Kiwano Marketing » media releases

A Hummingbird, Ninja & Wizard… The Perfect Triage of Environmental Consultants!

Sofia Ribeiro — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:00:22 +0000

We’re excited to announce that Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega, noted environmental consultant and academic, as well as creator of the popular blog, Hummingbird604.com, is partnering with Kiwano Marketing starting May 2010.

We couldn’t be more thrilled about this timely partnership. Raul is a Vancouver-based researcher, educator and consultant in environmental politics and policy, and has conducted research in the field of environmental public policy and politics for over 10 years. Raul is also an Instructor in the Department of Political Science at The University of British Columbia and the Regional Director, Western Canada, for the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP). A savvy researcher and educator, Raul uses a variety of online platforms in his teaching and writes for a broader audience on his research blog.

Why is this partnership important?

At Kiwano, we provide green marketing services to small and medium-size businesses. While we primarily work in the marketing and communications arena, Kiwano also enables organizations to become environmentally and socially responsible by partnering with renowned environmental consultants.

And this is where Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega comes in. Raul brings extensive expertise on the environmental science and policy field, providing grounded action plans on how businesses – and the government – can become environmentally sustainable. Raul’s know-how also includes the tracking and measuring of a company’s environmental impact, so businesses and governments can be accountable for their efforts.

This partnership enables Kiwano to offer complete environmental services to our clients, not only supporting organizations to become environmentally sustainable, but also effectively communicating added-value to the company’s clients, employees, stakeholders, partners, the community and the media.

Looking to partner with us? Get in touch!

Press Release: Vancouver to Host Canada’s First FreelanceCamp on May 29th

Sofia Ribeiro — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:00:29 +0000

Kiwano Marketing Sponsors Community-Driven ‘Unconference’ Connecting Freelancers, Partners & Customers

VANCOUVER, BC – April 28, 2010 – Do you own your own business or are looking to start one? Are you a consultant or contractor? Service-based freelancers of all kinds, rejoice — you’re no longer alone. FreelanceCamp Vancouver is rolling into town.

Over the last two years, FreelanceCamps have been organized to connect and engage both new and experienced freelancers with potential employers and partners, and examine the many issues and challenges associated with the explosive growth of the freelance market.

Due to the enormous success of FreelanceCamps across the US, Vancouver is hosting the first ever FreelanceCamp in Canada on May 29th, and registration to the event is now open.

FreelanceCamp Vancouver
May 29, 2010, from 9am – 5pm
The Network Hub
422 Richards Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2Z4

The sessions, nominated and chosen by participants across all areas of expertise, will focus on topics ranging from how to set up a consultancy and use marketing to attract clients, to business ethics and accounting for “solopreneurs.” FreelanceCamp’s relaxed environment encourages discussion, interaction and the open exchange of ideas.

“Freelancing is an empowering option reality in these difficult economic times, and there’s every indication that this hiring model has an enduring appeal for all kinds of businesses,” said Minna Van, founding partner of The Network Hub and chair of the FreelanceCamp organizing committee.

“FreelanceCamp is an ideal networking platform to bring together like-minded people with tremendous creativity and expertise, and organizations who would greatly benefit from this talent pool. And because this is, in many ways, an emerging way of doing business, it’s also an opportunity for discussion, collaboration and learning. We’re very excited to be hosting Canada’s first-ever event of its kind.”

Registration to FreelanceCamp is just $10 with the proceedings going to charity. For more information, or to register for the event, visit the event’s website and follow Vancouver FreelanceCamp on twitter at @604freelancers.

About Kiwano Marketing
Kiwano Marketing provides sustainable marketing services to small and medium businesses. Based in Vancouver, Kiwano designs affordable web and print marketing programs with high return on investment – generating more sales for our clients while serving our local community. For more information, please visit www.kiwano.ca, call us directly at 604.628.0142 or follow us on twitter at @Kiwano.

Kiwano would like to extend a special acknowledgement to Marketwire for their ongoing support.

Social Media Release: Top 5 Tips On Successfully Marketing Your Green Business

Sofia Ribeiro — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:00:14 +0000

We write regularly about green marketing and why it’s so relevant for companies nowadays. This time, the crew at Kiwano Marketing takes our insights one step further to share the top five tips on how to successfully market a green business.

1. Back up your claims.
Double-check your efforts when starting a green marketing strategy. Our advice is: don’t position yourself as a green business if you’re not walking the talk. Today’s consumers are savvy and inquisitive, and a false claim will seriously damage your brand – what people say about you. A company’s reputation is one of the most valuable assets an organization possesses. Bad publicity spreads quickly (it’s the most viral form of buzz there is), taking years to overcome.

2. Don’t position yourself as the green saviour.
Consumers are looking behind the label, and demand integrity from the companies where they make purchases. You should communicate your environmental and sustainability efforts – but don’t overdo it. Add a modest, sincere tone to your message and that will take you a long way. Consumers relate better with people than with organizations. Give your business a personal, honest image and you will generate positive word-of-mouth.

3. Engage the whole team and communicate your efforts internally.
This is one of the most important green marketing tips. You need internal support to be able to reflect your business green initiatives (consistent communications and continuity are musts for any successful marketing program). It is particularly important to engage your frontline employees: sales teams, the technical support department, and receptionists, in particular! Imagine how it would reflect on your company if your marketing department is promoting your environmental initiatives while the sales team is seen dumping dozens of still relevant brochures after a trade show.

4. Get your supply chain on board.
Engage your partners and vendors on your green marketing efforts. Communicate the pros of green marketing and provide incentives for a faster adoption. Focus on the new joint marketing opportunities you’ll be creating for your partners and suppliers – after all, if your supply chain is also becoming environmentally-sustainable, your suppliers will want to promote the new added-value and generate more business.

5. Don’t just focus on the green argument.
The green marketplace is quickly evolving and it’s not enough to focus your messaging on the green added-value of your products/services. You need to develop your product positioning so it’s a “no-brainer” for your clients to do business with you. This can take various forms, from communicating the quality of your product or service, focusing on the money your customers will be saving in the long term (and perhaps in the short term, depending where your product fits in the price scale), product innovation/design, etc. The goal is not to focus on the green argument uniquely; position your company as an organization that appeals to more than dark green customers.

About Kiwano Marketing
Kiwano Marketing provides green marketing services to small and medium businesses. Based in Vancouver, Kiwano designs affordable web and print marketing programs with high return on investment – generating more sales for your business while serving our local community. For more information, please visit www.kiwano.ca, call us directly at 604.628.0142 or just drop a comment below.

Kiwano would like to extend a special acknowledgement to the entire Marketwire team for their ongoing support.