Marketing for Good

Perfectionists do not lead. Imperfect, passionate, optimistic, persistent, enthusiastic servants lead. They teach us that we cannot sit back and wait until everthing is perfect before we act; they convince us we can achieve more, working as a team, than we would ever dream on our own and then work with us to achieve the impossible.

Leaders live on the edge, always squinting forward, always inventing, always convincing, forever building confidence among those they lead, but with no way to be absolutely certain. For leaders, every time is the first time. Later, when the fog has lifted, we will see where we all wandered, the dangers we missed, the miracles we achieved together.

Leaders realize that you dream and believe before you achieve. The certainty of seeing comes after the action of believing. The fearful ask, “Are you certain this is going to work?” The honest answer is, “No, but we need to move ahead anyway.”

- Author unknown

How Lexmark’s recycling program helps produce recycled lumber

In the pursuit of sustainability, Lexmark’s environmental, health, and safety policy drives initiatives that encompass every aspect of their global business. When it comes to our planet, we know there is no substitute. Lexmark strives to provide industry-leading environmental practices that not only relate to their products, but to everything they do, everywhere in the world.

So where does eWood™ fit in?

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How to invest in the work you love without sacrificing business integrity.

There are a lot of differing opinions on what pro bono means. If you read the Online Etymology Dictionary, this term is short for pro bono publico “for the public good.” However, over the past several years, this term has been commonly accepted as meaning “for free.”

For a business owner, the term pro bono it is often introduced when a well meaning, but financially disadvantaged, non-profit asks you to give your product or service at no cost.
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“If someone gave you $5 million, would you go to work tomorrow?”

What is a job?
The average full time working person will spend more than 90,000 hours on the job in their lifetime. This begs the question, “How many hours have you worked so far in your life?” Perhaps more importantly, how do you account for the good that this work has created for yourself, your family and for the larger community?

Define “good” any way that you like, the core idea is that we each have an innate need to be and do something significant, not simply be successful.
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When should you think about your marketing? Here are 8 REASONS to review your marketing now.

1. You want profitable and sustainable growth
2. You desire a better brand image
3. You’re announcing new services or products
4. You have a distinct competitive advantage - or wish you did
5. A handful of constituents or customers control your organization
6. You need to attract and keep top employees
7. Your products/offerings surpass your current customer’s perception
8. The right people will value your offering and get involved financially

I have developed a Marketing Scorecard to help you test your marketing. It helps you decide what’s working, what’s not working and where you need to pay the most attention to improve your marketing.

Score yourself from 0 to 5 with 5 being
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Most companies and organizations would agree that marketing is important. Unfortunately, that agreement is usually followed up with, “but it’s not an urgent need right now” or “we’ve tried a few things, but none seem to work.”

Effective marketing is all about
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I try to read a lot of business books and articles, and I listen to a lot of books on CD. Sometimes I am inspired by an entire book and a revolutionary concept it may propose. Other times, I take a single idea from a book that I can fold into my daily life.

I have attempted to bring some of these new ideas from my reading and share it with my team. On more than one occasion I have been met with bewildered and slightly concerned looks that seem to say…
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What drives us? What makes us tick? Everyone within the design industry from art directors, to developers, to artists, and even project managers can be considered creatives. So there is no wonder we sometimes have our creative differences.
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There are so many new products and services hitting the market these days. What can I do to make sure my brand is differentiated in the marketplace?
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