If you’re interested in marketing and feel you have the ability to play an integral role in a growing company, then this role with Green Banana Marketing could be for you.  Your work will be helping make the world smarter, greener and fairer.

You will be generating new business (for our core areas of expertise including marketing, stakeholder insights, partnership strategy and ethical / sustainable guides).  We predominantly deal with ‘green’ companies’ or departments that promote sustainability, working with the education and charity sectors, stretching into the corporate arena.

We require an individual who can come up with ideas, has initiative, confidence, a friendly rapport-building persuasive telephone manner, with good drive.
You will need to be able spot and create opportunities, think laterally, have some knowledge of marketing and an interest in green and sustainable business.

If you are motivated and have the above qualities then we would definitely like to hear from you at our small but growing company. Green Banana Marketing is in its fourth year and has a team of five very friendly people.

If you are interested in this opportunity with Green Banana Marketing then please look at our website and email your CV, outlining what you can offer to giles@greenbananamarketing.com

Well, scratch a little deeper and you’ll see that the FLA have been involved with, up to now, audits of garment factories.  This is a sector with the most appalling reputation in many developing countries.  A computer factory is always going to be cleaner, as computers have to be made in the most sterile environment or they won’t work.

Photo: Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images

ABC News’ Nightline TV programme in the US last night showed a documentary on the conditions of workers in an Apple factory.  The factory line is portrayed in its soulless and sterile state.  The workers are completely silent and the only voices are robotic.  The latest news is that Foxconn are considering investing millions in robotic automation.  I guess these robots won’t threaten to jump off the factory roofs, their legs won’t swell after standing for 14 hour shifts and they won’t be requiring social justice anytime soon.

How effective are the audits? The most publicised supplier up to now that has used FLA services is Nike, after a similar spate of bad publicity surrounding its workforce practice.   Their latest audit report reveals that there are still areas of health and safety and social security issues to be addressed.  So improvements take time.  Nike have a target of being fully compliant by 2013.

The supply chain of suffering extends to the Congo, where the highly toxic mineral, Coltan, core to the mobile phone industry, is mined often using child labour who die from disease, starvation and unsafe working conditions.

There are higher standards to aim for than the absence of cruelty and the meeting of basic human rights.   The ISO 26000 produced last year exhorts all businesses to show dignity and respect for their workers.  These things can’t be measured by a tickbox.

Voluntary standards have been adopted by other sectors. The Equator Principles introduced by the banking sector has raised awareness of environmental and social issues amongst businesses.  The Courtauld Agreement has members from  the retail sector who agreed to reduce their packaging.  This has had the result of avoiding over 1.2 million tonnes of food and packaging going to landfill.  I would like to see a similar pact amongst those producing computers and phones to reduce the mining impacts.  Fairtrade reduced the chemicals used in coffee production by 80%.  Let’s call on Apple to do the same for the mining of minerals used in hi- tech industries.

Apple have chosen an evocative image for its brand, all shiny, smelling of New York bustle and American home baked pies. Now the challenge is for Apple to embody the qualities that it so successfully projects.

I, as an Apple user, want to know that my phone is made with the least environmental damage and by a happy workforce. I’d like my phone maker to appear in the top environmental and ethical companies. I want to know that some of their lovely profit is being ploughed back into the communities who produce their polished products. I’d like a Coltan free phone, can Apple lead the way on this? When I sit down with a Fairtrade coffee to make a call I want to know that I am making a positive difference to someone’s life with my phone as well as my coffee.  Is that too much to ask?

If you are asking how your company can be the most ethically responsible it can be, contact Giles@greenbananamarketing.com.  Green Banana Marketing has worked with socially responsible brands like Fairtrade and understands that companies need to practice what they promote and lead by example.  Achieving high ethical and sustainable standards is a journey and Green Banana Marketing is producing step-by-step guides to help you get to your destination. Ask us how.

Giles Robertson is the founder of Green Banana Marketing Ltd and Chairman of the Marketing Society Charity Group.

The Director of Marketing said of our work; “The British Council appreciated the way stakeholders were at the heart of all thinking … GBM quickly understood the main issues and developed a decent strategy”.

