“Science Moms” Take on the Marketing of Climate Change Science

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An argument can be made the climate crisis is, in large part, a marketing problem. While “97 percent of climate scientists agree that human-caused climate change is happening” (What We Know), many Americans still question whether climate change is real. Even those that acknowledge a problem, often fail to take personal actions that will limit their impact on the planet. This raises the question – what can be done?

This article, “How can we get more people to care about the climate crisis?” (Fast Company, October 11, 2021) suggests the solutions may be related to the messaging (Promotion) and audience (target market). The article provides some historical examples that show how people’s minds can be changed to focus on an important social issue. It also identifies some groups trying to make a difference, including “Science Moms” whose campaign is gaining traction. See example video below…

Why do some brands discourage customers from buying more of them?

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This is a fascinating trend. I first noticed this with Patagonia. The clothing brand that encourages people to keep their clothes longer (recall the “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign). REI is on board with the “Good & Used” section of its online retail site – and in our local store. These choices seem to be a good fit with the sustainable positioning of these two brands. But more recently, I am seeing other clothing brands step into the used gear space. One example is Adidas, which has partnered with ThredUp to help customers resell used footwear.

These examples might stimulate discussion about consumerism (Chapter 19), retailing (Chapter 12), or reverse channels (Chapter 10). It also begs the question about why companies would do this? Does Adidas have the same motivations as Patagonia or REI? Does this help the company sell more new clothing – while also making money on used gear (perhaps appealing to a clientele that cannot afford these products new)? Is it all about positioning the brand as caring about the environment?

It isn’t only Google and Facebook that tracks customers for advertising purposes…

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Online music streaming service Spotify believes that it can someday become one of the advertising powerhouses. But like its rivals in the advertising business, Google and Facebook, the company needs to collect and analyze lots of data on its customers. Spotify knows more than just what its customers are listening to, it also knows what they are doing and what you are going through.

The Spotify app can gather data from customers’ phones’ including accelerometer, gyroscope, and location data. This might be analyzed to find out if and when a customer works out or walks their dog.

And “Spotify (also) knows that you started playing Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” at 23:03, listened to it for one minute, then searched for “break up” and listened to the entire four hours and 52 minutes of the “ANGRY BREAKUP PLAYLIST” without any pauses. Spotify might know to serve this listener ads about ice cream or (maybe a few weeks later) ads for online dating services.

Right now, Spotify is investing a lot in data science to figure out what all that data it collects can be used for. Privacy? Read more in “All the Ways Spotify Tracks You – and How to Stop It,” Wired.

Schwinn Partners with Good Co. Bike Club to Promote Cycling in the Black Community

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Soon after the pandemic hit New York, Brooklyn cyclist Drew Bennett posted on his Instagram Stories that he was going on a bike ride and if anyone wanted to join, they should meet at the Brooklyn Museum. He was surprised to see 17 cyclists show up. Bennett (and cycling) struck a chord with folks and the Good Company Bike Club was born. A few weeks later, a Juneteenth celebration boasted 1500 riding around New York City.

Seeing an opportunity to connect with an oft ignored market segment of Black cyclists, Schwinn partnered with Good Co. Bike Club and features the group as part of its #IAmACyclist campaign. You can hear more of Drew’s story here and see Good Co. Bike Club featured in an ad. As a cyclist, I love it!

Unrest following George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer in 2020, many brands are waking up to connect with and support marginalized groups. This type of partnership may be seen as taking advantage of a moment – and some might question Schwinn’s sincerity – which might lead to an interesting class discussion.

Seattle’s Zero-Emissions Last-Mile Delivery Hub

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Earlier this month, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its latest report on the climate. It was not encouraging and clearly points to the need for the world to limit carbon emissions. Many cities and businesses are stepping already trying to do just that.

One opportunity for lowering emissions is the so-called “last mile” for online retail. This is the delivery to customers’ homes and businesses. This is seen as lower hanging fruit. So the city of Seattle is experimenting with some low-cost options, including cargo bikes, electric vehicles and pallets, and food trucks. This opportunity is leading to some innovation around delivery.

This Fast Company article describes “Seattle’s new zero-emissions delivery hub is an experiment in slashing e-commerce emissions.” This video (also shown below) describes some of that innovation. In Essentials of Marketing, we discuss innovation as a benefit of marketing (Chapter 1) and as part of new product development (Chapter 9). And of course this topic is relevant to distribution (see chapters 10, 11, and 12) Our textbook also covers sustainability in chapters 1 and 19.