From The Rooftops

PRIME Messaging: Participation

This is part two of an ongoing series of developing thoughts on the intersection of authentic messaging and sustainability. In part one I introduce the concept of greenwash-fighting marketing that follows 5 “PRIME” principles: Participation, Rigor, Intentionality, Mutuality and Exchange. Please join me now as I consider the role of participation in smart, authentic marketing efforts. As always, comments are appreciated and encouraged.

PARTICIPATION

For an organization to anchor its sustainability efforts (and correspondent messaging) on solid ground it must express the right information to the right people at the right time, in a participatory manner. A brand that isn’t fully engaged in the sustainability world will have a hard time ascertaining all of these “right” factors if they haven’t committed the proper resources to their efforts.

Inbev, the Belgium-based conglomeration that in 2008 purchased Anheuser-Busch, has recently made headlines for announcing that it would make a “30 percent reduction per unit of production in the Company’s water usage worldwide since 2007” which is both important (considering they’re the largest brewer in the world, meaning that this reduction amounts to the equivalent of 25,000 Olympic-size swimming pools) and commendable; but it is still a rather shallow step when compared to the efforts of the eighth largest brewer: New Belgium Brewing.

While Inbev has committed to making some process improvements that are smart, better for the planet, easy to implement and directly tied to their bottom line, New Belgium has done those things and proceeded to take an even more holistic approach, demonstrating tremendous participatory depth and breadth. Not only does New Belgium use their water efficiently, their website explains that they collect two valuable byproducts from their wastewater efforts: methane and a nutrient-rich sludge. They use the methane in on-site energy production and they have partnered with another company to install a small treatment plant next door to their facility that takes their process wastewater to produce a sludge that creates a high protein fish food for aqua-farms.

[I know what you’re thinking, “But Caleb, won’t the fish get drunk?” Yes, dear readers, yes they will. Those lucky darn fish will get fed and drunk off some of the finest booze this side of Ambrosia-ville. See, New Belgium even cares about giving the fish quality grub and grog! Social justice points!]

Do they launch a huge advertising campaign about their new getting-fish-sustainably-drunk program? No. Do they hire models in fish outfits? No. But they certainly make the info readily available to people who are inclined to learn more. Authentic participation in the efforts to push the sustainability envelope— full-circle thinking—it’s hard to fake and really inspiring to see.