchtime discussion on mindful marketing. (The Buddha advocated mindfulness as a spiritual practice in daily life to maintain calm.) In case you missed it, here's your chance to experience the process now:

!. Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. Follow your breath. Notice how your belly expands. Feel the air flow through your nose. Notice any thoughts than arise. Don’t judge them. Just observe. Know you are not your thoughts.

2. Notice how when you breathe there is an equal exchange between the inhale and exhale. You breathe in oxygen. You breathe out carbon dioxide. This in turn is breathed in by trees, which give back oxygen.

3. The very act of breathing is sustainable. You receive as you breathe in. You give back as you exhale. It’s the same with mindful/LOHASIAN marketing.

When we create marketing that effects change in the world, we give. When we are rewarded with the results, we receive. So I ask you:

• How are you currently giving through your professional life? How are you receiving?
• How can you use mindfulness to give and receive more?

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 returned from Galveston, TX, an island that was quite literally flattened  by Hurricane Ike just a couple years ago. 

As I walked the beach amidst the massive piles of seaweed that had accumulated on the sand, I was struck by the fact that what looks like an unsightly mess to most, is actually nature's way of restoring itself. (When left on the beach the seaweed traps sand, resulting in erosion-controlling sand dunes.)

As the head of a Minneapolis advertising agency and a leader in green marketing, LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) marketing and wellness branding, I have often experienced the fact that what looks like a marketing mess at first, is actually the beginning of something great. It's only when we deconstruct the tried-and-true, especially when we're working on evolving a brand—that we make space for the beauty and boldness of what comes next.

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 director most known for his hugely commercial Jim Carrey films, including, Liar Liar and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Tom Shadyac, has crafted a deeply personal documentary that speaks to the beauty as well as the excesses of humanity and our inherent oneness with life.

I AM chronicles Tom's journey from a life-changing injury to his subsequent quest for enlightenment. I had a chance to meet Tom after the opening and screening of the film in Minneapolis.

As we shared our stories of healing and transformation, I was struck by the how the power of our own personal experience can inspire change.

As the head of a mission-based advertising agency that specializes in helping businesses and organizations do well and do good, I know well how to move people to action.

Having worked to grow the organic industry, bring yoga to the mainstream, pioneered renewable energy marketing and lead the way in social change communications, I am a full-on believer that we as individuals can be a force for good.

As I shared with Tom, life is much like that field of poppies in. The Wizard of Oz. The further we travel, the more likely we are to fall asleep. Good green and mission-based marketing is a wake up call. So is this film. Join me and discover what's right with 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.

With Earth Day just days away, do your part to green the planet by texting TREE to 85944 and fund global tree planting. With this Green World campaign, $5 will be applied to your mobile bill in order to plant five trees on degraded land from Kenya to Mexico.

Trees of course, not only are key to erosion control, they provide food, shade, absorb climate-altering CO2 and produce oxygen.

This viral marketing campaign is just one of hundreds in action for Earth Day, April 22. As the head of a green advertising agency in Minneapolis, I love the paperless and organic nature that technology allows. Also the  immediacy. Fast. Easy. And tree-free, you can literally lighten your footprint and be a part of creating change with the press of a button.

So love your mother. Honor the planet by doing your part this Earth Day. And every day.


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.
 

If your company hosts a conference or annual meeting, take a break from Orlando, LA or NYC, invite colleagues to a green beach for a change of venue and change of heart. Resorts like Eco Tulum's Cabanas Copal.

On the Mexican Riviera and near stunning Mayan ruins, a venue like Copal may not have the amenities of a resort hotel—like electricity. But you might be surprised at the creativity starlit nights, brightened by torches or candles and accented with the gentle whisper of waves can inspire.

As the owner of a green marketing company and leader in social change communications, organic branding and the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumer, I've launched countless green ad  and wellness campaigns. When you live and work in this category, it's not only important to walk your talk—it's vital. That's why I'm heading to Copal for my company retreat. And that's where i'll recharge—becoming one with my own source of renewable energy.


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 great green marketing, it's all about flow.

Take it from the Australian blobfish here. This gelatinous creature doesn't hunt. Doesn't bother anyone. And with a body less dense than the surrounding water, it simply goes with the flow.

As a leader in advertising, marketing and branding in the progressive space, I believe there is much to be said for the simple act of floating.

In campaigns we've created in categories that include wellness marketing, yoga marketing, organic branding and social change communications—we've found that less is usually more.

Creative that tries too hard. Uses too many words or images. Or is overly intellectualized simply doesn't resonate. Consumer audiences respond much more enthusiastically when their imaginations are engaged and their hearts are opened.  

So take it from our friend the blobfish. Relax. Float. Be. And remember, sometimes the most effective marketing is all about what you don't do.

