The Savy Blog [ Strategy + Innovation ]

Just launched Savy's new website: http://www.savyagency.com. Now back to the daily grind ...

...A full service marketing, pr and web agency, today announced its rebrand to The Savy Agency and rolled out a fresh new color, blue. The agency’s rebrand is part of its long-term expansion to meet growing demand in the marketplace and service existing customers. The agency will remain located in Bend, Oregon and operate nationally. Bend Oregon Marketing Agency Shows Its Green, Rebrands to Blue

Local Moms Mesh Work, Home, and Sustainability
by Suzanne Johnson
True North, April/May 09

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY
Like Randi, Christina Brown relies on digital technology to run her marketing company, The Savy Agency. Her high-tech home office allows Christina to work with companies anywhere, in a virtually paper-free environment, while saving the fuel it would take to drive to, heat, and electrify a separate office.

Both in her business and with her daughter, five year old Ava, Christina models her values "from the inside-out." Her own business model helps her advise clients on how to work leaner and greener, and her branding strategies reflect companies' values as much as products.

For Christina, the challenges of a small business are balanced by the rewards of a freethinking, flexible work environment. "Ava still thinks I work too much, but she likes to be there with me in the office," said Christina. "She's learning she can set her own path and be a creative person, not a cog in a corporation."

Does Christina predict a more sustainable world for her daughter's generation? Absolutely. From transportation to corporate structure, Christina sees a more efficient future. "What's considered cutting edge 'green' today will soon be the norm. Progressive business will always be pushing the envelope."

Savy Strategic Creative from FARfromEARTH Films on Vimeo.

Gone Done It

With today's mass of businesses racing on board with the go green movement, here's the question on everybody’s lips: What to do when everybody else already gone done it? What to do when the media and its consumers have matured in relation to what they view to be 'truly' green. What to do to stand apart and gain awareness amongst the crowds.

To differentiate in today's economy, we're seeing companies beginning to rethink and retool how they tell their sustainable story. As authenticity is the key, those businesses with authentic stories will have an easier time than those barely scratching the surface. With the mainstreaming of green, today's companies need to be green internally, from the inside-out. Their stories will be transparent, authentic, meaningful and non-fictional. The best stories will, of course, have happy endings and sustain themselves over the long run.

A Value Approach

Appealing to your markets' core values is particularly important in today's economic times where consumers are paying attention as a broader base of companies are filling the shelves with their shiny new emerald claims. Taking just the first step isn't going to cut it. It's time to ask what matters most to your customers, both internally and externally. What's important? Why do they buy your products? Why does your team show up each day? What keeps you ticking as the driver of the business? Fill those needs in a way that improves, sustains and gives back, and you're on your way to a more sustainable story; one that thinks forward, one that's, well, perhaps, blue.

Cheers, Sävy

CSR and the Building of Sustainable Brands

Corporate social responsibility, with monikers of corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship and responsible or sustainable business, is one of today's hotter buzzed topics putting the squeeze and opening the eyes of organizations to take further steps to analyze, audit and adjust their role within society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on their internal and external stakeholders - the environment at the center stage of this group. Organizations are also taking steps further, often with the use of green teams or other internal oversee'ers, to improve the quality of life for employees, families and their local community and society.

Organizations that are able to effectively combine economic success with social responsibility and also throw the environment and a few shiny green environmental policies into the mix are receiving accolades for their efforts. Recently at the first ever German Sustainability Congress, the award for Germany’s Most Sustainable Brand went to Henkel, the globally active brands manufacturer.

The German Sustainability Awards were awarded to companies that combine economic success with social responsibility and protection of the environment. The judging was based on consistency in sustainability management and evidence of a thorough approach to communications on sustainability topics.

There's no doubt at Savy, with Germany’s first sustainability awards this month, that there is worlds of light to be shined on those companies working towards and finding success with sustainable development and innovation through their business activities and products. Keep up the great work!

The Little Green Bubble [not popping any time soon]

According to a new KPMG report, three-quarters of U.S. companies now publish data on their environmental, social and governance performance, twice as many as in 2005.

Of the top 100 U.S. companies by revenue, 74% published corporate responsibility (CR) information in 2008 either as part of their annual financial report or as a separate document, the report finds. Globally, 80% of the Global Fortune 250 companies now release CR data, up from 64% percent in the last KPMG survey in 2005.

"With increasing evidence that conducting business responsibly contributes to shareholder value, it's not surprising that more U.S. companies are highlighting their corporate responsibility efforts," said Eric Israel, a managing director and sustainability services leader for the Advisory practice of KPMG LLP.

The survey also finds that, for the first time, ethics outweighs economics as the primary reason for making CR disclosures. The survey says that 70% of all companies reported such disclosures to stakeholders because of ethical considerations, while 50% cited economic concerns as the leading reason.

But Israel says that does not mean companies are not relating corporate responsibility with their bottom line. "More U.S. companies are beginning to see the link between profits and principles," he says. "Even in a difficult economy we expect this trend to continue, as enhanced transparency and disclosure on non-financial matters will likely grow in importance."

Corporate responsibility reporting has become a norm rather than an exception, says Israel, who points to a number of market drivers that help explain the shift:

Federal: Nearly 200 bills have been introduced this year on climate change, greenhouse gases (GHG), and related issues, five times the number of bills introduced in 2003.

States: In late 2008, 10 Northeastern U.S. states opened the nation's first trading market greenhouse gas permits, with buyer demands for "allowances" four times the existing supply, while seven Western states plan a similar system in 2012.

Legal: Greenhouse gas emissions have been recognized by the courts as air pollution under federal statutes, and states have recently taken legal action over climate risks.

Market: The U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a group of businesses and environmental organizations, have sought legislation for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, calling for climate change policies and advocating reduced GHG emissions by 60-80% by 2050.

Supply Chain: An increasing number of companies are requiring that their vendors and suppliers adhere to a strict code of conduct and report on how they manage environmental, social and governance issues.

Hello fellow readers, this one's for you: 60 percent of respondents at a recent Eloqua user conference said they believe green marketing can provide a competitive advantage and 90 percent said they think the marketing industry has a responsibility to become more environmentally friendly, predicting in the next 12 to 18 months 60 percent of companies will move to digital marketing activities in order to be more environmentally friendly.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents cited lack of awareness as preventing green marketing, while 21 percent cited cost, and 8 percent cited a lack of available green suppliers as a factor.

Let Savy support your steps towards more sustainable business practices by crafting sustainable propositions that matter to your customers. With show your green, we'll support you every step of the fluffy green way.