(Source: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2244010/images/o-UBER-facebook.jpg)

“Why don’t we have Uber?” is hardly a new discussion in Vancouver. In brief, the typical arguments include the decreased demand for the taxi industry, safety concerns, and existing high costs of Vancouver taxis.

Before I dive any further, I will state that I believe Vancouver should allow Uber to operate.

The City of Vancouver, under Mayor Gregor Robertson, have declared an action plan to be the greenest city in the world by 2020. The main focus behind becoming a green city is the sustainability of our actions.

My classmate, Henry Liu, discusses Uber’s side effects on environmental preservation by reducing the number of vehicle trips made everyday. I think the effects of having Uber operate in Vancouver will reduce more than vehicle emissions and effect all three pillars of sustainability.

Environmental: Travis Kalanick describes the effects of uberPOOL very well through the density map of San Francisco. His figures speak for themselves by reducing 7.9 mil miles and 1.4K metric tonnes of CO2 in eight months. Although, Uber doesn’t position itself as an environmentally focused company it has large effects on the cities it operates in.

Financial: The TED talk states that Uber Drivers earn 43% more than taxi drivers. If you’ve used Uber, you’ll know that a car will usually arrive in under 10 minutes. Closer to the destination, the driver will most likely have the next customer waiting before they drop you off. The constant demand for drivers mean that they are working more hours effectively compared to taxi drivers. We’ve all seen long lines of taxis waiting at an airport or driving back downtown on a Friday night empty because of the current pick-up zoning bi-laws. At the end of the day, the affordability of Uber increases demand and as a result, drivers are making more money.

Social: Joe Gebbia, the founder of Airbnb, states that the shared economy is about creating connections with people. Driving in an Uber is very personal as you are sitting in their personal car. It smells like them, the knick knacks are theirs, and the stains are theirs.

Vancouver has a common reputation for being a disconnected city and hard for new comers to integrate themselves. Social groups often exist in isolation and it can be challenging to enter a network of peers. In a little way, Uber has the potential to connect our city socially. Human interaction and conversation are important for mental health and being a member of society.

As Vancouver gets closer to 2020, it needs to reconsider what the greenest city in the world will look like and if allowing Uber in our city moves towards this goal it should be able to operate.

(Source:http: //www.dtes.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/airbnb-a8707ed9_original.jpg)

In class, we had a lesson on the importance of establishing trust between companies and consumers. With respect to marketing, trust is one of the most important ingredients to success and also the hardest to earn.

Most of sustainability marketing and the outcomes are intangible. One cannot physically measure the full extent of reducing CO2 emissions or avoiding waste from a landfill.

Before watching Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb’s TED Talk, I personally thought these elements were essential to establishing trust in a company:

• 3rd party labels
• word of mouth (WOM)
• brand associations created from visual elements

Joe Gebbia’s background is in design and he knew from the beginning of Airbnb that establishing trust came in the design of the app. For anyone that’s ever used the app, it’s simple to use and prompts for specific details about ourselves.

As a result of trial and error, Airbnb’s customer exchanges are based on user reviews and personal details – both of which combine to establishing trust between guests and hosts. Enough trust to share one’s home.

Learning from Airbnb, I’m curious to explore how these elements of word of mouth and dialogue can be used to establishing trust in other products. Yes, there are third parties that explore this, but few companies engrain WOM and dialogue in every user experience.

I’m picturing a clothing shopping experience where we aren’t prompted with sales associates and instead previous reviews and words of advice to future buyers and basing our wants off of these descriptions.

There is no textbook definition on how to earn trust. But we do know is how easily it is to break.

(Source: http://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/156/19/brunhuber-hyperloop-still1.jpg)

Hyperloop technology is on the verge of completely changing the way objects move around the world. If you have not heard of Hyperloop, I’d recommend reading the CBC article to create an understanding of what I am about to discuss.

The CBC article addresses the consumer feasibility of the project and how marketing can supplement expenses. Lloyd Marino, an employee working on the project, is hopeful that advertising and big data can generate information in return for capital.

Selling customer information for personal gain is not a new concept. We know in the early wars traitors developed a reputation for a reason. In the modern day, companies like Facebook and Google can trade our everyday activity to generate market potential for private businesses. If this is a model that has proven financially feasible, why would future hyperloop technology consider anything differently?

Personal information will only be as valuable as another party is willing to pay for it. At the end of the day, information is intangible and has no defined market. I think, there is a cap on how much personal information can be collected from society; meaning, we should be considering alternative models for financial sustainability.

In the Brew Creek Centre Client Challenge, the client explores a financial model that is used by many social enterprises for scalability. A model where willing and wealthy clients pay a premium and excess funds are allocated towards providing for vulnerable groups.

Hyperloop will be a global revolution if it is accessible to all. If the transportation services are only available to rich customers it will be hard to justify constructing tubes in people’s backyards. Think: oil and gas industry. A high price point communicates a luxury status rather than a necessity. Think: public transportation, low price point, accessible to all and deemed a necessity to any urban centre.

A financial model that subsidizes less wealthy citizens will bridge the gap between total expenses and average ticket price making Hyperloop technology accessible to more consumers.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/hyperloop-elon-musk-levitating-pod-1.3499651

(Source:http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/sodo-runner-hed-2016.jpg)

What is Sodo?

Sodo is an ethical Pizza restaurant in the UK that delivers high quality pizza with the intention of limiting environmental impacts. Sodo claims to critique all aspects of its business through an ethical lens. For example it provides organically sourced ingredients, and lack of delivery options because of the emissions released. Sodo exists as a better alternative to unhealthy fast food. Sodo knows pizza is not nutritious or healthy, but through their efforts strive to satisfy a better craving.

