Advertising Is Good For You

Ironically, a search on Amazon.com for "wasting paper" yields 48 hits

While Safeway works to protect the environment, Amazon.com wastes paper goods. The Consumerist  posted the story of how a surprised shopper received his 20-inch wrist rest in giant box full of paper stuffing.

Safeway is indeed a greengrocer

Safeway, the third-largest grocer in the USA, will be converting its entire fleet of trucks to run on biodiesel fuel thus reducing the chain's carbon emissions by 75 million pounds each year.

Source: Slashfood

Nice ads from UNDB promoting corporate responsibility

UNDB, short for United Nations Development Business, is a publication from the United Nations that provides "information on opportunities to supply goods, works and services for projects financed by the United Nations, governments and the world's leading development banks."

These ads are perfect in their simplicity. Imagine how difficult it is to create an advertising campaign like this without being smarmy or preachy.

Ad agency: JWT, Amman

Sources: United Nations Development Business, Adblog Arabia

Kudos to Staples for its recycling efforts.

Beginning this week, Staples will accept used computers and monitors for recycling. To take advantage of the service, drop off your unwanted computer and/or monitor at any Staples retail location in the U.S. The charge, which covers handling and recycling costs, is $10 per unit.

Staples will also accept peripherals such as keyboards, mice and speakers for free.

The Staples located a few miles from my house has for some time now been accepting printer ink cartridges for recycling. In addition to being a free service, I get a coupon toward my next purchase of ink cartridges for every printer cartridge I bring in.

Source: lifehacker

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According to United Nations University, the average 24 kg desktop computer with monitor requires at least 10 times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to manufacture -- making it more materials intensive than an automobile or refrigerator.

PR Week surveyed a group of public relations executives gathered in Britain. The results are scary.

When asked whether the public relations industry has a duty to tell the truth, honesty lost 138 - 124.

Those who voted against honesty apparently used the excuse, "PR has a duty to its clients."

I'm genuinely stunned that so many PR professionals think honesty and duty to one's clients are mutually exclusive. I also strongly disagree with them. Public relations, advertising and marketing certainly spin the truth in a client's favor -- that, in essense, is our job -- but flat out lying is another thing altogether.

Source: AdWeek

Phishing has made it more difficult for financial institutions to market via the Internet.

RSA Security , the security division of EMC, has released the result of their annual online security survey. Some of the results are not good news for banks and other financial institutions.

• 91% of respondents indicated they are willing to start using a new authentication method, beyond the standard 'user name-and-password', if their banks decided to offer stronger security

•69% think financial institutions should replace user name-and-password log-in with stronger authentication

•82% said fear of fraud has made them less likely to respond to an email from their bank

Add this to the story about the Nova in South America and Gerber baby food in Africa.

From NPR:

A company selling Wrigley's gum wanted music for a commercial in Russia. It went to an English company, and bought a catchy tune. The commercials aired in Moscow, until the Chinese embassy called to ask why the Chinese national anthem was used to sell gum. The company calls it a "misunderstanding."

Will Burberry still be British after it moves a factory to China? More to the point, will consumers care?

Burberry, the 150 year-old British clothing company with the signature check, has been very trendy in recent years due in no small part to CEO Rose Marie Bravo's decision to hire Kate Moss for Burberry's brand ads.

However, now Burberry has run afoul of a number of people for its plans to cut costs by moving a manufacturing plant from England to China.

Burberry's detractors include high-profile celebrities such as Britain's Prince Charles and actor Ioan Gruffud who appeared in Burberry's advertising in 2005.

Egad!

But will any of this protest transfer into lower sales for Burberry? I think it's doubtful. People who live and die by the latest fashion trend are fairly apathetic when it comes to social issues that affect the latest must-have.

Sources: Wikipedia and Daily Mail

Addendum (posted 9 January 2007)

Today I learned of another brand with outsourcing plans.

French luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton is planning to build a manufacturing plant in India.

Source: Luxury Launches

Apparently, Wal-Mart is the issue that's to bring together conservative Christians and liberal Democrats.

What would Jesus do? Apparently, He wouldn't shop at Wal-Mart.

That's the message behind a new TV spot from WakeUpWalMart.com.

The TV commercial, supported by 130 Christian clergy members, suggests that Wal-Mart is not being very Christian-like in its treatment of its own employees -- namely violating child labor laws, engaging in gender-based discrimination and not making the company health plan available to more than half of Wal-Mart's employees.

