Kiwano Marketing » community involvement

Social Media Crisis Management: Best Practices and Horror Stories

Sofia Ribeiro — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:40:09 +0000

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of talking with Elisa Birnbaum, an established freelance writer and contributor at Charity Village. Elisa writes about social media strategies and tactics for non-profit organizations. This time around, she focused on social media policies – and what can happen when you don’t have guidelines in place.

”If you’re an avid devotee of social media, chances are you’ve already heard about this infamous gaffe,” writes Elisa on her cover story, Social Media: What’s Your Policy? ”A Red Cross employee uses HootSuite to send out an otherwise-innocent tweet about her alcohol-induced evening in the company of a specific beer. She thought she was sending it from her personal account. But she was wrong.

As we all know, mistakes like that are not easily repealed and once you’ve hit that send button it’s hard to take things back. But here’s the thing about the Red Cross and their reaction to the incident: no one got fired, nothing hit the proverbial fan and no one went into heavy crisis mode. In fact, they made light of the situation with an affable response.”

Elisa goes on sharing similar stories (with not so similar happy endings). After interviewing a handful of social media experts, Elisa compiled a list of top 5 tips for crafting your own social media policy:

1. Don’t forget it will have an impact on internal operations. For example, your hiring process may be affected and you may now need to re-evaluate who you hire and the type of qualifications they offer.

2. Make sure your policy is comprehensive, but yet easy to understand. Your goal is to get people to read and follow your policy (and not just scan through it).

3. Work on your policy with your marketing and sales team. Make sure your policy and your social media presence are aligned with your brand.

4. The policy should cover every possibility, including the likelihood of replacing your social media manager. People may be attached to a certain voice, making it hard for new staff to take over.

5. Keep in mind that your social media policy is always a work in progress. Social media is a dynamic, evolving medium and you want to make sure your policy stays relevant at all times.

Read the complete article at CharityVillage.com.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Environment

Sofia Ribeiro — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:11:16 +0000

Yesterday I read quite an interesting article by Andrew Winston in the Sustainable Life Media blog, titled “Why Companies Keep Investing in Renewable Energy.” It goes like this:

” One of the big misperceptions about going green is that it always costs money. In reality, seeing your business through an environmental lens will greatly lower costs and risk. But of course, beyond the quick payback of eco-efficiency projects, managers face choices about more expensive investments that may take longer to pay off. At the top of that list is buying renewable energy, which is what many execs think of first when they think ‘green’ (thus the misunderstanding that ‘green equals cost’).

Yet many large companies seem to be accelerating their renewables investments, both for onsite generation and through buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) to ‘offset’ their carbon emissions. By my calculation, the total green power generation of the top 25 [Green Power Buyers] is up 14% since last year and has tripled over the last 5 years.”

Some of these companies include the Kimberly-Clark, P&G, IKEA and (believe it or not) Ford.

One cannot help but wonder… why don’t we see more companies investing in renewable energy? I believe it’s mainly lack of knowledge. And that’s why the latest CBSR event is so timely.

Join CBSR in Vancouver on Wednesday, May 18, and learn how local and international businesses have grown their organizations by providing services, products and knowledge that help create a more sustainable world.

When:
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
8:00 AM – 11:15 AM PST

Where:
Vancouver Convention Centre
1055 Canada Place, West Building
Vancouver, BC

Keynote Speaker: Geoff Green, Founder of Students on Ice, Adventurer, Explorer, Environmentalist and named one of the 25 Transformational Canadians

Leadership Panel:
Andreas Souvaliotis, President, AIR MILES for Social Change
David Demers, CEO, Westport Innovations
Stuart McLaughlin, President, Grouse Mountain Resorts and Whistler Water
Ben Packard, Vice President of Global Responsibility, Starbucks Coffee Company
Francois Taschereau, Executive VP, Weber Shandwick

*UPDATE*
This event has been canceled.

For more information on upcoming events, please visit CBSR’s event page.

Tackle Shoreline Litter Issues… And Have Fun At It!

Sofia Ribeiro — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:02:29 +0000

If you live in one of the coastal provinces of Canada, you’ve probably heard of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup – an eight-day event to raise awareness towards shoreline litter issues by engaging Canadians to rehabilitate shoreline areas through… (you guessed it!) cleanups.

