https://www.mediapost.com/Noneen-usWed, 31 Aug 2016 10:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/283804/the-olympics-branding-problem.htmlSure, I got teary-eyed watching a short bio on Simone Biles on NBColympics.com and issued triumphant fist pumps when Kenyan Vivian Cheriuyot overcame an impressive lead by favorite Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia to win the 5,000 meter, her first gold medal in four Olympics.Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/283804/the-olympics-branding-problem.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/280843/2-green-marketing-fails-and-where-they-went-wrong.htmlGreen products and initiatives are already a tough sell for many audiences, but marketers make it harder when they ignore or assume facts, or are simply unaware of certain dos and don'ts.Thu, 21 Jul 2016 14:30:04 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/280843/2-green-marketing-fails-and-where-they-went-wrong.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/279274/watch-your-tone-green-marketers-preachy-doesnt.htmlNo one likes being condescended to, but it's easy to do if you treat every audience the same. With super green audiences, strong messaging about saving the earth and its creatures is preaching to the choir, so you don't have to temper much. But if you want to expand your audience to consumers resisting the green "movement," you need to find another way because scare tactics and shame just don't work.Wed, 29 Jun 2016 12:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/279274/watch-your-tone-green-marketers-preachy-doesnt.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/278826/kashi-reinvigorates-30-year-old-purpose.htmlHistorically, I have not been an early adopter. Heck, I still had a flip phone well after the iPhone 4 launch. Years after organic food caught on, I was still eating fast food everyday. However, I have just broken my mold and become one of the first few (defined loosely) to eat Certified Transitional food. That's right, you heard me. Certified Transitional.Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:00:06 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/278826/kashi-reinvigorates-30-year-old-purpose.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/278264/marketing-sideways-sneaking-the-green-into-your-m.htmlSuccessful marketing is all about approach, but how do you market something while simultaneously downplaying what are typically its selling points? Very skillfully.Thu, 16 Jun 2016 10:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/278264/marketing-sideways-sneaking-the-green-into-your-m.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/277943/3-key-takeaways-from-sustainable-brands-conference.htmlBy the time I saw the Metrolink train billboard, it was too late. I was already cheerfully guzzling natural resources and spitting out emissions along the 5 Freeway from L.A. to San Diego. I gasped and shook my head at my stupidity and selfishness for driving to Sustainable Brands, which took place June 6 - 9. Conference check-in officials seemed to sense my crime and asked, "Did you take the train or are you a hypocritical fraud who drove? And are you sharing a hotel room or wasting resources in a room by yourself?"Mon, 13 Jun 2016 12:00:04 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/277943/3-key-takeaways-from-sustainable-brands-conference.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/276661/messaging-themes-emerge-from-fortune-50-csr-report.htmlNERD ALERT: I spent Sunday embarking on one of my favorite new pastimes: reading through corporate responsibility and sustainability reports* of Fortune 50 companies. Why would anyone do such a laborious thing? Well, in typical consumer-facing media, most brands are not overtly blasting messages about their sustainability efforts, and I was keen to learn what some of the biggest companies are doing and saying about sustainability.Wed, 25 May 2016 11:00:04 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/276661/messaging-themes-emerge-from-fortune-50-csr-report.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/276197/marketing-green-to-fuchsia-verticals.htmlMuch as we wish everyone was committed to going green, we're just not there yet. Still, there are often ways to promote green products and services without labeling them as such outright - which still helps the world, while taking the pressure off decision-makers whose company values or mission may not align with the green movement directly. Here's how.Thu, 19 May 2016 11:00:06 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/276197/marketing-green-to-fuchsia-verticals.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/274355/food-waste-and-hipster-grocery-targets.html"I can't get this food to Africa, so I don't wanna hear about it!" My girlfriend grunts as I scold her for leaving yet another never-to-be-eaten left-over box in my fridge. She knows I'm a hypocrite. I'm as guilty as everyone else when it comes to food wasting-about once a month I fill up an entire trash can with moldy or suspiciously smelling food. And I have started to feel guilty.Wed, 27 Apr 2016 11:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/274355/food-waste-and-hipster-grocery-targets.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/273906/its-not-easy-being-green-but-you-can-make-it-ea.htmlThough there's a certain contingent of the population utterly devoted to going green, there's still plenty of resistance out there. Whether it's ignorance, laziness, or downright denial, not everyone recycles, conserves, or even buys into the idea that these things are important. Some of them are even in Congress.Wed, 20 Apr 2016 12:00:06 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/273906/its-not-easy-being-green-but-you-can-make-it-ea.