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 group of Minneapolis LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) leaders and I met last week regarding planning a first-ever LOHAS conference in our city. The idea, the brainchild of LOHAS Forum head, Ted Ning, is to bring the annual international conference held in Boulder, to a small number of targeted, LOHASIAN cities. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul are not only creative hotbeds, they are home to a large community of progressive, change-agents who are passionate about making a difference in the world. Over dinner at Heartland, an amazing restaurant that serves local, sustainable and organic, we all shared the vision that as LOHAS leaders, it is far more powerful to grow the movement by encouraging businesses to take small steps toward sustainability now, rather than demanding 100% perfection before they are deemed "acceptable".

As the head of a green marketing agency that specializes in social change communication, organic branding and green energy marketing, I know that LOHAS is not about drawing a line in the sand. But about reaching out to all kinds of businesses and encouraging changes large and small. We live on a little blue planet. Each of us leaves a footprint. If we are to collectively lighten ours, sometimes we need to lighten up. The fact is, we can effect a lot more change by inviting it—not demanding 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

Organic marketing packs a punch. But the Organic Center list of foods below with the highest levels of antioxidants per serving, packs a nutritional and planet-saving knock-out.

Blueberries • Cranberries • Blackberries • Raspberries • Strawberries • Red grapes • Apples• Plums • Potatoes • Red grapes • Sweet cherries • Kidney beans • Pinto beans • Prunes • Asparagus • Grapefruit • Peaches • Yellow pepper • Green grapes • Blackeye peas • Cooked tomatoes • Cooked artichoke • Red Cabbage • Red-leaf lettuce • Broccoli raab and • Beets.

As the head of a Minneapolis advertising and marketing agency that specializes in organic marketing, social change communication, environmental marketing and green advertising, I have a passion for all things organic.

Not only do organically grown fruit and vegetables taste better and offer more nutrition than conventionally grown, organically grown food and fibers are sustainable for the Earth and safer for farm workers. So the next time you have a choice between organic and conventional—don't panic, buy organic.

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

 

Can wellness marketing bring healing? When your message aligns it can.

That's definitely the case with our client Spring Forest Qigong. Their upcoming wellness conference is about awakening, healing and  empowering women. Our marketing effort is designed to inspire action, but also to create financial wellness that supports the organization. That's a win-win. A closed loop. The perfection of reciprocity. 

Like a breath—on our inhale, we breathe in oxygen. On the exhale we breathe out carbon dioxide. The CO2 is in turn absorbed by trees and transformed back into oxygen. The cycle begins again.

As a head of a green advertising agency near Minneapolis, it is such an honor to create marketing that is much about doing well as it is about doing good. Our organic industry work, social change communication, yoga studio marketing and passion for green energy effects change. And in times like these, change is good. 


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 a new story in Environmental Leader, "95% of consumer products claiming to be 'green' commit at least one greenwashing offense." Ugh.

Apparently toy and baby care makers are the worst offenders, which makes this report all the more tragic. Families with small children are often referred to as the "gateway" market to green. It should come as no surprise that parents with new babies are highly incented to not only protect their children from dangerous toxins— but to do their part to restore the Earth.

As a leader in green marketing, organic branding, social change communication and the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers, I urge marketers of these products to take a step back and consider what they are losing by trying to win in the short-term.

Once consumers lose trust, there are no buyers. The green market, more than any other can only thrive with absolute integrity and authenticity. Anything less spells disaster—not just for green business, but for the future of the planet.



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.

Nature knows how to let go with such grace. Leaves dance their way down from trees. Rain falls with purpose from the sky.  Each gives back to the planet in immeasurable ways.

As a leader in green advertising, social change communication, renewable energy marketing and wellness marketing, I think it wise to take a lesson from nature. As marketers and brand strategists, we often have difficulty letting go of ideas. Letting go of ego. And letting go of the tried and true.

Let fall be a reminder that each season brings change. With this change comes opportunity and growth. Like leaves or rain, creativity is about renewal. I invite you to step outside, find some leaves to crunch through and let nature begin her lesson.

It all began with a simple, yet powerful idea.

To bring women together over glasses of heart-healthy wine to educate, empower and save lives.
Now the The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) Wine Dinner Kit is gaining support from Hanoi, Vietnam to Hastings, Minnesota.

As the head of a Minnesota marketing agency that specializes in wellness marketing, organic branding and  the LOHAS consumer (lifestyles of health and sustainability), it has been such an honor to be the creative force behind this movement.

Marketing after all is about effecting change. Moving the dial. Inspiring action. And being of service. 

I raise my glass to the health of women around the world and my client MHIF, who has the vision and commitment to bring health and healing to the planet.





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.

If a town nestled amidst ancient Italian olive groves can create a renewable energy future, so can communities large and small  across the U.S. 

As the head of a Minnesota-based green marketing agency, I know too well that the midwest is often considered the Saudi Arabia of wind. I also know that despite that fact, most of the energy produced here is made from coal.

We've got a long way to go. But the tiny village of Tocco is showing us the way. This kind of bold leap into the future is much like the kinds of campaigns we create at firefly180. With clients in the arenas of the organic industry, renewable energy marketing, social change communications and wellness marketing, our team supports businesses and organizations with creative and sustainable approaches to building brands and revenue streams.

The times are changing. So too is our ability to re-create our energy future.

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.