Although the Cleanup will only take place in September, the wheels are already in motion with some great events coming up. As a way to connect with locals on coastal litter issues, the Vancouver Aquarium has partnered with eeko Couriers, Kiwano Marketing and Capers Whole Foods to bring you an afternoon full of live entertainment, educational sessions and a silent auction featuring exciting goodies.

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Pre-Event + Silent Auction
Saturday, March 26, from 12pm to 4pm
Capers Whole Foods
1675 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

This family‐friendly event will feature live entertainment by The White Lies and a special appearance by the Vancouver Aquarium’s very own lovable mascot, Bee Bop. The street team will also be giving away children’s tattoos while educating the community on shoreline litter –and what you can do about it.

Some of the items featured in the silent auction include:

- Autographed Alexandre Burrows’ Vancouver Canucks jersey
- Justin Morneau’s autographed baseball bat
- MLS Vancouver Whitecaps tickets
- Animal encounter tour at the Vancouver Aquarium
- 2010 Canada Gold Medal Painting
- Gift baskets by Ethical Bean, Xtreme Promotions and Van Houtte Coffee
- Gift certificates by Cactus Club, eeko Couriers and Earls Restaurant.

All of the funds raised will be donated to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

A joint conservation partnership between the World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Vancouver Aquarium, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is currently one of the largest direct action environmental events in Canada, engaging tens of thousands of participants annually in every province and territory. The 2011 annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup will run for a week, starting on September 17th.

For more information on the Silent Auction and how to donate, please contact:

Mike Shekhtman
CEO, eeko Couriers
T: 604.688.9500
D: 604.329.8744
mshekhtman@eekocouriers.com
www.eekocouriers.com

We look forward to seeing you on March 26.

The Climate Smart Program: Cut Costs. Cut Carbon.

Sofia Ribeiro — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:17:25 +0000

What do Cactus Club, the BC Teacher’s Federation, Hip Baby and Purdy’s Chocolates have in common? They’re just some of the many businesses cutting costs by actively reducing their carbon emissions.

Climate Smart, the leading provider of GHG measuring and reduction training programs for small and medium enterprises, is kicking-off the first 2011 training program – so book your spot before they run out.

What strikes me as surprising is that many of these organizations are not perceived as the typical “green” brands – another indicator that sustainability is no longer a consideration for the niche, green market, but a business strategy across the board.

How It Works:

With access to a carbon management software and up to 4 hours of one-on-one technical support, the training is built around a three-step process:

1. Measure. Learn precisely how to calculate your carbon footprint through methods outlined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (the international standard for carbon accounting) and map your business operations to identify where your emissions occur.

2. Reduce. Develop strategies to reduce your emissions, from simply turning off light switches to upgrading boilers and encouraging alternative commuting. Climate Smart will help you figure out which strategies will work best for your business, using its software to project savings and calculate the potential payback period on each strategy.

3. Leverage. Learn how to build buy-in for your reduction initiatives among your staff, and how to talk about your accomplishments authentically in your marketing materials. You will also learn the basics of the voluntary carbon offset market—so if you want to purchase offsets and go carbon neutral, you’ll have the information you’ll need to do so.

Climate Smart alumni include the YWCA Vancouver, White Spot, Van Houtte Coffee Services, the Umbrella Short and the Surrey Board of Trade, among others.

Businesses that complete the Climate Smart program are eligible to participate in the City of Vancouver’s Corporate Climate Leaders Program. This initiative supports and recognizes local businesses that reduce GHG emissions cost-effectively. For details and a list of companies that the City is profiling and showcasing, visit the Vancouver’s Green Capital website.

Musings from a Traveling Green Marketing Professional

Sofia Ribeiro — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:20:28 +0000

Well, that was a long time without writing! I’m finally back in Vancouver after traveling around the world for the past 2 months. Quite some lessons I’ve learned along my journey… The most important one? The environment is definitely not on everyone’s priority list.

During my stay in Angola, Africa, I noticed a lack of the most basic living conditions, such as housing and sanitation. When asked about their top concerns, most people would reply “food on my table tonight” or “not letting the mud waters stop me from going to work, so I can keep my job.” For an entrepreneur such as myself, I couldn’t stop thinking that there’s an enormous business opportunity here – with a great potential to actually make a difference.