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/271343/leaner-greener-nonprofits-need-to-be-authentic-to.htmlFor nonprofits, persuading the masses to donate is a matter of survival. To fund their work continually, they must be able to reach the people who care most about what they're doing - and make sure those people can find them, too.Wed, 16 Mar 2016 11:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/271343/leaner-greener-nonprofits-need-to-be-authentic-to.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/269720/finding-right-balance-in-sustainable-supply-chain.htmlThese days it's easier to count the companies that are not taking sustainability action than to count the ones who are. However, there is a wide variance in how (or if) brands are communicating about their world-friendly efforts.Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:00:05 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/269720/finding-right-balance-in-sustainable-supply-chain.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/269202/are-we-getting-closer-to-all-in-one-wearable-tech.htmlPeople tend to fall into one of two categories when it comes to wearable tech: those who scramble to purchase and try them out, and those that just don't get it. But maybe the slow adopters don't want to contribute to the tech waste left behind with every generation of improvements.Wed, 17 Feb 2016 12:00:04 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/269202/are-we-getting-closer-to-all-in-one-wearable-tech.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/268154/superbowl-sunday-and-the-battle-of-niche-vs-mass.htmlWhen over 100 million people shush each other and edge up on their seats during commercial breaks on Superbowl Sunday, they will expect to be entertained. Anything less than a guffaw or awe will be disappointing.Wed, 03 Feb 2016 13:00:04 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/268154/superbowl-sunday-and-the-battle-of-niche-vs-mass.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/267104/will-apps-make-laptops-unnecessary.htmlMost of our business is conducted on mobile devices these days, even if we're not on-the-go when we're using them. And it won't be long until most of our other activities - both professional and personal - are conducted using apps.Fri, 22 Jan 2016 15:00:04 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/267104/will-apps-make-laptops-unnecessary.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/265681/the-burden-to-unload.htmlWhen you get to a certain stage in life, it's all about decluttering. Clearing the decks of everything from old furniture to old flames. The dozens of cardboard boxes still in the garage from the last move (15 years ago). Layers of furniture crowding the basement like the rings of a tree, paying tribute to evolving tastes. And, of course, kids' college furniture ranging from the cheapest Jennifer Convertible to foldable dining table and chairs.Wed, 30 Dec 2015 13:00:06 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/265681/the-burden-to-unload.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/265385/selfies-can-save-the-world-and-other-tips-for-sell.htmlWhether you're an environmentally-missioned organization like TreePeople, a mega-brand that's incorporating sustainability into nearly every aspect of your business (think Unilever, Ikea), or one of 24% of Americans who worry a great deal about climate change, per Gallup, you've probably encountered baffling resistance in getting people to engage in more sustainable behavior.Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:30:05 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/265385/selfies-can-save-the-world-and-other-tips-for-sell.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/264599/keeping-people-safe-when-bandwidth-is-low.htmlThere is nothing like a real emergency to galvanize people into action. At such times, communication becomes critical - but technology, like people, can be vulnerable to acts of God or terrorism.Wed, 16 Dec 2015 11:00:06 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/264599/keeping-people-safe-when-bandwidth-is-low.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/264315/fill-that-glass.htmlDecember 2015. The end of another year of fire-storms, earthquakes, hurricanes and other Cecil B. DeMille-style reminders of the impending apocalypse we have wrought by messing with the world's climate. But don't lock the door to your fallout shelter and settle in with your 780 cans of pea soup just yet.Wed, 09 Dec 2015 10:00:12 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/264315/fill-that-glass.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/263848/climate-action-means-industry-government-and-peop.htmlThomas Paine wrote that government is inherently punitive, a necessary evil consequent to the "inability of moral virtue to govern the world." That comes to mind this week, as the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) meets in Paris. The goal, of questionable achievability, is to keep global warming at two degrees Celsius.Wed, 02 Dec 2015 16:16:05 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/263848/climate-action-means-industry-government-and-peop.