Green Event Marketing

There is a Zen proverb that says, "The snow falls, every snowflake in its place." The idea that a seemingly random event actually embodies a higher intellegence is very much at the heart of green advertising, organic branding and social marketing.

With fall well underway and winter not far into the future, I've been thinking a lot about how great creative and strategy seem to "fall" into place. There's a moment when widely disparate ideas and concepts merge. The dots connect. And a stillpoint occurs.

That's the magic of marketing. And that's why fall is such a great reminder of letting go and trusting in the process.

Lisa Proctor is the president and creative director of firefly180 marketing—a Minneapolis-based 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.

 

Mark your calendars!

One of my favorite clients, Yoga Alliance, is once again hosting Yoga Day USA on January, 23, 2010. This is an amazing national event that invites not just yogis, but novices, couch potatoes, triathletes, young, old and everyone in between to join together to stretch mind, body and spirit through the practice of yoga.

Find out how to host a gathering or participate at: http://www.yogadayusa.org.

According to a recent Yoga Journal study, nearly 16 million Americans practice yoga. And with more and more medical research supporting its benefits, the numbers continue to climb. Not only do I love the practice of yoga, I love to create yoga advertising and work with yoga studios to develop smart, strategic marketing campaigns.

As the head of an advertising and marketing agency that specializes in the LOHAS consumer, green advertising, organic branding and green energy marketing, yoga marketing is a natural extension of the work we do with businesses and organizations that create positive change. 

Ghandi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." These wise words are as true today for the actions of individuals, as they are for the decisions we make in business.

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.

Over the weekend, a tiny island country off the coast of India galvanized global media attention about the urgency of climate change. How? They were incredibly smart. Strikingly unconventional. And spot-on with their message. 

According to the Associated Press, "Members of the Maldives' Cabinet donned scuba gear and used hand signals Saturday at an underwater meeting staged to highlight the threat of global warming to the lowest-lying nation on earth."

Leveraging the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, this tiny, relatively unknown country, is using the power of PR to take center stage as an advocate to stop climate change—our planet's most critical issue. You gotta love it. I do.

As the head of a green advertising agency with expertise in renewable energy marketing, I have long worked to educate and inspire action to fight climate change. Almost 15 years ago, I led efforts to create a national advertising campaign featuring TV, radio, direct response, events and guerilla marketing to educate millions about the reality about climate change while offering renewable energy options as part of the solution. Last summer, I partnered with MusicMatters in addition to recording artist Jack Johnson and his team to execute a carbon neutral world tour.

Fighting climate change is a personal and professional passion. I salute the leadership of the Maldives. They made a point. They made it fun. And their message is being heard around 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.

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.

In a market where each new day brings the next self-professed advertising guru. Where there's always a latest and greatest new trend to follow. Methodology to adopt. Or 10-sure-fire-steps-to- marketing-genius to follow. It's important to keep in mind while sorting through the clutter, that labels like these simply represent a point of view. There is no substituting your own expertise, experience and passion in the way you tell your story.

Whether you're looking for green marketing strategy, social change communication, environmental communication. Or if you're launching a green public relations campaign. The key is to know your audience.

This ad  that I created for progressive indy magazine, Utne Reader was designed to drive subscription sales at a Green Festival. We knew the audience at this event was green, that was a given. But instead of positioning the magazine simply from an environmental perspective—which it has—we chose to be bold. Truthful. Provocative. And a bit self deprecating. But perhaps most importantly, this ad conveyed the depth and breadth of the magazine. It offered more reasons to buy. And it doesn't talk down to its audience. The result? Record subscription sales and current subscribers who felt even better about their magazine choice.