Last night I attended Vertality2, a sustainable business networking event put on by Vancouver’s Board of Change. It’s part of my 2012 Resolution Pak™ to attend more of these things and network a little more effectively. Which sounds good until I am really too busy to go, and find myself looking around a room full of people I don’t know and thinking I should just get back home to catch up on work.

Fortunately, beer came to the rescue. I had one, which caused me to hang around long enough to spot someone I did know. Chris Livingstone, the Director of All Sorts Of Things at Globe (including the EPIC Vancouver show) and a guy who can put more names to faces than anyone I know. So I had another beer (Thanks, Chris) and before I knew it, I was talking to more people I didn’t even know.

The best part is, these were really good conversations. Green building standards, sustainability in the oil patch (?!), entrepreneurial ventures, sponsorship, yoga, car co-ops… smart people sharing lots of good ideas. And of course, more beer.

Mercifully quick speeches from representatives of Saltspring Coffee, Vancity and Hollyhock reminded me of just how human the successful corporate face of change is in this city. Monika Marcovici and Sonny Wong folowed up with the announcement of the one-thousand and first member of the Board of Change.

As I had another beer, I began to feel invigorated. Maybe we are building a critical mass of positive green thinking. Maybe the Rebel Alliance can muster a charge against the Empire. Maybe the changes I am working to make in my life and work are part of something greater.

Thanks, Board of Change. Thanks, Beer.

“OK, team, here’s the brief. We have a planet. Beautiful blue ball. Happy inhabitants threatened with a global emissions crisis that could cook the whole thing like an egg. We need to brand a planetary climate treaty. A deal that will galvanize everyone from CEO’s to little old ladies into international action to save the day! It’s the pitch of a lifetime!! So what do we call it? I need ideas, people!”

“Uh… how about Kyoto…”

“Kyoto?? What the hell does that have to do with anything? Who in their green mind is going to rally behind the name of an obscure Japanese town that doesn’t even have a Whole Foods™ market? You’re FIRED! And I need a drink…”

I know branding can’t solve everything, but it’s no surprise that the headline ‘Canada withdraws from Kyoto’ is met with a shrug. Sounds like a failed minor military campaign from WW2. “Sorry, chief – we pulled out. It was just too boring there.”

It would have sounded much more dramatic if Canada had to announce they were pulling out of the “Save-Our-Planet Agreement”. Or that Harper moved to block the “Global Disaster Aversion Treaty”.

Nothing against the fine people of Kyoto, but even they must be feeling the backwash from the negative press the name of their fine city is receiving.

Now we have Durban. (“Rhymes with turban! Could be catchy….?” No?”) And yet another deal in the making. Next year, negotiations will begin on a new, legally binding accord that will be signed by 2015 and come into force by 2020.

So we have about 3 years to come up with a better brand to save the world.

Don Draper, where are you?

Why should I risk my fingers rinsing out locally line-caught albacore tuna cans when some steel-toed doofus can mindlessly chuck his big mac wrappers right on top of the perfectly-recyclable cardboard, steel, and wood waste he spent the morning mixing together in a landfill-bound dumpster? How hard would it be to invent a materials separation system that is as easy as chucking it in the bin?

Well, the answer turns out to be, not very difficult at all. If you have Photoshop.

It’s a little more challenging to do in real life, but the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver appear to be taking it on. Under the Zero Waste category of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan, a section called Enhance Construction, Renovation & Demolition Recycling tackles this very issue, with a series of proposed projects and legal amendments. A bit more Googling led me to this Metro Vancouver PDF, asking for feedback on mandatory construction and demolition  recycling regulations.

No doubt many trades and developers will be howling like scorched cats at this latest affront to the easiest possible path to profit. But it really has to happen. And when it does, the recycler that can bring the easiest most intuitive system to market should be able to really clean up.

And all us happy home recyclers won’t feel quite as duped.

An Emily Carr Art Student Installation I think

Biking the Greenway to a meeting in East Van, I spotted this news box outside the Emily Carr University of Art campus. Nice work, whoever. You got it in one.

