I remember when I used to wait for a train on the London Underground as a student back in the Nineties. As with today, the announcer would inform the commuters of the lines that had disruptions on them within the Network. The District line was suspended or their was an electrical fault on the Central line. The information was crucial to journey planning. Then one day the messages changed. As well as being kept informed of the ‘problems’ on the line, the announcer started to tell us what was right with the Network. Announcements proclaiming that there was a good service on the Underground Network would punctuate the air. Someone, somewhere within the organisation realised that ALL the messages up to that point had been negative.

Whilst these negative messages were accurate and appreciated (especially if the line you planned to travel on was not affected) they didn’t instill much confidence. After all, if all you hear about something is that it doesn’t work, you begin to think it’s a bit crap. It did however instill a sense of trust. It meant that you could rely on the objectivity of the information even though you may have felt the network was crumbling before you.

Since then, London Transport has done even more to be transparent about their service. Drivers now keep us informed of the signaling issues whilst we wait between stations.

The original lesson learned by London Transport and subsequently by other brand managers is sometimes the driving force behind declaring the good aspects of ones organisation. It is important to instill confidence in what we do. That is, however, only part of the picture.

The lesson that must be remembered is that you can also instill trust by having the systems in place to alert your staff or customers of what is wrong. Not enough brand communications managers tell of what is wrong first. There are ’sandwich’ techniques for this where you place the negative message in between two positive ones.

I believe that to be a truly transparent brand you have to explain what is wrong sometimes even before you tell of what is right. That’s the kind of culture that will strive to be more customer focussed. That’s the kind of culture where trust is earned and confidence is built. That’s the kind of brand that can, on a good day, say ‘there is a good service on all lines’ and the message will be believed.

epitype is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

I was contacted a few days ago by a PhD student who was researching marketing and brand practices within the third sector. During our telephone exchange we discussed different strategies and brand models that could be adopted by organisations. As our conversation drew to a close I was asked the one question that divides marketing and brand managers within the third sector: should third sector organisations market themselves in the same way that commercial organisations do? I answered with a hesitant yes. My answer wasn’t wrong but it’s not exactly right either.

Read more

epitype is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

I believe reusable supermarket green bags are like mini billboards waiting for some marketing magic.  This is an advertising opportunity staring at us queuing shoppers.

• Why Advertise Someone Else’s Brand?

This is because YOU are the retailer’s brand ambassador, and a moving one at that, wandering around their target audience and giving brand endorsement to their shop – come and visit now as this person already does!!

Retailers don’t want to lose you. They know that you save them 100s of 1000s of pounds in marketing costs.

Supermarket marketers aren’t daft, and to do their bit to save the planet, many have begun producing reusable, eco-friendly shopping bags. BUT, rather than propping up a few this is an opportunity for all businesses, from SME’s, corporate to brand managers of FMCGs, to take a bite out of this rather, hitherto, exclusive pie and promote instead your own product or service

• Create Your Own Brand Ambassadors

Every household makes at least a weekly shop or a trip to the shops (even if they do their supermarket shop online!). How often have you looked in another customers basket or trolley in the queue to see what they are buying and struck up a conversation?
A well designed woven or laminated non-woven branded bag makes an interesting talking point.   It gives you the opportunity to display your goods or services to a wide audience and captures their attention at a time when they are looking for a distraction.

• Branded ‘Bags for Life’ are ideal for Marketing Campaigns

The high quality, shopping bags also make perfect customer gifts.  Make your eco-friendly bags feature high impact images ensuring that they are always the bag of choice to take shopping. They can be simple or colourful (with full colour printing).  You can totally customise a promotional bag to suit your exact needs and bring brand identify to life.

• Go Green

A beautifully branded stylish ecobag, with your company logo or picture, says a lot about you as an individual and your company.  It says you care and are concerned about the environment.
There has been a 48% reduction against a baseline of plastic bag usage in the four years since 2006 (source: wrap.org.uk.) This trend is set to continue.

As a savvy marketer this ‘green’ hot potato is an opportunity.  A branded retail environmentally friendly bag allows a company to position itself in a positive light, as well as taking advantage of this new branding potential.

• Change the Face of the High Street Forever!

The days of seeing a sea of plastic bags will hopefully soon be long gone. Be part of a new shopping army; do your bit for the environment; while your brand is promoted at the same time!

If you’d like to use a bag for life in your next marketing campaign, please visit www.smartbags.co.uk or contact leanne@smartbags.co.uk for more information

Smart Bags is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

More and more companies are willingly adopting a sustainable and ethical approach to running their business – let’s face it, they have no choice if they want to compete in today’s market.  And many companies are well known for manufacturing and selling ethical products.  So in these competitive times how do you stand out from the crowd?

Philippa Smart believes she has an answer.  Philippa’s design agency, Smart Ideas, understands that brand is an important part of a company’s success as it aims to capture the hearts and minds of customers by building an emotional connection.  Philippa has been helping companies design and build brand for many years.  But she is now leading the way in choosing to design brand in a sustainable manner. And that doesn’t just mean simply printing the end product on recycled paper.  It means looking at the design process and considering the whole reuse, reduce and recycle mantra at every stage. 