So, you provide a service that overall has a considerable minor impact on the environment when compared to your competitors. You’ve been fairly successful in established markets such as the US, Canada and Europe, and you want to get into new, developing economies… but your market research shows that they’re not ready yet to invest in eco-friendly businesses (countries such as Angola). Don’t feel discouraged; you may just need to tweak your key selling proposition.

Just a few days ago I was having coffee with my good friend and fellow marketer Joyce, a local online marketing expert and a young business professional. We were talking about the green industry, and how too many people focus only on the eco-friendly benefit. “If you have a product that does one thing amazingly well or fulfills a unique market demand… why wouldn’t you focus on THAT?!,” said my wise friend.

She’s right. For the past five years the green industry has grown exponentially, and it seems some business leaders are just not getting the point. On their book Green To Gold, Andrew Winston and Dan Esty outline how businesses should stay away from focusing on the green selling point; instead, smart business owners use the “Third Button Rule,” where the green benefit is part of the marketing spin, but almost as a side note.

You need to answer the question “What is truly unique about my product? How is it different from the rest?” Think about performance, cost savings, improved health, … you name it. Customize your message: identify the problem, provide a solution and give it a spin.

If you’re trying to get into a developing economy, this can be as simple as looking at the basics. If, for instance, there’s a lack of shoe wear (problem), then you can provide resilient, low-priced shoes (solution) that are made of recycled materials and/or by local artisans (the sustainability advantage).

Notice the order: first you address the main issues or concerns – shoes that are resilient (quality) and low-priced (cost-savings) – and then you mention your commitment to environmental and social responsibility, almost as an after-thought. Based on my experience, if you just focus on the eco advantage, you probably won’t go far – especially in developing markets.

So, if you’re looking to get into a country where poverty, lack of housing and clean water are the main issues, you may want to focus on products and services that directly address these concerns – always ensuring your impact on the environment is as little as it can be.

Have A Cool Green Idea? Make Some Bucks While Helping Your Community

Sofia Ribeiro — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:57:02 +0000

Are you into the environment? Looking to make a difference? The Vancouver Foundation just launched yesterday the Generation Green Awards, a program dedicated to reward youngsters for their green initiatives. They are giving 20 cash awards (up to $12,500) for environmental projects in Vancouver by young people aged 6 to 24.

The Generation Green Awards will be given to three age groups (6 – 12; 13 – 17; 18 – 24), and both individuals and groups can apply. Groups can be made of teams of two or more people, large groups, or an entire classroom. Each team submission must identify one team leader who should submit the application.

Additional requirements include:

• You must have a connection to Vancouver — you live, work, volunteer or go to school in Vancouver.
• Your project must take place in a Vancouver neighbourhood. Check out the list of Vancouver neighbourhoods.
• The project can take place on your Vancouver street or local neighbourhood, and/or at a school, community centre, Neighbourhood House, library or other community facility.

What Kind Of Ideas Qualify?
The focus of the Generation Green Awards is the environment… so your green idea should help improve Vancouver’s environment. In your application, you will have to describe your idea, where in Vancouver it will happen, and how your project will improve the neighbourhood’s environment.

Some suggestions:

• encourage more recycling
• urban farming
• neighbourhood greening
• promote more green vegetation
• reduce garbage/waste
• protect, conserve or improve water quality
• improve air quality
• reduce energy use/alternative power generation
• promote better ways of getting around
• preserve or restore natural areas, such as forests or beaches

These are just a few sample ideas – feel free to run wild!

The deadline for applications is March 4. For more information and to apply online, check www.vancouverfoundationawards.ca and follow the Vancouver Foundation on twitter: @VanFdnGreen.

The Journey to Sustainability: A Framework

Sofia Ribeiro — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:26:47 +0000

Last week, I started reading The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide To Green Business, by Giselle Weybrecht. It’s been quite an interesting read, providing managers and business owners with a simple, easy to follow framework to implement sustainable business practices into their organization.

