The Body Shop Summer Activist T-Shirt

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager
I love getting faxes like this from store land.

The Values team has been given the space on the back of this summer's t-shirt. I've opened it up for any staff to submit suggestions. The back of the current winter t-shirt says :

"If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand up for much." - Marian Wright Edelman

Support The Body Shop in its campaign to stop sex trafficking of children & young people.

The above idea is from Katie & The Glen store here in Victoria. It's pretty rad and promotes our Community Trade Tri-Massagers. 100% of the profits from these go to the Children on the Edge 'child friendly space' in East Timor.

If anyone out there reading this has a good idea for the back of our t-shirts, please feel free to email it to me or leave a comment on this post.

Please click here for kids in East Timor. Quick!

By Elizabeth Crow - The Body Shop Highpoint (Vic)
















Canon is having a photo competition for images related to worthwhile causes – the winning image wins $25,000 for their nominated charity. I would very much like Children on The Edge to win but I need a few hundred votes… in the next 2 days. That's where you come in.

I recently volunteered to help out at the Children on the Edge 'Child Friendly Space' in East Timor. Each afternoon, children were free to come and play with us. We skipped, painted and drew, played soccer, volleyball, frizbee and badminton… the list goes on. The older children had such a thirst to learn English and much time was spent pointing at objects that were being parroted in both English and Tetum. It’s a place where kids are free to be kids. A place where us adults were also free to be kids! I went with no expectations but came back with an appreciation, thirst & passion for the life we live.

I took some portraits of the beautiful East Timorese children while I was over there and have entered them into Canon's Creative for a Cause competition. Please help Children on the Edge and the children of East Timor. All you need to do is get you, your workmates, friends and family to vote for these photos.

HOW?
Simply click on any of my photos in this post. Each photo is linked to their place in the Canon gallery, all you have to do is vote for them to increase their chances to win!







Voting close 10 July 2009.

Rome burns while the G8 Fiddle

Via Oxfam International:

Image Via: Ucodep



G8 leaders lying on a triclinium, eating grapes and reciting ancient poems accompanied by a cetra, whilst huge flames destroy Rome. The eight leaders of the most powerful countries are, like Emperor Nero, ignoring the flaming crisis engulfing the world around them.

Stunts organised by Oxfam and its partner UCODEP

Poverty and inequality are getting worse in developing countries as a result of the global economic crisis. Poor families are eating less, being evicted from their homes, and having to pull children out of school. All of this is exacerbated by the effects of high food prices, the failure of rich countries to deliver on their aid promises, and the growing harmful impacts of climate change.

Knox and Eastland The Body Shop Climate Change Leaders

The Body Shop Eastland (Vic) Rowena Davies & Jess Wright




The Body Shop Knox City (Vic) Laura Gilbert

Green Marketing vs Green Washing vs Green Values

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager
















Image via: sinsofgreenwashing.org

A few days ago I had the privilege to present to a room of Corporate Social Responsibility and Marketing professionals at Ethical Investor's 2nd Annual Green Marketing Forum in Melbourne. If you're interested in greening your business or a student of marketing, I highly recommend you have a look through some of the presentation powerpoints etc here.

It was really heartening to learn that most organisations present were now being very careful and cautious of making 'green claims' eg: "Buy this it's carbon neutral!" for fear of being labelled or even prosecuted by the ACCC as 'green washers'.

Scott McDougall, CEO, TerraChoice (Canada) gave an excellent presentation which included the Seven Deadly Sins of Green Washing, which are:

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-off
2. Sin of No Proof
3. Sin of Vagueness
4. Sin of Worshiping False Labels
5. Sin of Irrelevance
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils
7. Sin of Fibbing

I came to a bit of a realization whilst talking about The Body Shop Australia's version of "green marketing" which is more like “Social marketing (community communication, education and action) to achieve local and global environmental justice”...

If a company wants us green/ ethical consumers to believe it's really, truly green, it has to win our trust. It must prove genuine concern for the environment as well as it's own profits. Companies can do this by:

• volunteering to go above and beyond current industry environmental laws
• trying to educate consumers about environmental issues.
  
• using their marketing powers (jokingly described as the dark arts @ the conference) to influence stronger national and global political action on climate change. Eg: Lending their voices to the growing number of Australians demanding stronger carbon emission reduction targets from our Government.

Managing our carbon footprint, via reduction and offsetting strategies is crucial. But I think only the first step in gaining a green reputation. Once this is established, more companies can start looking beyond themselves and at the bigger environmental picture. Anita Roddick wisely said:

“The Body Shop recognised long ago that politics is far too important to leave to politicians.”

There are green groups like ACF, Greenpeace and WWF to name a few, who would love to get some mainstream partnerships, marketing and advertising advice, to help spread important environmental messages across to the masses.

To finish this unusually long post for a Friday. Here are a few websites I picked up on at the conference I'd like to share with you. Check them out:

• Bindarri - a group who aims to support and promote Australian creatives who are working for positive change and to inspire others who are yet to begin.
  
• Grow Me The Money - the simple way for small businesses to be sustainable & save money.
  
• 3 Fish - fairtrade and sustainable marketing merchandise.
• The Good Brew Company - saving the world, one brew at a time.
• Republic of Everyone - helping to build sustainable brands.