Presented with Sustainable Industries, pro bono grant open to enterprises under $25MM in annual revenue

In the new communications paradigm, you don't market to customers. You market with them.

That's the vision behind BBMG's Collective Prize℠, a $100,000 in-kind package of consumer insights and brand innovation services designed to help sustainable enterprises leverage BBMG's expertise and "The Collective," the agency's private online community of conscious consumers and thought leaders.

BBMG, the brand innovation firm dedicated to creating and marketing sustainable brands, has partnered with Sustainable Industries, the business resource for leaders of the New Economy, to launch the grant this fall. Companies with annual revenues below $25 million are eligible to apply between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, 2010. The application and more details may be found at: http://www.sustainableindustries.com/bbmgcollectiveprize

Entrants will be narrowed by the BBMG/Sustainable Industries editorial team, and ten finalists will be judged by a panel of industry experts including Michelle Price, Manager of Worldwide Environmental Strategic Marketing at HP; Jonathan Greenblatt, Founder/President, All for Good; and Kellie McElhaney, Alexander Faculty Fellow in Corporate Responsibility, University of California-Berkeley.

The contest will be publicly announced at the Sustainable Industries Economic Forum series, held Sept. 16 in San Francisco, Sept. 17 in Portland and Sept. 23 in Seattle. The grand prize winner will be announced at the Sustainable Industries Economic Forum in Santa Monica on Jan. 20, 2011. In addition to the $100,000 BBMG Collective Prize, the finalist with the most votes online will be declared a "Readers' Choice Winner," receiving three tickets to the Economic Forum in Santa Monica.

Welcome to the Age of Co-Creativity
Launched this past March, The Collective is the first private online community dedicated to connecting conscious consumers with sustainable brands and related causes. Through online polls, discussions, idea storming and live meetings with entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, marketers and thought leaders, The Collective's 1,000 screened members are helping to shape the policies, practices and products of some of the nation's most respected organizations.

The digital platform builds on BBMG's deep knowledge of the conscious consumer and is part of the agency's effort to integrate co-creativity into next-generation branding, sustainable design and stakeholder engagement. (A white paper titled "Welcome to the Age of Co-Creativity" is inserted into the September issue of Sustainable Industries.)

"We believe in shifting the paradigm from brand-driven monologues to ongoing real-time dialogues, leveraging the power of co-creativity to involve consumers at key milestones," said Mitch Baranowski, BBMG's founding partner and chief creative officer. "When it comes to sustainability, specifically engaging conscious consumers offers a more effective way to gain perspective, explore new ideas and identify opportunities, from supply chain optimization and certification to sustainable design and marketing strategies."

Sustainable Brands Wanted
Sustainable Industries presents BBMG's Collective Prize at a time when the New Economy is rapidly expanding to meet the demands of increasingly conscious consumers. Even in an economic downturn, about half of all consumers are willing to pay 10 percent more for sustainable brands, according to a study by Havas Media. Yet of the 20,000 people surveyed, roughly two-thirds said companies’ communications about their efforts were little more than marketing tactics, lacking in authenticity.

"There has never been a more critical time for sustainable businesses to innovate and communicate with conscious consumers," said Brian Back, founder and editor of Sustainable Industries. "With consumer trust waning and message clutter increasing, any marketing initiative that does not authentically engage consumers will be practically dead on arrival."

BBMG is looking for B2B or B2C companies that are at a real inflection point, ready to explore new lines of business, target markets, brand experiences, launch strategies or all of the above. Submissions will be judged based on clarity and urgency of the challenge, potential for impact on the business goals, commitment level of the applicant team, availability of existing (no cost) marketing communications resources to support winning recommendations, and alignment with BBMG values and experience.

"The sustainability imperative so acutely felt by business is now inspiring marketers to reexamine and reimagine what works and why it matters," added Baranowski. "The shift to a values-driven approach is under way. But the issues are so great--from energy, toxicity, waste and water to population growth--that we must do all we can to accelerate the sharing of new technologies and the promotion of responsible behaviors."

BBMG's Collective Prize - At A Glance

What: BBMG's Collective Prize: $100,000 worth of in-kind insights and innovation services related to engaging BBMG's expertise and "The Collective," the firm's private online community of conscious consumers.

Donated services may include market research, brand planning, brand innovation, engagement with The Collective, strategic insights, implications and creative concepts as appropriate. Of course, BBMG will work with the grant recipient to tailor the offering for maximum impact.

Who: BBMG, a brand innovation firm specializing in creating and marketing sustainable brands, and Sustainable Industries, the business resource for leaders of the New Economy, are partnering to launch the grant.

Why: The issues are so great--from energy, toxicity, waste and water to population growth--that we must accelerate the sharing of new technologies and the promotion of responsible behaviors. Specifically engaging conscious consumers offers a more effective way to gain perspective, explore new ideas and identify opportunities in any number of areas, from supply chain optimization and certification to sustainable design, category growth and positioning strategies.

Who is Eligible: Emerging sustainable enterprises under $25MM in annual revenue.

How to Apply: Visit http://www.sustainableindustries.com/bbmgcollectiveprize.

Deadlines: Applications must be submitted by Oct. 31, 2010. Ten finalists will be selected on or about Dec. 1, 2010. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Jan. 20, 2011, at the Sustainable Industries Economic Forum in Santa Monica.

About BBMG
With studios in New York and San Francisco, BBMG is a nationally recognized firm dedicated to creating innovative brands that engage and inspire today's increasingly conscious consumers. By integrating branding with sustainability, technology and social purpose, BBMG helps organizations embrace innovation, forge new markets, create new experiences and drive real culture change. Recent clients include Brown-Forman, Samsung, Walmart, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Clif Bar & Co., Eileen Fisher and ShoreBank, among many others. For more information, please visit http://www.bbmg.com.

About Sustainable Industries
Sustainable Industries is an independent, award-winning business magazine, website, event and media company serving business leaders and entrepreneurs with indispensable news, tools and analysis focused on the New Economy. Headquartered in San Francisco, the media company connects the dots between the environmental and social components of regional economies and their most active sectors to raise the stakes in a working definition of Sustainable Industries. For more information, visit www.sustainableindustries.com.

Sustainable Industries

Sustainable Industries

Sustainable Industries is an independent, award-winning media company serving business leaders on the West Coast and beyond with its monthly magazine, quarterly business guides, events, and more. Sustainable Industries connects the dots between key sectors such as Clean Energy, Green Building, Technology and Food to raise the stakes in a working definition of Sustainable Industries.

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