If you’ve lived and worked through 2020, then the phrase “future-proofing” may sound like the biggest oxymoron of them all. If 2020 taught us anything, it is that plans change. Pivots are necessary. And planning for the future can sometimes mean planning to keep your business’s doors open for just one more day. Who has time to future-proof their business for next year when they’re just trying to survive 2020?
Topics: Customer Engagement, future of energy, innovation, customer centric, B Corporation, climate change, content marketing, creativity, inspiration, brand value, sustainability, EnergyWire, Creative, D2C, in the news, storytelling, brand building
Happy almost Thanksgiving! As we inch another day closer to a holiday season unlike any other, the team at KSV can’t help but reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. Even in a year where so much has been turned upside down, we find ourselves finishing each day with gratitude for what has remained the same: inspiring clients, innovative colleagues and a community dedicated to creating a better future.
As we prepare for a 2020-style Thanksgiving, we’d like to share a few stories bringing us an extra dose of inspiration this week, in the hopes that they do the same for all of you:
Brands Are Using Black Friday Boycotts to Highlight Sustainability Initiatives: Although several brands will spend Black Friday and the weeks after touting promotions and deep discounts, several others are switching things up this year, using the high-profile moment as an opportunity to highlight ongoing sustainability initiatives. For brands like Freitag, this means shining a spotlight on their newly launched bag swap platform, which allows customers to exchange backpacks and messenger bags with other customers as a way to encourage a second-life for a high quality product while also reducing waste.
This is Our Chance to Reclaim Cities From Cars: One positive thing that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic? A more bikeable, walkable and cleaner urban America. Reimagining public spaces has consistently been a part of the conversation around how urban areas rebuild in the wake of the virus. This article takes it a step further, painting a hopeful picture for the future of cities.
25 US Cities Land on CDP ‘A List:’ In spite of both the havoc wrought by the coronavirus and little-to-no support at the federal level, several cities in the US were recognized by the CDP for making progress toward their climate action goals. Progress from cities like Cleveland, OH and San Antonio, TX highlight just how, in the absence of national guidance, impactful and important state and municipal level initiatives toward carbon emissions reductions and the adoption of clean energy technologies can be in ensuring a better, brighter and cleaner future.
Oreo’s Proud Parent ad is a moving, resonant reminder that a loving world, no matter how complicated, starts with a loving home.
Topics: innovation, Shopping Experience, round up, clean energy, climate change, content marketing, creativity, inspiration, brand value, sustainability, EnergyWire, Creative, D2C, in the news, storytelling, brand building, holiday season
We kicked off this three-part series a few weeks back, diving into the importance of brands approaching the 2020 holiday season with a clear focus on reality. We then turned our attention to the value of flexibility in brands’ marketing strategies as a way to better serve and support current and future customers in the months ahead.
This week, we’re concluding the series with one final consideration for brands that are planning, fine-tuning and executing their holiday strategies: incorporating personalization into the holiday shopping experience.
Topics: Customer Engagement, customer motivations, innovation, customer centric, marketing, Shopping Experience, content marketing, creativity, brand value, EnergyWire, Creative, D2C, customer trends, storytelling, brand building, marketing strategy, holiday season
Recently we shared the first post in our three-part series highlighting a few considerations brands of all shapes and sizes should focus on to better serve and support current and future customers in the months ahead.
Topics: Customer Engagement, customer motivations, innovation, customer centric, marketing, Shopping Experience, content marketing, creativity, brand value, EnergyWire, Creative, D2C, customer trends, storytelling, brand building, marketing strategy, holiday season
No matter how blurry the concept of time feels these days, the holiday season is inevitably and speedily approaching. In years prior, the impending holiday season would have meant a ramp up in in-store product promotions, email marketing campaigns and an influx of television advertisements.
Topics: Customer Engagement, customer motivations, innovation, customer centric, marketing, Shopping Experience, content marketing, creativity, brand value, EnergyWire, Creative, D2C, customer trends, storytelling, brand building, marketing strategy, holiday season
The fight for a more sustainable future in the age of the coronavirus and Black Lives Matter has uncovered an important truth: protecting vulnerable communities is critical to taking action against climate change. It's long overdue, but going forward, brands looking to fight for climate change will need to ensure social justice is a component of their climate action plan.
Topics: B Corporation, climate change, inspiration, brand value, sustainability, EnergyWire, brand building, coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, intersectional environmentalism, Gen Z
In the early 2010s, companies like Everlane and Warby Parker paved the way for the first generation of Direct to Consumer (D2C) brands, offering consumers a fully digital brand experience and new companies a relatively easy, innovative and scalable way to sell products and services. A storefront was not necessary, but a strong brand story was. A brick and mortar storefront was no longer an operational requirement for brands - all you needed was an online shop and a creative social media presence.
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Customer Engagement, customer experience, innovation, customer centric, B Corporation, Shopping Experience, climate change, brand value, sustainability, EnergyWire, D2C, customer trends, brand building, coronavirus
We talk often about brand awareness. No matter the industry, the product or solution being offered, it’s a simple, omnipresent idea: people cannot buy your products, support your brand or change their behaviors if they are unaware.
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Customer Engagement, hyper-targeting, future of energy, innovation, customer centric, marketing, marketing solutions, clean energy, sustainability marketing, B2B marketing, authenticity, brand building, coronavirus
As we mentioned last week, re-imagining a life and a world in the age of coronavirus presents a lot of unanswerable questions, yes, but also several opportunities. One those opportunities is the critical role clean energy and sustainability will play in reviving the economy and helping consumers adjust their behaviors and habits.
Topics: customer motivations, future of energy, innovation, customer centric, B Corporation, renewable energy, climate change, utility of the future, energy revolution, inspiration, brand value, energy storage, sustainability, social responsibility, sustainability marketing, solar, Creative, wind power, environment, thought leadership, storytelling, leadership, authenticity, brand building, coronavirus
Topics: customer motivations, future of energy, innovation, customer centric, B Corporation, inspiration, brand value, social responsibility, Creative, environment, thought leadership, storytelling, leadership, authenticity, brand building, coronavirus