“Good Afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Councilors, Citizens. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Lorne Craig. I am a Vancouver business owner and have been for over 20 years. I run Unicycle Creative, a strategic marketing agency focused on sustainable business. I also write the GreenBriefs.ca blog on sustainability.

In other words, I am a Green Capitalist.

Unicycle Creative is one of the 395,000 small businesses that run the engine of BC’s economy, providing some 57% of private sector jobs. And believe me, I’m pedaling as fast as I can. So today I wish to speak out in favour of adopting the Greenest City Action Plan. Because for small business, green is a growth industry.

Every day I work with great local green businesses. I am also fortunate to advise regional companies like London Drugs as they implement industry-leading recycling programs.

Today I would like to talk about the value of the Greenest City brand.

Last month I attended Sustainable Brands 2011 in Monterey California, North America’s largest green branding conference. There, I discovered that Vancouver is already on the radar as a green business hub. But I believe our opportunity is even greater. One by one, world-leading brands took to the conference stage with their sustainability plans and accomplishments. And these were not the corner hemp store type of companies. These were Nike. SCJohnson. Starbucks. Adidas. Unilever.

These forward-thinking companies know that the tides of public concern, demand and legislation are steadily turning toward a more sustainable future. They also see there is money to be made. That’s why, all across the globe, corporations are investing to embed green thinking and practices directly into their operations and business models. So I think it makes sense for the City of Vancouver to do the same.

To the critics of this plan who say it ignores traditional industry sectors, I say that ‘green’ is not a ‘sector’. It is a survival strategy that runs through all businesses and sectors. From more sustainable film production, to high technology companies that enable greater efficiency, to resource companies that must do their jobs in new ways.

Our cities are where we must import food, live with pollution, deal with waste and generally start to clean up the mess. This is a time for bold goals, and municipal governments are in an excellent position to set them.

Striving to become The Greenest City in the World, Vancouver will attract the best businesses, while providing a role model for municipalities on the world stage.

But the local small green businesses of Vancouver could use more. We need more networking opportunities, quicker local procurement policy development and more small business support.

All of this could be achieved by taking Vancouver’s Green Capital brand just a bit further. Unite local green businesses under a ‘Green Capitalist’ brand extension. Organize local business trade shows and events. Let our legions of Green Capitalists proudly declare their status in the City of Vancouver and beyond.

I look forward to seeing the Greenest Cities Action Plan being approved by Council, and to be part of it as a proud citizen and Green Capitalist.

Thank You.”

I generally don’t like to just up and crap all over a piece of well-intentioned creative, but in this case I have to make an exception. Pre-apologies to any hard-working agency or client-side types I may offend.

Let’s begin by looking at Clover Leaf’s strategy here. Presumably, someone at head office has been getting heat from articles like this one which point out that Clover Leaf came in 11th out of 14 major Canadian canned tuna brands ranked in sustainability. So, they do what many industries do in cases like this; band together and create a business-led partnership under which they can publicize their progress as they attempt to maintain their current profit model with as little interruption as possible. For Clover Leaf, this is called the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation. I’ll leave it up to you to fish around and see for yourself if the ISSF is more than a well-intentioned delay tactic. Purely as a strategy though, an ad that describes the work this foundation does, and Clover Leaf’s connection to it would be a good thing. Unfortunately, this ad, in 350 words or so, does very little of that.

Design-wise, the ad is clean enough, though the un-captioned photos are completely meaningless (What kind of tuna is that? Who are those people? Why should I care?)

Regarding the content itself, the headline sets the tone. “Good for you. Good for us all.” Really? OK, what’s ‘good for us all’ in the copy? “Clover Leaf is committed to leading the way in preserving the world’s aquatic resources.” Over-promise much? To truly preserve aquatic resources, Clover Leaf should lead the way by shutting their doors. STOP FISHING! But of course, their whole business is built on taking fish stocks and feeding them to us in little cans. So that probably won’t happen.

Don’t get me wrong, I like eating tuna. Right from the can, even. But I cannot swallow another fluffy line that promises something the company cannot possibly deliver.