To see the spot, click here.

What does L.L. Bean have in common with Victoria's Secret? At the moment, not enough.

Environmental group ForestEthics recently shamed Victoria's Secret into agreeing to publish its catalog on paper that contains a certain amount of recycled or post-consumer waste. The non-profit did it by running an ad of a model sporting wings (a la Victoria's Secret models) and also carrying a chainsaw.

Good. Anything that gets companies to be more responsible about the environment is a good thing.

What took me aback, however, was that AdJab, where I read the story, said that ForestEthics is now going after L.L. Bean and Land's End.

L.L. Bean and Land's End don't use environmentally friendly paper for their catalogs?

The two companies have built their businesses on a customer base that considers itself to be nature lovers. How the heck can it be that L.L. Bean and Land's End are wasters of natural resources?

I feel as though one of my heroes has been exposed as a fraud. Having lived in New England for many years, I consider L.L. Bean the gold standard when it comes to functional clothing that will keep me warm and dry without bankrupting me. You'll get my 16-year-old L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Boots when you pry them from my cold, dead hands. (No, I don't hunt, don't own a gun, and am not a member of the NRA; I just really love these boots.)

Anyway, learning that L.L. Bean is not doing its part to protect the environment really bothers me as a consumer. That's why, as a marketing geek, I think L.L. Bean should change its paper policy before ForestEthics makes a public issue out of it.

 

McDonald's continues to promote fitness but consumer groups still aren't lovin' it.

Really, how much leftover turkey can a person be expected to eat?

If you have to ask, you've had too much.

So, ignoring the carcass in the fridge, my husband and I took our nephew to McDonald's yesterday. This is the front and back of the bag his food came in...

Recently, I told you how McDonald's has made its spokesclown leaner and more athletic. It's all part of McDonald's response to consumer anger over the perceived role McDonald's plays in children's obesity. You can see part of McDonald's new emphasis on physical fitness printed on this take-out bag.

But consumer groups still aren't happy.

I'm not sure how much we can expect McDonald's to actively promote the decrease of its business. Unlike cigarettes, when McDonald's meals are consumed correctly -- that is, in proper portion sizes as an occasional treat -- they're neither harmful nor likely to make anyone fat. If kids are eating too much McDonald's too often, it's not because Ronald is driving them there and buying them super-sized meals.

By the way, have you noticed Ronald McDonald's new hair?

He is apparently wearing the 'Betty' from Louis Ferre Wigs.

Starbucks' Concern for the Environment is Called into Question by its Treatment of a Bike-Riding Store Manager

Here's a story that hasn't yet reached viral proportions although it has all the makings of a public relations mess.

BikePortland reports that a former Starbucks store manager was hassled by his district manager for riding his bicycle to a meeting. The district manager considered it "inappropriate" and "unprofessional" for a store manager to arrive at a meeting via bicycle. Four days later, said manager was transferred to another store 16 miles away.

A hard-working, civic-minded guy got screwed by a petty boss...This is the kind of story that makes people angry enough to pass it along to their friends; which would not be a pleasant outcome for Starbucks, a company that claims to be concerned with the environment.

In case you're wondering what happened to the store manager, he filed a complaint with Starbucks, nothing came of it, so he got a new job with another company.

Source: Starbucks Gossip

McDonalds UK Cares About Hedgehogs

Until now, the containers McDonald's has used for its McFlurry ice cream treats have come in a size that proved dangerous to hedgehogs.

Hedgehogs apparently like ice cream (who knew?) and therefore can't resist trying to lick the ice cream remains from discarded McFlurry product packaging. Unfortunately, the size and shape of the empty product containers, coupled with the size and shape of a hedgehog's head, has resulted in an epidemic of hedgehogs with McFlurry containers stuck to their heads.

Kind of funny. Until the hedgehog unwittingly walks in front of a moving vehicle it couldn't see. Or starves to death.

Hedgehogs are not native to the US, so all you Yanks should know that in Europe, hedgehogs are beloved by children, gardeners and pretty much everyone else. McDonald's UK definitely needed some damage control.

So, to avoid any more bad press due to its role in an increase of premature hedgehog deaths in Britain, McDonald's is now re-engineering its McFlurry containers.

Yoplait Stinks

American yogurt brand Yoplait has the same problem with its yogurt containers and skunks. Despite a lot of bad press and strong urging from animal rights supporters, Yoplait continues to manufacture its dangerous-to-skunks product containers.

Source: AdFreak