There are three “rules” for encouraging action on climate change that extend to any movement marketing campaign:
- Any effort needs to be social. There is power — psychological and otherwise — in numbers.
- Any effort needs to be convenient/simple. This leads directly to the idea that people don’t need more information, they need more guidance.
- Any effort has to be profitable — there has to be an immediate return for somebody to invest time and energy.
A new partnership between Kraft Canada and TerraCycle shows us all what that might look like.
The partnership will create a new Canadian program for groups to collect used packaging. And with a monetary reward as an added incentive to recycle, the program supports schools, community groups, charities and non-profits across the country.
Group action is inherently social. Not much is simpler than throwing trash in a bin. The money awarded to the program of your choice (even your own) is a clear return on a team’s time and energy.
A model like this could be used by a variety of organizations — from retailers to utilities to sports franchises. All you need are three indespensible ingredients: 1) A brand to wrap the effort around — like various Kraft products; 2) A clear way to track results — pounds of trash or kilowatt hours; 3) A meaningful incentive — cash to a charity or rewards points for more merchandise.
Kraft Canada and TerraCycle have figured a way to do it. Your organization can too. But you have to follow the rules.