Back in January, we dove deep into two of the biggest social media trends of 2020: TikTok and the continued rise in popularity of video content. Although it was only two months ago, it feels like a completely different era.
A lot has happened in the past two months, and for many businesses, the focus has shifted significantly toward aiding and supporting community members in the uncertain time and future of the coronavirus.
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices
Community and collaboration has been a vital part of KSV’s DNA, but in times like these, community means that much more. We are fortunate enough be a part of several communities, allowing opportunities for connection, brainstorming and collaboration to help inspire great work and constant conversation.
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, B Corporation, Industry Expert Interviews, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices
We’ve done the research, dotted the i’s, crossed the t’s and are delighted to share our latest whitepaper on the homeowner’s perspective on home batteries. The whitepaper includes proprietary research that uncovers average homeowners' thoughts on residential energy storage, opportunities to generate interest in residential battery systems and actionable steps to increase home battery installations. Access it for free here!
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, B Corporation, Industry Expert Interviews, Research, Clean Energy, Branding and Brand Value, Energy Storage, Climate and Social Justice
Exiting one decade and entering a new era often coincides with reflection and forecasting.
Topics: Innovation, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Branding and Brand Value, In the News
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Research, Electrification, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices
November feels like the optimal time for reflection. In theory, the biggest projects of the year are winding down, and a new year looms ahead. In reality, you are probably just as busy as you were in January—perhaps even more so—and will spend the weeks between now and the end of the year at a frenetic pace trying to find some semblance of balance between finishing out 2019 and planning for 2020, leaving little time for true reflection.
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Content Marketing, Smart Technology, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices
The Global Climate Strike. The United Nations Climate Action Summit. Greta Thunberg. And KSV. Like everyone else who felt compelled to rise up, we knew we had to do something. Protests and demonstrations are powerful things, but they only create change in the long-term when people refuse to let go of the conversation. To get people to hang on to their hopes for a better future, we created the KSV climate capsule. A collection of messages from concerned citizens inspired by hope for a better tomorrow.
Topics: Innovation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Climate and Social Justice
We’ve been thinking a lot recently about what things will be like in a hundred years.
It’s a strange but thought-provoking item to consider.
And while thinking about the next 100 years has started conversations and given us a sense of optimism about the opportunities in front of current and future generations, we cannot help but simultaneously wonder: What about the next 10 years? Five years?
Topics: Innovation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Climate and Social Justice
A few months back, we talked about how awesome plastic is.
Yes, it is actually terrible. But its terribleness is what makes it so awesome (still with us?) in that it pushes brands up against a wall, forcing immediate change and innovative ideas.
This week, we thought it would be interesting to dive into some of the most recent ways in which brands across the globe are fast-tracking innovation to address the plastic crisis.
Image Credit: Carlsberg
Carlsberg introduces paper beer bottle. In our initial plastics EnergyWire we highlighted the Danish beer brand’s efforts to reduce their own plastic waste with the introduction of the Snap Back, which eliminated the plastic wrapping used to hold six-packs together. The move resulted in a 76 percent reduction in plastic usage compared to previous multipacks.
Now the brand has gone a step further, introducing the first-ever paper beer bottle, made with sustainable and recyclable wood fibers. The unveiling is part of Carlsberg’s Together Toward Zero initiative and, as opposed to a one-and-done effort, showcases their long-term commitment to reducing plastic waste and cutting carbon emissions.
The takeaway: A multi-pronged sustainability strategy that is evident in both the operations of the company and the product itself shows customers that a brand is genuinely committed to solving the problem, versus hopping on the bandwagon of an “of-the-moment” trend.
Los Angeles looks to pave its road with recycled plastic. The people of Los Angeles are no strangers to the problem of pollution and carbon emissions, with residents of Los Angeles County being exposed to 60 percent more vehicle pollution than the average state.
A sobering statistic, especially when one considers that the city faces a plastic waste crisis of its own (on top of the larger, global plastic problem). These obstacles make the announcement of a pilot to pave the city’s roads with recycled plastic that much more significant. The city of Los Angeles has been working with a company called TechniSoil to test out a new method for paving roads using repurposed plastic as a binder. The first pilot site of the project is on track to be constructed in downtown LA later in 2019.
The plastic asphalt will not only reduce production emissions and the cost of materials; it will also be quicker to install, and tests have shown that the plastic paving is six to seven times stronger than regular asphalt. That increased durability means less time being spent re-paving the roads in the future.
The takeaway: Tackling a global crisis in a way that helps solve everyday frustrations for residents and business owners is a win-win for everyone. Yes, consumers care about the plastic crisis. But they are also deeply and frustratingly affected by day-to-day urban infrastructure issues that have a significant effect on their quality of life. Using recycled plastic to solve day-to-day issues like poor road conditions brings the focus back home, while simultaneously showing the city’s larger commitment to the big picture.
What are some other recent initiatives brands have unveiled as a way to address the plastic crisis? We’d love to hear which ones have caught your eye.
Topics: Innovation, Climate Change, Sustainability Marketing, Climate and Social Justice
In the spring of this year, solar installations in the US surpassed two million, just three short years after the solar industry completed its millionth installation, a milestone that took 40 years to reach.
Policies spurred by ambitious state renewable energy commitments have helped speed up the adoption of renewables in general, but the growth of solar is also driven by enormous consumer demand.
At KSV, we have seen this firsthand.
Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation
