CEO Rap Stars Celebrate Earth Day 2011

[#1]

If you spend any time on social networks, you’ve probably noticed that today is Earth Day.  There’s been much made of this year’s Earth Day, especially as it falls in the same week as the anniversary of the Gulf oil spill and in the wake of rising gas prices across the country.  In addition, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll indicates that Americans are more pessimistic about the economy and the nation’s general direction than they have been since Obama took office in the midst of the Great Recession.  Further, the economic downturn has dampened mainstream consumer demand for green products.  For example, sales of Clorox Green Works have fallen to about $60 million a year, from a high of over $100 million in 2008. 

When attitudes and outlooks are bleak, what’s a cause marketer to do?  Make a rap video of course!

The CEOs of organic brands Stonyfield Farm and Honest Tea launched a video campaign to celebrate Earth Month 2011, mixing education on organics and food politics with entertainment and user-generated content to spur social sharing and build awareness.

Said Honest Tea CEO Seth Goldman to Marketing Daily, “We're hoping that the great message (well-timed with Earth Month) and the fun nature of the video will encourage viewers to pass it along to their friends and networks."

The tone of the videos may be fun, but the campaign demonstrates the 4 essentials of cause marketing:

• Suitability: As organic brands, the content of the videos and the message to choose organic for health and environmental reasons rings true.
• Authenticity: Who better to embody the cause connection than the CEO?  These CEOs are passionate about their social missions and make CSR core to what they do.  We may question their rapping abilities, but not their dedication to the cause.
• Transparency: Both Stonyfield Farm and Honest Tea are transparent about their sustainability practices and commitment to environmental impact.  That commitment provides the backbone of the brands.
• Selling Point: Stonyfield Farms and Honest Tea may be social enterprises, but they are also consumer brands.  The fact that their products are organic and embody what the cause campaign is all about, gives these brands unique value propositions: they are the solution to the social problem the cause campaign exposes.

Learn more about the campaign at JustDrinkOrganic.com

[#2]

I love the commitment these guys have toward things that matter. Recently I saw some pieces on shows like CNN and the journal with Joan Lunden on PBS that were talking about issues and solutions for industrial recycling. These guys take it to an entirely different level. This kind of innovation shows that with some imagination solutions to every issue are entirely possible. Love that guy.