One of the chapters that stood out in this book was “Getting Started.” It’s now well known that businesses should implement environmentally and socially responsible business practices for ethical and economic reasons. But how do you actually get started?

Here are some of Giselle’s recommendations:

1. Understand where you are now.
Start by thinking about the type of company you manage or work for. Explore what is currently happening and whether you can build on other initiatives already taking place in the company or if you should start a new one. Answer the following questions:

- Where do you currently stand?
- How is your organization impacted by society and the environment?
- What impact does your organization have on society and the environment?
- What issues are important to you?
- What kind of a culture does your company have?

2. Find out what’s happening around you.
Now that you understand what is happening in your organization and the issues that affect you, take a look at what’s happening in terms of regulations, best practices and interesting initiatives others are doing. Address the following considerations:

- What regulations affect you?
- What voluntary mechanisms are out there?
- What is the rest of the industry doing?
- What are the perceived best practices?

3. Decide where you want to go and why.
At this stage, you’re starting to define your strategy and approach to sustainability. You will need to identify your drivers, baseline, budget and the best point of entry. You will also develop the business case and identify the framework and tools that will work for you.

4. Engage others and gather support.
Experience shows that, in order for sustainability to be successfully mainstreamed into an organization, employees, the CEO and other stakeholders must be fully engaged. Engagement requires building relationships not only with your customers and suppliers, but also with communities, social groups, governments and citizens. You will need to:

- Confirm CEO/management commitment;
- Build cooperation internally;
- Engage business partners and clients;
- Identify and engage stakeholders;
- Connect with outside networks.

5. Put your plan in place and make it happen.
Develop a roadmap with clear objectives and goals to help the company go where it wants to go. You will need to make short, medium and long-term considerations when drafting your strategy:

- Create realistic targets and objectives (the so-called SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific).
- Prioritize.
- Create a structure and pilot projects.
- Align business systems.
- Give people the tools.

6. Keep it going.
Things don’t stop once you put your plan in motion. You will need to monitor your activities, reevaluate your efforts and adjust your strategy to the ever-changing sustainability industry. Keep in mind that successful strategies take time and effort to implement and should be continuously revisited. The following suggestions will boost the success rate of your sustainability initiatives:

- Communicate internally and externally.
- Monitor.
- Scale-up.
- Look for continuous improvement.

Once you implement this framework – or a similar one – to your sustainability programs, you should see an increase in brand awareness, employee retention rate and customer satisfaction.

OWN YOUR OWN Local Market: A Cocktail of Trendy, Sustainable Products

Sofia Ribeiro — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:28:16 +0000

Looking to give something back this Christmas? Here’s how: buy local gifts.

LOCO, a Vancouver not-for-profit organization focused on growing the local economy, and the Strathcona Business Improvement Area (SBIA) present Own Your Own Strathcona, a market to promote locally-made, cool and ethical products.

Showcasing that Christmas shopping can be fun and yet sustainable, the OWN YOUR OWN Strathcona market offers shoppers unique products from Vancouver businesses, and is the first of a series of events to promote the best of local clothing, décor, art and food. Featuring everything from popular eco brands to wholesale products and men’s and women’s lifestyle, the OWN YOUR OWN Strathcona market is set for everyone to enjoy a day of local holiday shopping.

OWN YOUR OWN Strathcona Local Market
December 4, 2010, from 11am to 6pm
Chapel Arts
304 Dunlevy St.
Vancouver

According to Amy Robinson, the Executive Director at LOCO, Christmas sales in the US last year were 3% stronger in cities with Buy‐Local campaigns. In Metro Vancouver alone, that would be equivalent to an increase of $145 million over the holiday season – money that would stay in your community, creating and maintaining jobs for family, neighbours and friends.

But the Own Your Own market on December 4th is not just about local sustainable shopping – it’s about finding trendy, ethnic and unique products while boosting your Christmas shopping to another level. The event, held in a renovated art deco church in the heart of Vancouver’s original downtown, features the best of Strathcona’s businesses and products under one roof, such as clothing from Eco Apparel and Ken Diamond, décor for home and body from Deserving Thyme, gift baskets from Saul Good, and many others.

So, this year, instead of going into a crowded mall (and deal with the stress of parking lots, endless line‐ups and poor service), try doing some local Christmas shopping – and let us know about your experience.