Try “Clover Leaf is working hard to evolve our fishing practices to reduce our impact on fish stocks around the world.” You can have that one for free.

Here’s another gem: “We are committed through our leadership and our actions to the effective management of ocean resources for generations to come.” What actions? There is no mention of any specific change in fishing practice or policy in the whole ad. And now they want to protect not only fish, but ‘all ocean resources’? Gee thanks. I can sleep now.

And to finish off, “‘Quality and taste every time’ is more than our mantra – it’s our commitment to you and future generations.” Did these guys just step out of the 70′s? Someone should tell them that today’s consumers want facts, not meaningless taglines.

Try building on 100 years of trust. Tell folks about the ISSF’s latest resolution to support the full closure of the purse seine fishery to reduce mortality of Big Eye Tuna. Heck, maybe explain that there actually ARE different species of tuna, some more threatened than others… ANYTHING!  Argh. I could be here all night trying to rewrite this pile of fluff.

The end result is an ad that says nothing, but tries to leave consumers with the impression that Clover Leaf is taking sustainability seriously. That is the very definition of greenwash, and it taints all the hard work of the brands and marketers who are working to make a genuine difference.

Clover Leaf, I may be black-listed forever from working on your brand because of this article. But if you continue to treat sustainability like just another marketing buzzword, that’s fine with me.

Want to do it right? Drop me a line.

P.S. If anyone out there wants to taste a real can of sustainable tuna, check out these guys.

This is just one of the conclusions of a study done by OgilveEarth (itself a mainstream version of a green brand) in their latest study, Mainstream Green, presented by Freya Williams.
Ogilve’s main thrust is that most people would prefer not to change the habits and attitudes that Madison Avenue has so lovingly taught them over the last 75 years or so. That is, life is to be lived conveniently while driving fast and keeping up with the Joneses – all at WalMart prices.
For marketers of more sustainable products and services here are a few key points, edited for brevity. And maybe just a bit editorialized. Sorry.

• Most people value themselves first, then their families, then community, then country, while the planet that supports the whole thing falls to a distant 5th.
• 70% of Americans would rather cure cancer than save the environment (presumably not linking the two issues very effectively) In China, where you can cut the air with a chainsaw, the ratio is reversed.
• Keep innovating. Sustainability should be New! Modern! SEXY!
• Lose the burlap, leaves and earths from all green packaging.
• Turn eco-freindly into male-ego-friendly. Apparently carrying a reusable shopping bag is too purse-like (No, I didn’t make this up!)
• Reassure people that they are ‘normal’ in making sustainable behaviour change.

Certainly the report makes good points.
Of course, they are correct when they say the masses are key to massive change. And I would love for all electric cars to have the performance of a Tesla with a Hyundai price. But to me, if Al Gore is a doctor saying we have to exercise or we will die, OgilveEarth’s report is trying to sell us a fat-jiggling belt that melts off pounds while we sleep.
Download the report for yourself here and let me know if you agree.

• Achievers – Prefer auction-style games, and games where not everyone can win
• Socializers – Enjoy the interaction of gaming with others
• Explorers – Love to find and discover
• Killers – Seek the win/lose game. Total domination.

The best games, Zicherman says, break down the A to Z journey into achievable steps, with rewards in stages of increasing complexity so users can achieve mastery. There are four basic rewards you can work with:
Status (Most engaging, least expensive. Example: ‘Mayor’ badge in Foursquare)
Access (To things, people, offers that others do not get – Example: ‘Insider’ deals)
Power (Over others, real or virtual)
Stuff (Most expensive and least engaging or unique)

Other presenters showed how even simple games can lead to better interaction with brands and behaviour change. In one Sacramento Suburban Power Project, participants were given the opportunity to track their energy use in real time and compete with other families. Zamzee is a project where children are given pedometer-like sensors that track their movements, and get points in a virtual world for being more active. This has resulted in a measurable increase in physical activity levels.

In one insidious slide, Michael Kim from Kairos Labs showed how game designers actually design for specific chemicals in the brain.

