@marksandspencer
Sorry about sticking that @ thing in the Title and first line, but I am testing a plan to see if I can make this also of more use once the blog post gets rewteeted on twitter. Not sure how it pops up.
Anyway, without further ado (bar acknowledging that, like the No 38 bus, you get nothing for ages then a ton at once), here we go...
COMPETITION
WHEN: Deadline May 16
WHAT: Your Green Idea
WHAT... MORE?: from their blurb:
Think green, and think big. Is it something that could change the way our customers shop with us for the better?
If your brainwave is picked as the ultimate green idea it could be seen by 21 million people, every week at over 700 M&S stores. And, what's more, you could win £100,000 for your favourite organisation to spend on its green initiative. It could be for a school, local community project, a small business or charity... it's up to you.
HOW MUCH: How we like it: free
URL: http://www.yourgreenidea.co.uk/?extid=fb09
COMMENTS: Good luck. But we are pitching here too, so may the best reuse website, second use product design, etc...win. And if we don't, and you found out about it here, mention us at the awards ceremony!
Showing posts with label MARKS AND SPENCERS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MARKS AND SPENCERS. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
According to Plan?
Suitably 'inspired', I go off message...
Hey, what's the worst that could happen? They've ignored all my efforts at trying to engage thus far.
Marks & Spencer describes its journey from corporate social responsibility to sustainability
I'd like to think many brands/retailers are committing to environmentally sound initiatives and practices for more than pure bottom line as opposed to more laudable triple bottom line reasons. But the realities are few and far between.
Sadly, from personal experience, I have found too many managers (at least at mid, gatekeeper level) exist solely on what makes a margin. The talk from on high may be there, but the walkers lower down ain't hearing... or, frankly, being encouraged much.
And the retail world especially seems to make the Russian military look like a Woodstock reunion: the climate of fear at every level is palpable, from worrying about what might not make money to wondering if they guy above will get miffed at not having had a good idea.
The odd thing is that it IS possible to make green not just for the planet, but also your consumers AND yourselves.
Just stop thinking like buzz-word marketers and start empathising as human beings with shared values.
Marks & Spencer creates 'virtual patchwork quilt' for Copenhagen Climate Summit drive - Looking for tangibles... finding few. I imagine the presentation of the patch will attract a fair bit of PR come the day, mind.
Hey, what's the worst that could happen? They've ignored all my efforts at trying to engage thus far.
Marks & Spencer describes its journey from corporate social responsibility to sustainability
I'd like to think many brands/retailers are committing to environmentally sound initiatives and practices for more than pure bottom line as opposed to more laudable triple bottom line reasons. But the realities are few and far between.
Sadly, from personal experience, I have found too many managers (at least at mid, gatekeeper level) exist solely on what makes a margin. The talk from on high may be there, but the walkers lower down ain't hearing... or, frankly, being encouraged much.
And the retail world especially seems to make the Russian military look like a Woodstock reunion: the climate of fear at every level is palpable, from worrying about what might not make money to wondering if they guy above will get miffed at not having had a good idea.
The odd thing is that it IS possible to make green not just for the planet, but also your consumers AND yourselves.
Just stop thinking like buzz-word marketers and start empathising as human beings with shared values.
Marks & Spencer creates 'virtual patchwork quilt' for Copenhagen Climate Summit drive - Looking for tangibles... finding few. I imagine the presentation of the patch will attract a fair bit of PR come the day, mind.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Rose-tinted reporting
I am awaiting the BBC Breakfast News to wheel out Sir Michael Rose of M&S to share with us the exclusive news that his dealing with the plastic bags issue.
Now, one could wonder why him, again, when many others are already doing so. But hey.
There are a few other matters I wrote to ask in hope we get get reporting rather than propagandising, especially as a few questions were posed by earlier consumers:
Re: Why not biodegradable plastic bags? Why not paper?
Good questions all. Maybe as a retail expert Sir. Stuart Rose can answer?
Or explain how charging 5p prevents a bag getting into the ecosphere and choking a turtle?
