‘Bags of Change' wins Blue Rocket and Ethical Junction PR competition
A company operating a new and unusual loyalty scheme to reduce plastic bag usage and support independent retailing is the winner of a free PR Starter Kit from ethical media relations agency Blue Rocket.
‘Bags of Change‘ – http://www.bagsofchange.co.uk/ – entered the Blue Rocket and Ethical Junction PR competition and impressed the judges with its approach to ethical shopping that builds a unique relationship between retailers and consumers.
The scheme encourages shoppers to purchase sustainable and stylish shopping bags that carry the Bags of Change logo. Discounts of up to 20% are then awarded to shoppers who use the bags by independent ethical retailers signed up to scheme.
The bags are made from environmentally-friendly materials such as hemp, organic cotton and natural rubber, helping to protect both the environment and the people who farm and produce them. Affiliated retailers benefit from targeted marketing through a dedicated webpage on the Bags of Change website plus feature promotions in consumer-focused newsletters. Visitors to the website can recommend their favourite retailers to be added to the scheme.
Judging this competition alongside Blue Rocket director Tor Goldfield and Ethical Junction founder Tom Barnett were:
· Gideon Burrows editor of ngo.media, the leading copywriting agency for charities and publishers of business start-up guide Your Ethical Business
· Jessica Tyrrell from London Rebuilding Society, which provides loan finance and business support to social enterprises in the Greater London area
· Tommy Hutchinson, founder and CEO of i-genius, the world community of social entrepreneurs
When reviewing the entries the judges were looking for the organisation that had the greatest opportunity for growth and would most benefit from strategic PR support. Bags of Change stood out as an innovative twist on the use of sustainable shopping bags with the potential to become main stream if marketed appropriately.
Commenting on the motivation behind the competition, and the selection of Bags of Change, Tor Goldfield said: "PR can be one of the most powerful communications channels for a small company but one that many business owners may feel they can’t afford. We have developed the PR Starter Kit to help address this issue. The package is designed to provide the perfect blend of strategic and tactical advice to kick-start a campaign or re-charge existing activity. When choosing the winner we were looking for an organisation that would capture media interest and be able to fully utilise the guidance offered."
Bags of Change co-founder Faith Simpson is delighted to have won the competition. She comments: "As a small business that is just over a year old, our marketing activity has to be extremely targeted. We’ve had some success with PR in the past, so we know it works, but we need expert advice on how to take this to the next level. Our ultimate aim is to help reduce plastic bag use in the UK and support the wonderful independent shops that are so crucial to the wellbeing of our local communities. We look forward to working with Blue Rocket on achieving this goal."
Founded by serial social entrepreneur Kim Stoddart, Blue Rocket is an ethical media relations, branding and communications agency based in Hove. Clients are nationwide and span social enterprises, charities and traditional companies. Sister company Green Rocket C.I.C is a social enterprise that acts as a growth engine for green business – 75% of Green Rocket’s profits are re-invested in environmental initiatives.
For more information visit: http://www.bluerocketgroup.com/ / http://www.greenrocketgroup.com/