• Oxytocin – Bonding
• Serotonin – Positive Emotions
• Dopamine – Reward
• Cortisol/DHEA – Stress/Eustress (the good stress!)

So, as a marketer how might you test ‘gamification’ in a simple, easy-to-implement program? The experts’ answer:

Make it small. Shoot for small actions in a small community of users and build from there. And whatever you do, don’t try to replicate Angry Birds with your logo on it.

Each group views the world differently and will experience a different type of cynicism that defines their green skepticism. Have a look at these four points of view and see if you recognize yourself or anyone you know:

• Navy (Absolutistic)  Life is a test. “Global warming is a scam. It’s ridiculous liberal propaganda. It’s arrogant to think that man could change the climate.”
• Copper (Individualistic) Life is a game. “It’s not my job to take care of the weak, the lazy and the incompetent. They’ve got to suck it up and learn to take care of themselves”
• Jade (Humanistic) One human family. “Earth is a fragile system which is collapsing due to corporate greed.”
• Gold (Systemic) Life is a system. “Why am I always the only grownup in the room? This is exhausting. Maybe I should just say ‘to hell with it’ and get stinking rich before the world collapses”

So as a sustainability marketer, how can you better understand the worldview types you may encounter? In one empathy exercise, we were tasked to write a paragraph from a different coloured point of view from our own, as if they were stuck at a sustainability conference against their will. Then we were asked how we might encourage them to stay engaged. Here is my ‘Copper CEO Complaint’

“I can’t believe I am here wasting my time. The corporate jet can’t fuel up fast enough, this fast-talking new-age freak is really getting on my nerves. Can’t he see the bottom line is really the only judge of any business decision? I’d like to see him try pedaling this rainbow crap to the executive! Maybe I can find some way to write this off.”

To counter, Roberts advises framing the discussion with metaphors and language appropriate for the worldview. Copper thinkers fear being low status or losing control. They are also competitive ‘gamers’. So a response to the diatribe above might go something like this:

“Well, Chief, there are bottom line considerations here that may not be evident at first. You know our customers don’t always think like the executive, and we don’t want our competition getting a head start on this sustainability stuff before we do.”

Here are a few more notes on the four worldview types:

Navy Thinkers:

• Associate the word green with hype, crap, scam, lie,nothing, political propaganda
• Value protecting their families (eg, against toxins)
• Hate China
• Eat a lot of organic foods, yet care less about a company’s  environmental record. It’s about purity

Copper Thinkers:

• Top enviro concerns: population growth, resource scarcity
• “If we don’t do it, they’re gonna, and then where will we be?”
• Like fast cars
• Fair Trade (living wage) is most important in product sustainability

Jade Thinkers

• Judge through networks, friends, 3rd parties
• Likely to change if their kids tell them to
• Fear being selfish, of losing social connection

Gold Thinkers

• Look at processes, not brand names
• Choose the environment over personal comfort
• Gold sees everything as a possibility
• Chameleon like qualities of gold thinkers make them hard to pin down

For more on Roberts Worldview, or their recent study co-authored with the Shelton Group, visit their websites.
http://www.worldviewthinking.com/
http://www.sheltongrp.com/

For the rest of the sessions, according to your survey votes, here are some of the talks I should see:

• Inspiring Sustainability in Skeptics
• Managing For Change: Stages of Sustainability Maturity
• Reality Check: Evaluating & Combating Consumer’s Green Fatigue
• Fun and Impact: Making the Connection and
• Dissecting Communications from the Top 10 Green Brands

Networking-wise, most respondents were interested in meeting folks from Disney, Best Buy and Saatchi & Saatchi. But by far the most votes encouraged me to seek out “the (other) freakiest-looking person in the room”. I’m on it.

Best suggestion for non-conference gonzo-journalistic activities: “Strippers. How to live green by wearing less.”

The survey is still posted, so there’s time for a few more entries in the ‘Green California Souvenir’ contest.

Otherwise it’s off to Monterey….

Remember, you can follow all the fun in real-time on my Twitter feed @GreenBriefs.