I don't know, which is why I'd like answers.
Are you going to feature other industry experts to cover the whole issue?
*ps: I'm trying to find out.
My information so far is biodegradables/compostables require levels of waste system complement that may not make them as effective as they can be.
Paper may actually be worse for the environment, but not for wildlife.
It probably isn't as simple as made out.
ADDENDUM:
Just watched the man himself on the sofa. Interesting. I thought the plastic bag (well, no one quite seems to know what they are banning or bringing in by way of substitute) must be a dead duck by now, at least with the current level of (mostly pretty mis-informed) negative PR.
But, despite being there to plug Plan A, Sir Stuart fought a pretty good corner. Mind you, he was hijacked at the end by the reporters trying to get him to make the simplistic pledge to 'ban' them outright.
His main focus of defence was the customer is king (the issue of packaging waste vs. food waste as a consequence of cuctomer rejection came up), which is well focussed as a sales spiel, but one wonders how it went down with the PR dept. or Sustainability Manager.
What did impress is that he addressed those two questions above. In detail.
He dragged the authorities back into the recycling issue, which I am sure they are trying to duck in this big time. Also he.... at last.... raised the enviROI aspects. Sadly, of course, this is one where the environment may be split between ECO(logical) and Environmental, at least if one still accepts there are ECO(nomic) drivers that are inevitable.
And he also clarified the actual limitations of many bio/compost options, though it's a shame he had no time to explain the difference betwen a landfill, an in-vessel composter and your back yard effort in dealing with them. Pretty key.
As to turtles, I'm guessing biodegradables may well be better as they must fall apart pretty quick, but as to the effect of what they break down into solution on the ecosphere (plastic soup, anyone?) I am not so sure.
All I know is that clear, balanced information on this is noticeable by its absence. You can expect, and dismiss it from the Daily Mail (though I think they have pretty much nailed the coffin of this aspect of the plastics industry with their reach and influence). I expect better from the BBC.
Now, one could wonder why him, again, when many others are already doing so. But hey.
There are a few other matters I wrote to ask in hope we get get reporting rather than propagandising, especially as a few questions were posed by earlier consumers:
Re: Why not biodegradable plastic bags? Why not paper?
Good questions all. Maybe as a retail expert Sir. Stuart Rose can answer?
Or explain how charging 5p prevents a bag getting into the ecosphere and choking a turtle?
I don't know, which is why I'd like answers.
Are you going to feature other industry experts to cover the whole issue?
*ps: I'm trying to find out.
My information so far is biodegradables/compostables require levels of waste system complement that may not make them as effective as they can be.
Paper may actually be worse for the environment, but not for wildlife.
It probably isn't as simple as made out.
ADDENDUM:
Just watched the man himself on the sofa. Interesting. I thought the plastic bag (well, no one quite seems to know what they are banning or bringing in by way of substitute) must be a dead duck by now, at least with the current level of (mostly pretty mis-informed) negative PR.
But, despite being there to plug Plan A, Sir Stuart fought a pretty good corner. Mind you, he was hijacked at the end by the reporters trying to get him to make the simplistic pledge to 'ban' them outright.
His main focus of defence was the customer is king (the issue of packaging waste vs. food waste as a consequence of cuctomer rejection came up), which is well focussed as a sales spiel, but one wonders how it went down with the PR dept. or Sustainability Manager.
What did impress is that he addressed those two questions above. In detail.
He dragged the authorities back into the recycling issue, which I am sure they are trying to duck in this big time. Also he.... at last.... raised the enviROI aspects. Sadly, of course, this is one where the environment may be split between ECO(logical) and Environmental, at least if one still accepts there are ECO(nomic) drivers that are inevitable.
And he also clarified the actual limitations of many bio/compost options, though it's a shame he had no time to explain the difference betwen a landfill, an in-vessel composter and your back yard effort in dealing with them. Pretty key.
As to turtles, I'm guessing biodegradables may well be better as they must fall apart pretty quick, but as to the effect of what they break down into solution on the ecosphere (plastic soup, anyone?) I am not so sure.
All I know is that clear, balanced information on this is noticeable by its absence. You can expect, and dismiss it from the Daily Mail (though I think they have pretty much nailed the coffin of this aspect of the plastics industry with their reach and influence). I expect better from the BBC.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Message from the front
GREENPEACE AND FRIENDS OF THE EARTH - BOTH USING YOUTUBE
Whale & Chips - Can't fault it/them. More power to this kind of activity, which is where Greenpeace excels.
Shop Local - It's well done, and I guess gets a message across. But from my earliest days it was dinned into me by a succession of CDs that, while fun, devoting the majority of your ad to the negative is often taking the easy, soft and otherwise not so effective option.
OK, so there's an exclusive dig at Tesco (missing me completely as we have the choice of Morrisons or Somerfield). Fair 'nuff. I guess they symbolise the evil empire to many (odd they topped the Climate Brand Index thingie on these pages t'other day, though).
But really what else did I get? Some nice local folk were going to vanish. Tell me about it. Our High Street has more boarded up shopfronts and charity shops than there are actual businesses!
It certainly is not easy. And there are a myriad issues to address, from parking convenience to time pressures to costs (though often local can be cheaper) and the fact that council rates are not exactly helping.
It would be neat to see the sense of fun of this execution being injected into a positive branding message for the quality of the produce and the experience.
I love walking the strip and getting fresh food that tastes 100% better, and all with a cheery bit of personal service taboot.
Trouble is, they don't usually offer this on Sundays, which is often the only day I am free to help with the shopping.
ADDENDUM, thanks to Dave -
Talkingretail.com today reports that Tesco comes out on top of a new 'climate brand index'. This has been launched to track consumer perceptions of how a business is performing in terms of climate change issues.
Interesting to note that BP manages second place.
Me again: Meanwhile..... M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose top green supermarkets study
Whale & Chips - Can't fault it/them. More power to this kind of activity, which is where Greenpeace excels.
Shop Local - It's well done, and I guess gets a message across. But from my earliest days it was dinned into me by a succession of CDs that, while fun, devoting the majority of your ad to the negative is often taking the easy, soft and otherwise not so effective option.
OK, so there's an exclusive dig at Tesco (missing me completely as we have the choice of Morrisons or Somerfield). Fair 'nuff. I guess they symbolise the evil empire to many (odd they topped the Climate Brand Index thingie on these pages t'other day, though).
But really what else did I get? Some nice local folk were going to vanish. Tell me about it. Our High Street has more boarded up shopfronts and charity shops than there are actual businesses!
It certainly is not easy. And there are a myriad issues to address, from parking convenience to time pressures to costs (though often local can be cheaper) and the fact that council rates are not exactly helping.
It would be neat to see the sense of fun of this execution being injected into a positive branding message for the quality of the produce and the experience.
I love walking the strip and getting fresh food that tastes 100% better, and all with a cheery bit of personal service taboot.
Trouble is, they don't usually offer this on Sundays, which is often the only day I am free to help with the shopping.
ADDENDUM, thanks to Dave -
Talkingretail.com today reports that Tesco comes out on top of a new 'climate brand index'. This has been launched to track consumer perceptions of how a business is performing in terms of climate change issues.
Interesting to note that BP manages second place.
Me again: Meanwhile..... M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose top green supermarkets study
Friday, September 28, 2007
More Directorial input
This just in: WRAP Retail Team restructure
On an equally positive note: WRAP Funded Project Leads to Packaging Savings for Marks & Spencer
By all accounts, it 'can save at least ten per cent of the packaging material used on those products'.
Which must make for a big saving in costs to retailers who are funded to try it.
On an equally positive note: WRAP Funded Project Leads to Packaging Savings for Marks & Spencer
By all accounts, it 'can save at least ten per cent of the packaging material used on those products'.
Which must make for a big saving in costs to retailers who are funded to try it.
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