Big Blue Marble Day - Marketing Ploy or Celebration?

Today is Earth Day.  I'm glad there is a day designated to the Earth, trees, wind, rain, water, rivers, mountains, snow, sun, flowers, grass..all the things I love.

I often wonder why our holidays are primarily about our country and religion.  Yes there are things like Mother's Day and Father's Day.  Groundhog Day is great except for that whole pulling the groundhog out of the ground and scaring him to death thing.

I love the Earth and I'm glad there's a Day...but how do you celebrate it? Is it just a giant marketing gimmick or is it a day that makes people really think about Mother Earth?

People often ask if I'm green. (I reply that I'm a dark beige with some spots of taupe and chocolate brown spattered around.)     Yes, I guess compared to some I'm green.  I was brought up that way and remember the day when in a church vacation bible school class the correlation between religion and the environment was introduced to my tiny 5-year-old mind.  I've hung on tight to that ever since.  It makes me whole.

Then why do I feel so conflicted today?  I'm at my desk trying to choose between four different lunchtime "celebrations" and don't feel that any of them are genuine. They are all peddling something...a company, product, etc.  Being in marketing, I should be comfortable with that but I'm not.

The public relations professional side of my brain tells me that even if these folks are peddling their wares that it is a good thing to introduce the concept of caring for the earth to people. Many public awareness campaigns I've worked on started this way.  Someone has to pay for all these good messages to make sure they get out to those who need it.

I just want to get out on the river and paddle. If I do that I'll just see the plastic bottles floating about and get sad.  (BTW a client's product that collects those bottles made it to the CBS Early Show today) http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6421126n&tag=api  .

For Earth Day I'm writing this blog. I'm asking you to stop and think about Earth Day and what it means to you - if anything.  All the bright shiny objects that are being dangled in front of you today. Are they worth the trade off to get just one more person recycling, composting or driving less?

In the long run the concerts, Facebook posts, lunches, and dog and pony shows are worth it to me.  Some people weren't fortunate enough to be in that VBS class at Brookhaven Christian Church in 1971 and they didn't have a garden in the back yard.  We've got to dangle something in front of them just to get their attention.

What's your opinion?

Create an Opportunity

Last week I traveled to Washington DC for a client - ZiptoGreen. This client has a wonderful new website that helps homeowners become more energy efficient. I've worked with this messaging for about five years and know that it takes something amazing, shocking or newsworthy to cut through the clutter.

ZiptoGreen has assembled a terrific team of marketing pros to create opportunities to grab attention for the company. We are thinking outside the box & bulb when it comes to this client.

While in DC we took the ZiptoGreen Zip Zappers around the city and asked people to sign a pledge to be more energy efficient. Of course our sleek green people with Watts Wands and electric meters around their necks attracted much attention. While in front of the White House a photographer from Roll Call newspaper snapped a few shots which appeared in the newspaper the next day. The newspaper is the official newspaper of Capitol Hill - a target market for ZiptoGreen.

Later that day we launched ZiptoGreen nationally at the National Press Club. The energy and excitement generated by the minds in the room was enough to light a city. Great minds and people all coming together with a common cause - reduce energy consumption.

In DC we created something - started a movement - used our creative energies to launch a company. Check out http://www.ziptogreen.com and create your own energy efficiency plan. Look for more great things to come.

Thinking outside the box - or power meter

CoreComm PR has a new client with a message that's important but one that people just don't want to hear --- energy efficiency. I've been working with this topic for five years now. I've learned that people really want to know what's in it for them. In this case they can save money - saving energy is the secondary message.

At the Zip to Green (www.ziptogreen.com) launch party last night the crack marketing team comprised of CoreComm PR, Tin Roof Advertising and Design Coup unveiled a team of characters to help keep energy efficiency top of mind --- The Zip Zappers. The idea is that they zap people who aren't using energy wisely and they remind people that energy efficiency is important.

Over the next few weeks we will be polishing up the Zip Zappers before they take to the streets of Washington DC. We have big things planned for our nation's capitol - including a press conference at the National Press Club on Oct. 6.

More info to come.