“We make sure that all elements of our design process are sustainable and that any action we take does not degrade the systems supporting it”, says Philippa, “and our customers certainly appreciate this effort”.  

Just imagine how powerful it could be to know that your brand is as ethical as your products and services.  So why not take a look at your brand and ask yourself the question – is my brand truly ethical?

A
growing area of awareness, as far as the Environment is concerned, is
our excessive use of “Throw Away Carriers” (“TACS”) and even
some of the larger “multiples” have used TV Advertising Campaigns
to encourage us to use ANY bag in their Stores.

In
the UK we get through something in excess of 11 BILLION “Throw Away
Carriers” (“TACS”) each year, which is over 300 per household,
and with the average “Life Span” of these “TACS” being around
8 minutes isn’t this all getting a bit ridiculous?

The
GOOD NEWS is that there are alternatives and by “Thinking
outside of the BAG”, it is possible to help BOTH the Environment
and YOUR Business…

In
2003 a Family Run Company “Ecobags”
launched. They specialise in working closely with High Quality
Independent Businesses across the UK to design & supply their own
range of
Highly effective, long lasting, reusable “Walking Adverts”, which
substantially cut down on the HUGE number of “Throw Away (single
use) Carriers” (TACS) used on a daily basis.

As Debbie Kay & Gavin Sheppard, the Directors of
“Ecobags” told us:

“Whilst
both working in Marketing, we became aware of the fact that most
businesses were keen to find new ways to get themselves noticed and
with the growing “interest” in Environmental Issues, the idea
came to us – WALKING ADVERTS – and “Ecobags” was born”.

“Over
the last six years we have developed relationships with hundreds of
High Quality Business clients across the UK and by “Thinking
outside of the BAG”
have helped them to BOTH increase their
exposure & sales, whilst at the same time reducing their
overheads & substantially helping the environment… Some of our
clients have reduced the number of “TACS” they use each year by
MANY pallet loads!!”.

But what do we mean when we say “Think outside of the
BAG?

“We’ve
all heard the expression “Thinking outside of the box” to come up
with something innovative and that’s exactly what we do with our
clients…. By changing your thinking a
bag becomes a dynamic Marketing tool.

What exactly are
“Ecobags”?

High Quality Bags, Custom Made for any Business – Any
Shape; Any Size; Any Colour – and come “Logo Printed”, so they
act as perfect LONG LASTING, COST EFFECTIVE “Walking Adverts”.

Debbie told us: “We have found, over the past few
years, there are FOUR MAIN REASONS for
Businesses to approach us and start to work with us:

1. The Business wants to show its customers that they are
   concerned about the Environment
   and by using “Ecobags” they will help to cut down on the 11
   billion Throw Away Carriers disposed of in the UK each and every
   year.

2. Businesses using long lasting, re-usable “Ecobags”
   will SAVE MONEY, as
   it reduces the overhead of “plastic carriers”. Customers who buy
   an “Ecobag” will bring it back every time they shop and not
   expect to be given throw-away carriers on each visit.

3. “Ecobags” are best sold at cost and as such will
   give any Business using them FREE
   ADVERTISING, as their customers walk around
   promoting that business wherever they go. Our clients have found
   that a majority of the General Public are quite happy and willing to
   pay for a High Quality, re-usable bag, to “do their bit for the
   environment” – think about it for a moment – would you? And
   most importantly, would your customers?

4. The Image & Identity
   of the Business MUST be protected. Our list of clients who regularly
   re-order from us is testimony that if you’re looking for a High
   Quality re-usable bag that needs to look good for the long term,
   then you need to consider talking to “Ecobags”.

Gavin then went on to say…

January
2008 saw “Ecobags” launch our major initiative: “Make 2008 the
year your Business Goes “TACS Free”".

“Many
of our existing clients, as well as plenty of new ones are
re-ordering so often, with more & more of their customers buying
their logo printed “Ecobags”, that they have been able to make
huge reductions in their spend levels on “TACS”.

One
of these clients, has reduced their weekly “TACS give away” from
3,000 bags to around 1,200. Just think for a moment the ANNUAL SAVING
you would make if you didn’t have to order ANY “TACS”, or even
substantially reduce the quantity you used day in, day out….

We are here ready to help any “Independent” who
wants to start working towards the day when they no longer have to
give away any bag, thereby helping the environment and INCREASING
THEIR PROFITS!

