Editor’s note: This post was originally published at Hemal’s blog The Eightfold.
Environmental awareness has arrived, but its focus on consuming our way to greener lifestyles comes with confusion around when and how to conserve using the 4R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Remix). Part of the problem is that conservation is hard, stodgy and scary. Luckily, today more than ever a silver lining exists.
We are in the midst of a creative whirlwind [...]
On Friday, Apple fans across the US were queuing up to get their hands on the new iPhone. In SOHO, the first through the doors wasn’t just any disciple of the Cult of Mac. It was indy film director Spike Lee followed by supporters of Keep a Child Alive, a charity devoted to providing anti-retroviral drugs to children in Africa. The perfectly orchestrated act of PR was not the work of the masterminds [...]
Vanity Fair’s July issue is devoted to raising awareness in Africa. Guest edited by Bono, the magazine has 20 different covers featuring celebrities and cultural figures like Brad Pitt, Madonna, Maya Angelou, Oprah and President Bush involved in a game of telephone. The magazine has been debated because it naturally raises the question of whether the use of celebrities in social campaigns raises awareness or trivializes the issue. Some see it as a [...]
Indra K. Nooyi: Image source: Sivacracy.netBusinessWeek next week has a few articles on PepsiCo’s Chairwoman and CEO Indra Nooyi’s vision of “performance with purpose”. It focuses on Nooyi’s earnest passion to fundamentally transform the company into a sustaining portfolio strategy:
The slogan may sound like the kind of marketing ploy that’s in vogue these days, especially coming from a company that’s best known for making soda and potato chips.
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Whole Foods LondonThe Brits have never been known for their culinary instincts, but Whole Foods is putting this to the test. The mega retailer opened its doors last week to lots of eager consumers and a flood of press. Everyone has a point of view of Whole Foods’ impact on the ethical consumer, true level of sustainability and “Whole Paycheck” pricing. The big question is how Whole Foods [...]
Sustainability is a work in progress, so it’s impossible to have all the information to know whether a company’s activities are green enough. However, you can learn whom to trust simply by testing whether a company will genuinely respond to you. Last Friday, I wrote a piece on The Eightfold on the opportunity for theme parks to green the customer experience. In it I mentioned Bearfire Resort, a year round outdoor ski resort [...]
Before we kick off summer with Memorial Day barbeques this weekend, it’s important to remember Spring 2007 was when the incubating third wave of environmentalism finally hatched in pop culture. If you passed by any newsstand in April magazines from Elle to Sports Illustrated had green issues giving quick tips and tricks on how we could play our part. TV got in on “doing good” in May with the amazing Planet [...]
Karma Capitalism Editor's note: We're pleased to welcome Hemal Vasavada Gill to the writing team. Hemal is founder and editor-in-chief at The Eightfold, and also works as a freelance trend and marketing strategist. We've invited her on board to take a look at how companies are positioning themselves as green and sustainable, and to help you separate the hype from the real deal. So you’ve changed your light bulbs, recycle, [...]
