Project Mayhem

So, here’s my advice to you: If you ever have the honor of sharing a meal with Annie Longsworth, head of the San Francisco office, make sure you arrive in your Prius, wearing hemp from head-to-toe, and ordering something macrobiotic, for God’s sake.  Because if you don’t, you’ll feel incredibly guilty. 

(As a point of reference, I drive an SUV, wore a leather jacket and ordered the veal.  THE VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAL!)

See, Annie isn’t only the head honcho in SF, she’s the standard-bearer for our Sustainability Practice in the U.S.  And she’ll scare the crap out of you with all the things you’re doing to kill the planet.  But Annie’s also a realist, and understands that fear-based PR strategies will only take us so far before audiences start to tune-out and revert to their non-solar-powered ways.

So, what can us creative folks teach the tree-huggers?  A few things come to mind:

1. Tell stories.  Most green news/programming is built around action items the consumer needs to do – or, as discussed, scaring the crap out of them.  Frame meaningful stories that the consumer can wrap their heads around.  Make it relevant to them at this moment in time – make it meaningful.

2. Focus on changing minds.  This may seem counter-intuitive to our goals, but make the programming less about changing behavior and more about changing attitudes.  Free your mind, your ass will follow.  Stop with the lists of things to do.  Start imbuing more emotion into your communications.

3. Don’t take yourself so damn seriously!  Listen, unlike those of us in other PR disciplines, people who work on environmental/sustainability communications are directly impacted by the issue.  I mean, most people who work on a new HIV drug don’t have HIV, but green communicators are affected by their jobs.  It’s their world they’re trying to save, too.  Well, exercise a little emotional detachment from the issues at hand, and try to have a little fun with your jobs.  I mean, that’s what we like about our jobs, right?  I’m not asking you to stop caring, I’m asking you to RELAX.

And what can the hippies teach us?  Well, my lunch with Annie did make me more aware of my surroundings.  I’m not trading in my Volvo, but I’ll issue this challenge to the network: STOP USING PAPER CUPS FOR COFFEE.  A very, very simple thing:  use a mug.  Simple, right?  In fact, here’s my promise: If any Wolfie in the New York office would like to change their evil ways, I will personally bring you a mug to use in the office.  For keeps.   Cool?  Coooool.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to call my neighbors and ask them to turn up the heat in my house.  I mean, I’ll be home in 9 or 10 hours…

xoxo
Marc