Plastic Free July 2023
1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute (Tenstsile) and it’s estimated that 75-200 million tons of this plastic is currently floating around in the ocean (Recycle Track Systems). If you know us as a brand, you know that we’re passionate about the environment and doing our part to lower emissions to reduce climate change. That said, this month is plastic free July. We ask that you please join us the movement to set forward lifestyle changes that we can pass to future generations. You can start with something as simple as buying a reusable water bottle and coffee cup. If you want to get really into it, you can avoid using single use plastic bathroom supplies by making your own mouthwash. The choice is yours but here are some tips for you to get started for plastic free July.
1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute (Tenstsile) and it’s estimated that 75-200 million tons of this plastic is currently floating around in the ocean (Recycle Track Systems). If you know us as a brand, you know that we’re passionate about the environment and doing our part to lower emissions to reduce climate change. That said, this month is plastic free July. We ask that you please join us the movement to set forward lifestyle changes that we can pass to future generations. You can start with something as simple as buying a reusable water bottle and coffee cup. If you want to get really into it, you can avoid using single use plastic bathroom supplies by making your own mouthwash. The choice is yours but here are some tips for you to get started for plastic free July.
1. No more take away cups! Buy a reusable water and coffee cup
2. Use bar soap for hand soap: this will reduce single use plastic vastly.
3. DO NOT BUY BOTTLED WATER!!! a good option is Liquid Death canned water!
4. Buy reusable shopping bags: most states have actually banned them now so we’re on the right track!
5. Buy less and/or buy in bulk! Choose to buy larger quantities and use reusable bags to store the items if you can. Buying less can also reduce the amount of plastic pollution.
6. Buy glass Tupperware containers: These can be found on amazon or even at your local Hobby Lobby now. Typically, the lids are made of bamboo
7. REFUSE PLASTIC STRAWS! There’s really no reason to use a straw to begin with. We’re not children….
8. Find a local refill store: there are plenty of refill stores that promote sustainability now. You take your own glass containers and they have an array of options for bathroom supplies, household cleaners, etc.
9. Stop using balloons and plastic decorations: yes, they’re cute but they’re terrible for the environment. Use sustainable decorations.
10. Ladies, buy reusable sanitary items: there are plenty alternative to tampons and pads now, such as cups, etc.
It seems overwhelming at first when you start trying to live a plastic free life. However, once you start, you realize that it isn’t as difficult as you thought. We can attest to this. We frequent our local refill store for cleaning supplies, shampoo, conditioner, laundry powder, and dishwasher pods. At this point, we even make our own mouthwash! We understand that it’s not totally feasible to be completely plastic free 100% of the time but it’s just important to do your best as much as you can. When you can’t, make sure to recycle the plastic items you had to purchase. Good luck! We hope this helps you start your plastic free journey!
Skills for Success in Advertising
Advertising is a very creative field and if you have a passion for what you do, everything you create will embody this. It’s a very social driven field as well, especially since we specialize in user-generated content. As in any business there are specific traits that will lead to success. Here are our top 5.
Advertising is a very creative field and if you have a passion for what you do, everything you create will embody this. It’s a very social driven field as well, especially since we specialize in user-generated content. As in any business there are specific traits that will lead to success. Here are our top 5.
1. Social media savvy: any brand should be good at social media nowadays. With advertising though it’s very important to keep up with trends, post and track your ad campaigns just to name a few reasons why this will be important to success. For us, it’s important to sourcing our content from people.
2. Creativity: Duh but we have to put it. Chances are that if you’re in advertising you’re probably already creative. The ad industry will allow you to really hone in on your creative strengths.
3. Collaboration: brainstorming will be important in creating good ads. You have to be able to work well with others. Listening actively and implementing ideas is key but also taking constructive criticisms.
4. Computer skill: two words for you… digital media. Photoshop and Illustrator are very important to know how to use. You will definitely spend a lot of time on your computer so having skill in this area will make your day to day much smoother.
5. Research skill: important for case studies, competitor, etc. If you have these skills then it makes the R&D phase streamlined
Creativity ultimately drives good advertising but there are a number of things that go into making a successful business in advertising. Our niche is UGC, so it requires a lot of research and social media skills. Traditional ad agencies require a lot of backend and include the production side of things too. No matter what part of the ad industry you’re in, one thing is for sure, it is constantly changing and evolving. Being adaptable in this industry will make your brand a huge success!
Competitive Positioning Strategy
In what ways does your brand stand out from all the others? What’s the value of choosing your brand over your competitors? Competitive positioning is a marketing strategy the refers to how the brand will do just that. The goal of the competitive positioning strategy is not only to increase sales but can guide your brand with purpose. So, in what ways can your brand make itself stand out?
In what ways does your brand stand out from all the others? What’s the value of choosing your brand over your competitors? Competitive positioning is a marketing strategy the refers to how the brand will do just that. The goal of the competitive positioning strategy is not only to increase sales but can guide your brand with purpose. So, in what ways can your brand make itself stand out?
1. Excellence /Value
2. Leadership
3. Niche
4. Customer service
The benefits really speak for themselves when winning over your customers through positioning but how do you create a good strategy to do so? Here are some point to help you get started.
1. Study the competition: see how they perform, what are they lacking that you can offer? Perform SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
2. Market research: can help understand size, scope and demographics.
3. Define your goal: What are the company short and long-term goals? Decide what your brand goal is and this will help the positioning strategy.
4. Map it out: we mean this literally actually. Create a perceptual graph with two axis and four quadrants. Each line represents an attribute. Remember those x, y axis graphs you used back in algebra. It’s like that. No number though thankfully. Let’s look at an example. One line is for quality and the other price. The positive axis for quality is high quality. The positive for price is high pricing. The negative portion of the axis for quality is equal to low quality and the negative for price would be for low pricing. You can do this to find holes in your particular market niche.
Ultimately, you started your brand because you knew there was something lacking in your field so finding your niche shouldn’t be too difficult. Mapping out a plan to get others to believe in your dream is another story. It will take planning and time. Make sure to set deadline and goal dates to stay on track. It’s also very motivating for you and your team to see achievement. Happy planning.