If you’re interested about finding out how “Ecobags”
could work with you, then more information can be found by visiting
their websites or calling them FREE:

0808 178 8822

www.ecobags.co.ukor
www.walkingadverts.com

SPECIAL OFFER for fellow members of “Ethical
Junction”:

20% OFF our standard “Price Guide” when you
mention this article

Seven addresses key issues from the seven continents

It is a magazine for politically conscious men and women with an interest in the international arts

Continue reading for a taste of articles from their recent issue or to receive the magazine yourself for free email sevenmail@sevenglobal.org

Glacier Hiking are the US super band made up of former members of The
Eels, Ross Golan and Molehead, and the Abandoned Pools. Freda Gordon
talks to the alternative rock outfit about their music career and
decision to finally release an EP after touring together for almost
three years: >>>

Alexa van Sickle was among the lucky two million people who got to see
Barack Obama inaugurated in Washington D.C.. She reports on her
experience in the US capital and how the election of the first
African-American president is helping the country to rediscover the
ideals it preached in the past: >>>

Young African filmmaker, Kwame Mante, speaks to Rachelle Hull about his
career so far and the short movie he created, I Am African: >>>

Seven’s Twitter was the first one in the whole wide world to bring you
the Oscar nominations in full. FACT. Join now, before it’s too late: >>>

Cheryl Gallagher writes about one man’s attempts to bring closure to
families who were victims of General Franco’s dictatorship in Spain: >>>

Is the rebirth of Kings of Leon a natural one? Or has it been conceived
as part of plans to reach a wider market? Heidi Vella muses on the
possible reasons behind the dramatic change in the sound and style of
one of the world’s biggest bands: >>>

Carl Packman looks at the impact Obama’s presidency will have on race relations in the US: >>>

Have social networking websites led to a decrease in our need to
socialise? Sarah Hellegren reports on the impact sites such as Bebo,
MySpace, Facebook and Twitter are having on our need to interact with
others: >>>

Lucy Portsmouth explores the perception of the female role in
speculative fiction, and asks how much feminism has had an impact on
gender representation in genre fiction: >>>

In case you haven’t seen them yet (where have you been?), check out this year’s Oscar nominations: >>>

If you would like to link swap with us, please contact: linkswap@sevenglobal.org
If you want to get involved, you can reach us at the following e-mail addresses:
Article commissions: sevendirect@sevenglobal.org
Joining the Seven mailing list: sevenmail@sevenglobal.org

Several million ethical consumers offer two ways to boost your business prosperity…

There is a new Ethical Junction member company going live very soon. It is called Your Ethical Startup (YES Club) and will be encouraging people to set up their own ethical businesses. Don’t worry! – rather than creating competition for existing Ethical Junction members, it will be focused on increasing awareness among consumers of the need to spend their budgets more thoughtfully from now on. In this way, YES Club is intended to create MORE business for existing ethical traders. It is also designed to enable more mutual support between ethical enterprises, this will be facilitated by the YES Forum, to be launched at the same time as YES Club.

YES has something you might find extremely
interesting: access to several million ethical consumers. If you would
like to attract some of these to your business as paying customers via
the new company, you might wish to consider the following:

1. Offering a discount to YES Club and YES
   Forum members. A discount offered at the YES launch could win you many
   new customers who will stay with you for years to come.
2. Running an event – perhaps a seminar,
   workshop or conference – during Spring or Summer of 2009. Again, YES
   members would need to be offered a discount. If you can trade it, you
   can teach it – why not open up a whole new revenue stream? And if
   you’re already running courses or other events, then this is your
   chance to promote them to several million new ethically-aware customers.
   

Please let us know as soon as possible if you
are interested in participating – the YES website launches shortly and
we would like to include as many special discounts and events as
possible.

Please contact YES here: info@ecobloomfield.com

Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 is being launched Sunday 22 February

Supreme Creations launched the UK’s first Fairtrade cotton supermarket carrier bag with the Co-operative stores and now have the widest rage of Fairtrade, Organic and natural cotton and jute bags for exhibitions, give-aways, packaging and retail.

As the largest ethical manufacturer with over 2,000 employees, when we drop our prices, we don’t drop our standards. It’s a tough climate and economic realities are daunting. And yet, some
businesses will respond proactively and effectively, while others are
left behind. Call 0845 230 5996 or email Kiran@supreme-london.com quoting ‘Special 14′.

Orders must be confirmed by 06 Feb for delivery to you for Fairtrade
Fortnight. (subject to acceptable artwork and approval by the Fairtrade
Foundation). This offer is not valid in combination with any other
offers, discounts or promotions. Click here to see the range.

Over the past few months, the ethical brand consultancy Scamper Branding have been pushing the boundaries of affordable web design and are now able to develop professional websites for a fraction of the usual cost.

“From our experience in web design and discussions with our clients, we found that there was a huge disparity between the cheap template websites that don’t meet clients needs, and custom designed websites that are very time consuming and therefore expensive to build” says Scamper’s Tom Greenwood.

“What many companies need is something in between, giving them a high
level of style and functionality at a price they can afford.”
By utilising the open source WordPress content management system (CMS)
and modifying the style and functionality of existing design themes,
Scamper are now able to give their clients advanced websites for the
cost of much more basic ones.

“We believe so strongly in this technique that we decided to practice
what we preach, and redesigned our own website according to these
principles. You can see the result at www.ScamperBranding.com” says
Vineeta Greenwood, co-founder of Scamper.

Now, to celebrate the launch of our new website, we are offering
Ethical Junction members free carbon neutral hosting with all WordPress
sites, as well as 10% off any sites ordered before the 1 April
2009.