Climate Smart: Cutting Costs by Cutting Carbon

Sofia Ribeiro — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:28:13 +0000

Last week I was attending a networking event here in Vancouver and I got to meet the owner of a local small business. We were chatting about new, lasting trends in business, and I asked him what he was doing in order to become environmentally sustainable. He told me how they reduced their printing habits, and how they switched to recycled paper and started turning off their computers at the end of the day. “That’s a great start,” I said. “What’s next in your to-do list?”

Truth is, he didn’t know what else he could do. Being a small business owner, he feels that most sustainability programs out there are geared towards large corporations, and require investments that small businesses simply cannot afford.

He’s right: being in front of a sustainable marketing agency, I came to realize that there’s a gap between environmental initiatives and businesses – especially the availability of those programs for corporations versus small businesses. And this makes me wonder: in a country where over 99% of companies are considered small businesses, how come there’s still a lack of sustainability initiatives specifically developed for this segment?

So today I decided to start a series of blog posts on programs and initiatives out there geared to help small businesses become environmentally responsible. And what better occasion to talk about Climate Smart and their upcoming training program?

As part of the City of Vancouver’s goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020, Climate Smart and the City have partnered to engage the business community in a comprehensive training program that takes small and mid-sized enterprises through the process of creating a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and developing reduction strategies with a focus on cost savings, operational efficiency, and brand lift.

Climate Smart is a comprehensive professional development and training program that includes:

- A series of three interactive half-day training sessions
- Access to a top-rated, web-based GHG management tool
- One-on-one technical assistance

Participating businesses will benefit from a reduced fee and be showcased as early adopters of GHG management and leaders in the Vancouver business community. Businesses have the option of participating in one of two training groups with dates kicking off on November 25 and November 30.

Details:

Climate Smart Training Program
November 25 and November 30
From 8am to 12pm
Venues to be announced

Space is limited to 20 Vancouver-based businesses.

A brief history of Climate Smart:
Climate Smart began in 2007 through a collaboration between Ecotrust, Pembina and the David Suzuki Foundation. Since then, Climate Smart has worked with 300+ enterprises and some large training partners like Vancity, Metro Vancouver, City of Portland and the Climate Action Secretariat. Climate Smart has been recognized as the leading provider of carbon tracking tools, training and technical support to small and medium-sized enterprises and its online greenhouse gas management tool for SMEs was rated No. 1 in North America by Carbonzero.

CBSR Summit – Defining the Day: Reaching out to solve complex challenges

Sofia Ribeiro — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:34:08 +0000

The 8th Annual CBSR Summit kicked-off this morning with a quick introduction from Adine Mees, CEO at CBSR. Themed Collaborating for Sustainable Change, this year’s summit promises to be one to be remembered.

“At last year’s summit, we talked about transformational corporate social responsibility. One of the questions that came up was ‘How can you get together two businesses that compete with each other to work together on a sustainability initiative?’” says Mees. “Collaboration is critical for driving innovation.”

This couldn’t be more relevant for today’s businesses. As we outlined in our article Get Those Green Partnerships Rollin’, strategic partnerships allow you to:

1. Tap into market niches that you’d never be able to get into without an “insider contact”.
2. Access a wealth of information and powerful resources, already tested by other companies similar to yours – saving you time, effort and frustration along the way.
3. Grow brand champions and more effectively get the word out.

But how do you ensure you have the right framework for a successful collaboration?

• Authenticity: Businesses must have genuine intentions to be sustainable and back this up with clear results.
• Corporate Transparency: Ensure full disclosure to your consumers, critics and the financial community.
• Alignment with the Right Partner: Companies should make sure that the organization that they align with can credibly speak on behalf of all of the company’s critics.

“Sustainability is not about changing the way we do things,” says Claude Ouimet, SVP at InterfaceFLOR “Sustainability is about changing the way we think.”

Sustainability is a mindset shift that leads to businesses to action. Becoming sustainable is not just a thinking exercise; it’s a moral issue, and it must come from the heart.

“If you can inspire the people around you, anything is possible,” continues Ouimet. “You tap into people’s passion and energy,” and that is what fosters change.