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.
Will sex sell to to apathetic guys? The new eco website www.angrygreengirl.com certainly hopes so.
Targeted at
men who might be cajoled into taking eco action by self-described "hot" babes, this site isn't for everyone. But as a new launch in the green scene, the brand is clearly unique.
As the head of a green advertising agency and an expert in the categories of organic marketing, green online marketing, sustainable advertising, social change marketing and eco communication, I've worked with a lot of eco businesses to create advertising and marketing strategies that build movements and garner millions of media impressions.
But I have to admit, I've never recommended launching a new green site with the offer of free, eco, waterless car washes for hybrid drivers by bikini-clad models. But then, I've never worked on a brand like angrygreengirl.com.
Will this new venture make it? Who knows. But the market will soon decide whether this site is sexy. Or just silly.
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.
Ugh. I love Sigg bottles. I've bought them for friends. Recommended them as a campaign element in clients' green marketing efforts. And have been a brand enthusiast for years.
Now the brand is up to their eyeballs in a
full-blown media crisis. Why? While its CEO may claim the issue is all a matter of semantics, the fact is Sigg was less than truthful about the presence of BPA in the lining of its bottles prior to 2006. As the head of a
green advertising and marketing agency that specializes in sustainable advertising, green public relations and LOHAS marketing, I feel Sigg's pain.
And I understand their temptation to
walk the fine edge of the truth. After all, they could rationalize that the BPA presence in their bottle lining was a non-leaching presence, so therefore it was no big deal. But it was a big deal. And the fact is, it is NEVER a good idea to tell less than the truth. Because at some point, the whole truth is always revealed.
So the next time you feel the need to dance around the truth. To tell parts of it. To offer less than full disclosure. Consider the predicament of Sigg—a former poster child for eco-consciousness. This once trusted brand no longer has the full faith of its fans. Consumers feel deceived. And damage control, if it is possible, will be immensely costly. Ask yourself, "Was it worth it?"
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'm often asked how marketing is different from sales.
Business is like a game of
baseball. Marketing is the pitcher. With speed, accuracy, delivery and artistry marketing will perfectly position the ball as it flies over the plate—so that
sales can knock it out of the park. I've spent my career as a creative director and brand strategist specializing in LOHAS marketing, wellness marketing, green public relations, wellness promotion, sustainable advertising and green branding. I've won lots of awards. Done great work. Been vital to helping my clients succeed. And I'm happy to say that with the perfect pitch, I've helped sales hit more than a few home runs.
Maybe you wouldn't think that a marketer who specializes in green and wellness branding would compare her craft to baseball. But after all, baseball is played on a green field.
As a leader in LOHAS marketing, wellness promotion, yoga marketing, sustainable advertising and green public relations, I have had the good fortune to work with many wellness companies and progressive businesses.
I've often been asked
how can organizations best choose a firm that supports their branding and marketing efforts. The answer is simple. Do you click? Does the firm "get" you? Is there synergy? Do you feel a connection? Do you love their work? And of course it's always helpful to talk to the firm's clients to get a sense of what their experience has been.
Below is what Danielle Tergis, Marketing Director for Yoga Alliance has to say about her experience working with me and my firm, firefly180 marketing:
Lisa is super creative and has an outstanding ability to deliver results that are impactful and eye-catching. We've worked on a number of projects that required our messaging to stand out from the crowd and I couldn't be happier with the results. Her work ethic is also outstanding. She is committed to ensuring her clients are successful by giving 110% on every project.
Pictured here are Lisa, Colleen Saidman Yee, Rodney Yee and Danielle after a yoga class taught by Rodney and his wife Colleen.
According to the Huffington Post, "Last year, about $2.1 trillion was spent in the U.S. on medical
care. Of these trillions,
95 cents of every dollar was spent to treat disease after it had already occurred. At least 75% of these costs were spent on treating chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes that are preventable or even reversible."
As an
expert in the areas of wellness marketing, wellness promotion, sustainable advertising, LOHAS marketing and sustainable advertising, it's incredibly encouraging to see that the medical community is waking up to the fact that although we are spending mind-numbing sums, as a nation we are not any healthier. This won't change if we continue focusing our efforts on treating the illness instead of preventing the disease.
More and more science is documenting how holistic and integrative approaches like meditation, yoga, acupuncture and herbal remedies are not only medically effective, but are also often less expensive. Our bodies have tremendous capacity to heal. And as marketers we have a tremendous responsibility to reach out to millions to offer choices and information about how each of us can take the process of healing into our own hands.
I just ordered a flat of organic strawberries. It's a choice I feel really good about. Not only are those berries going to taste amazing, they are healthier for me and my family, they're supporting the work of organic farmers and keeping the soil and water free from toxic chemical pesticides.
As consumers, we have tremendous ability to effect change at the very deepest level. But unfortunately, all too often we forget we have any power at all. We feel we are at the mercy of "big corporations." But, as an expert in sustainable advertising, wellness marketing, wellness promotion and as an advertising agency owner who works with eco business and wellness companies, it's my job to remind consumers of their true power. Every day we get a chance to vote with our dollars.
So the next time you open your wallet, remember if you want to leave the world a little greener, spend your own green on products or services that serve you as well as the planet.
As an expert in sustainable advertising, wellness promotion, eco business and wellness marketing, I am often surprised that the meaning of sustainability is still so misunderstood. It is not uncommon for instance for corporate executives to balk at the term—since they believe it means their business is about to do something really good but lose a lot of money doing it.
But the reverse is true. Sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe true sustainability is the measure of how well you do by doing good. It doesn't matter whether you work for a publicly owned company or non-profit, goals and objectives must be met. Money must be raised. Revenue increased. And quantifiable progress measured. (Even if that "progress" means the number of activists who have signed a petition.)
The practice of sustainable marketing brings us full circle. It
sustains us. Sustainability is about giving and receiving. It's like breathing. We breathe in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. In return, trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. It's reciprocity at its finest. And it's a practice that keeps people and the planet as healthy as our bottom line.
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."
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