Sodo launched a campaign to offer a one-day delivery service with a twist. To stay consistent with their values, the delivery system were people running! Sodo partnered with a local running crew and all pizza deliveries were run to customers. Customers can confirm the process by live streaming the run on Periscope. The popularity of the service resulted in selling out of pizza in 3 hours and will continue as a monthly event.

Why it worked

The service Sodo offered is novel and engaging. Having people run around the city delivering pizza and being able to live stream their journey is unique. Having people individually run pizzas is hardly the most efficient method for minimizing environmental impacts, but it is fun. The campaign targets both those with a sustainability mindset and those who seek unique opportunities. Other alternatives include biking, walking etc. Customers were engaged in the delivery process by being able to watch the runner and comment with short cuts. It certainly brings a new appreciation for having pizza delivered to the door.

How it fits into the big picture

As I mentioned above, this is hardly the most efficient manor but it communicates something much larger. People should care about the impacts they are having on their immediate ecosystems. The number of pizzas delivered at this event can equate the number of reduced vehicle trips. Customers who haven’t considered the environmental impact of delivering goods can move forward with an evolved consciousness.

Source: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-pizzeria-uses-periscope-tracked-delivery-runners-avoid-carbon-emissions-170004

(Source: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/560eeebbe4b013138258ba90/t/562883eee4b052473f4d3080/1445495798675/?format=1000w)

What is My Modern Closet?

My Modern Closet is a Vancouver based company that renews the lifecycle on gently used clothing by reselling it. Consumers are able to browse clothing items for sale online and filter the collection by a series of searches. The mission for My Modern Closet is to bring awareness to end of life product cycles and style conscious solutions working on affordable budgets.

Why I think it works

The company strives on connecting people with clothing offering clothes that tell stories. On the site, users can search collections by certain individuals that include a mini-bio. Each individual demonstrates passion in their field, and the clothes the user can buy are clearly taken directly from their life stories. For example, Keighty is a fitness studio owner in Chinatown and has created a community that trains hard and has fun. Each of the clothing’s wrinkles come with stories of the individuals allowing the consumer to feel connected with the piece. It’s empowering to know that these are the clothes that help the original owner achieve their goals.

How this is an answer to environmental concerns

In class we watched the documentary, The True Cost, which explains the global impact of the fast fashion industry. The portion of the documentary that we watched put the global impacts of buying low priced clothing into perspective. The burden of the low costs are put on the developing nations’ economies. This is the exact mission My Modern Closet aims to bring awareness to. The practical element My Modern Closet takes is, they know the developed nations will not stop buying cheap clothing overnight. In the mean time, we can create a smaller impact by repurposing what we already have.

(Source: http://everydropcounts.colgate.com/img/share-post1.jpg)

The Super Bowl is often thought of as a pinnacle for television advertisements. It is the best of the best. It is the big leagues. At Super Bowl 50, sustainability marketing had 30 seconds to shine during Colgate’s #everydropcounts campaign.

The takeaway message: turn off the tap while we brush our teeth. Four gallons of water can be wasted during this time which is enough for daily survival in other parts of the world.

What does this mean?

Sustainability marketing is real. In Corporate America there are concerns whether environmental sustainability has any place on a balance sheet. For the handful of companies who have pioneered in this field have received positive returns for shareholders. Having an environmental sustainability focus from one of the largest consumer goods brands in the world is validation that sustainability and business is not a paradox.

The message is intended for the masses. We know that an average 30 second spot can cost over $1 million and it guarantees 100 million+ American viewers. As far as a stereotype goes, one wouldn’t typically relate the average Super Bowl fan to messages of saving the planet…which is why this advertisement is perfect! Colgate could have created this video and slid it into onto the corporate social responsibility section of their website, but instead it chose to push it out on the forefront of its brand. This signals that everyone who uses their products should care about water consumption and not just the ones seeking the environmental impact reports. Additionally, it is worth noting that zero products were featured in the 30 seconds.

I am excited to follow Colgate’s marketing through the #everydropcounts campaign and see how far they take it in terms of advocating for reducing water consumption. As far as Panthers fans are concerned in the present, I’m sure there was a small increase in water from their pools of tears.

#shomthoughts

(Source: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2016/1/axe_find_your_magic.jpg). Click picture to watch the spot. 

Axe’s latest spot celebrating under appreciated forms of masculinity is a game changer and here are three #shomthoughts why:

1. It is still on brand.

The Find Your Magic spot is consistent with Axe’s previous advertisements promoting men to live with confidence through using their products. Where “Find Your Magic” deviates from the past is its push for self confidence for the underdogs, in contrast to the previous motives to exploit women. Through the slogan “Find Your Magic” Axe is still promoting their products bring confidence to attract romantic interests, but it doesn’t communicate this at a woman’s expense.

From a broader perspective, this new direction addresses the popular conversation regarding Unilever owning both Axe and Dove’s Real Beauty campaign. The shift in direction now holds Unilever true to its social mission, of growing as a company without damaging the current generation.

1. Socially sustainable.

Taking into account the broader definition of sustainability, social sustainability is a strategy that focuses on the social wellbeing of the current generation without hurting future generations. In Axe’s case, I consider their previous marketing socially unsustainable as it portrayed the message that if a male wasn’t pursuing woman they were not masculine. This can have severe consequences on viewers mental health, especially if they don’t identify with axe’s target demographic.

1. In 1:00 it managed to both redeem itself and push progressive boundaries.

In 60 seconds, Axe managed to both redeem itself from years of oppressive content AND become market leader with respect to pushing progressive content. The advertisement highlighted drag dancing, physical disabilities, homosexuality all in various body shapes and appearances. Very few advertisements across all industries address these social realities…let alone in the same 60 seconds.

Moving forward, I look forward to seeing where the future of Axe’s marketing lays and if this ad is the first of many socially sustainable messages to come.