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/263483/fast-fashion-fright.htmlSitting here on my red cotton Ikea couch, wearing Zara sweatpants, Forever 21 flannel, and a cozy H&M sweater, I am glancing around anxiously, worried they'll see me in all this cotton.Wed, 25 Nov 2015 13:45:09 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/263483/fast-fashion-fright.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/262949/its-time-to-clean-up-our-digital-waste.htmlOnce upon a time, the use of email was going to reduce paper use and costs internally for businesses. Remember those email signatures reminding the more old-school in the office "please do not print this email?"Wed, 18 Nov 2015 14:15:06 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/262949/its-time-to-clean-up-our-digital-waste.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/262409/are-there-hats.htmlShrieking hurricanes, raging forest fires from hell, and the steady parching of the world's biggest population centers. The horsemen of the climate change apocalypse are almost upon us and their advance guard is here. And there are still those who continue to deny the reality of the effect human actions have had on the environment.Wed, 11 Nov 2015 15:18:05 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/262409/are-there-hats.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/261002/chipotle-gives-new-life-to-paper-to-go-bag.htmlThere are many environmentally harmful habits I still need to stop (e.g., drinking pod coffee), but like many other tree huggers, I have become obnoxious about avoiding one-use bags. On days I forget my cloth grocery bag (most days), I can be seen wobbling through the streets of Los Angeles, precariously balancing a milk jug on top of a cereal box on top of toilet paper.Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/261002/chipotle-gives-new-life-to-paper-to-go-bag.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/260880/tech-helping-medical-devices-go-green.htmlEven if we're loathe to admit that climate change is a thing, it makes sense for those who use the most energy to do what they can to keep their carbon footprint in check, which puts the medical industry right up near the top of the list.Wed, 21 Oct 2015 10:45:04 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/260880/tech-helping-medical-devices-go-green.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/260381/how-to-penetrate-a-reality-distortion-field.htmlIt may come as a surprise to those of us who consider ourselves au courant with the state of the world, not to mention sane, that there are still people out there who would deny the reality of human-caused climate change. So imagine how you might feel upon encountering voices that say global warming is actually good for humans.Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:00:06 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/260381/how-to-penetrate-a-reality-distortion-field.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/259859/the-new-and-improved-sustainable-development-goa.htmlI spent two intense days at the Social Good Summit in New York last week and left feeling both exhausted and exhilarated. The exhaustion was the result of attending six hours of back-to-back sessions with no break, listening to an impressive mix of leaders from business, government, the entertainment world, NGOs, start-ups and civil society talk about the challenges confronting the world today. These leaders have established 17 ambitious sustainable goals for the world to accomplish-in only 15 short years. The exhilaration came from feeling empowered to think about new ways to tackle some of these goals using the powerful marketing tools at our disposal. My first step is to share a few ways that can marketers and brands engage with these goals and a few pointers.Wed, 07 Oct 2015 12:00:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/259859/the-new-and-improved-sustainable-development-goa.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258940/how-marketers-can-overcome-greenwashing-for-consum.htmlConsumers are becoming increasingly more sophisticated in making environmentally friendly decisions, prompting marketers to devise ever more nuanced methods of "green communication." The Federal Trade Commission's Green Guides have been revised only twice in the last 17 years, most recently in 2012, and these infrequent updates struggle to keep pace with marketing strategies that may give rise to consumer confusion and deceptive greenwashing by companies.Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:48:04 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258940/how-marketers-can-overcome-greenwashing-for-consum.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258462/marketers-use-your-green-words-wisely.htmlWhen it comes to selling green or energy-efficient products, we marketers tend to throw around a lot of jargon. But do consumers really speak our language? A recent research report from Shelton Group shows that some green buzzwords are big consumer favorites, while others are total turnoffs.Wed, 16 Sep 2015 15:12:02 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258462/marketers-use-your-green-words-wisely.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258003/the-court-of-public-opinion.htmlWitch-hunts, tar, feathers and public pillorying are not usually found in the modern marketing plan. But sometimes, you have to go back in time to move forward. Let's talk about the subject that has displaced discussions by Californians of where you can find the best yoga studio, quinoa salad or stretch of beach: the water crisis.Wed, 09 Sep 2015 15:10:03 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/258003/the-court-of-public-opinion.html