Building on the British Council’s strengths of being a trusted and credible organisation with a strong history of making things happen, the Conference of the Parties (Cop15) in Denmark in 2009 represented a good moment to consolidate its position on climate change.  This included addressing the low awareness of its work on climate change amongst its main stakeholders and going forward, having greater impact with both new and existing audiences.

Our brief was to build a relevant positioning for the Global Climate Change programme and assist with a marketing strategy to influence the key stakeholders. We conducted a full analysis of peer organisation’s approach and messaging around climate change. The research enabled us to build an appropriate and distinctive narrative for The British Council.

The messaging was used to develop the look and feel across all the materials for the Climate Champions (young people from all over the world traveling to Copenhagen, Mexico and more recently Durban), to challenge world leaders with their projects and country insights.

We also developed a longer term marketing strategy and Climate4Classrooms, a new web based engagement tool for teachers and pupils across the globe – bringing together education and climate change in one initiative.

Climate4Classrooms is a global project enabling young people to understand sustainability and climate change and also to increase their teachers’ confidence.  The website aims to provide resources relevant to the curriculum and gives up-to-date information from around the world connecting groups and individuals from different countries.

Climate4Classrooms has been a global success revolutionising teaching, with 25,000 teachers registering their interest on the first day in Mexico, China, Indonesia and UK.  This is just the start as it rolls out to 45 countries and 150,000 schools over the next phase in Europe, Africa, Asia and Americas. 17,000 pupils in Bangladesh entered fantastic postcards and our judging panel of Climate Experts, Artists and Activists selected 60 postcards to be displayed at the Conference of the Parties (Cop17) in Durban. Climate4Classrooms also provided essential information on the Climate Express travelling from Cape Town, engaging with over 2 million people, on its way to Cop17 in Durban.

A successful application for the Arts Council of England National Lottery funding meant that a new building designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the Pritzker Prize winning (2001) architects behind Tate Modern, could be built.  However for the project to be realised, match funding of £10,000,000 was required. Work was needed to clarify what Laban’s vision was, in order to gain vital support from key stakeholders such as future business partners, the local community and the wider UK public.

We looked at how the Centre was perceived by both its own staff and by outsiders, journalists and dance professionals. Laban’s approach was seen as being both challenging and intelligent. But Laban was also seen as somewhat institutionalised and lacking some of the sparkle it had had a decade or so ago which would prove critical for developing stakeholders for the future. It was not as well known as it should have been either.

The vision of the project was then developed and used to drive all activity. We decided to widen the context of dance within contemporary culture (rather like Tate Modern did for contemporary art).

Diversity was important, attracting and building the interest of underrepresented groups, gaining wider support from business. The new building was situated in one of the poorest boroughs in the UK, so there were quite a few challenges in engaging the local community.

Collaboration was important with the architects, Herzog & de Meuron, locals, artists like Michael Craig-Martin, who produced his biggest ever piece of work as a mural in the new building, and with other arts and community based organisations such as Trinity School of Music, Hales Gallery, Goldsmiths, Deptford X (a community arts event), The Albany and local and national businesses.

The historical context of the new building was also an important element as the new building took its design cues from the front of St Pauls church by Hawksmoor. Also, the sense of history and journey of the Thames and the Creek where the building sat, were important in the story.

Environmental leadership was another important part of the vision. Working with Groundworks and other passionate community groups a green roof, green corridors, a clean up of the Creek (which itself had become an important breeding ground for plants), new nest boxes for swallows and sand banks for kingfishers, were all undertaken.

We had an extensive media push with good results. We maintained an ongoing dialogue about the progress of the new building with key stakeholders. Also, regular tours and presentations were offered to business and locals.

Match funding of £10,000,000 was successfully achieved from corporate support and a mix of grant and foundation monies. The range of different partners reflected the local national and international significance of the building.

Massive media coverage was achieved which helped put Laban on the map for all stakeholders. All the main nationals supported the project. Also specialist and local titles covered the opening and we had great broadcasts – the BBC TV News team were regulars at the building.

We managed to get over 7,000 people to the opening weekend and had a sell-out first season.

At the same time a major overhaul was undertaken of the Southbank Centre brand alongside a new approach to marketing, underpinned by thorough quantitative and qualitative research.  The brand position was about creating new types of relationships across art forms and building new relationships with audiences.

A rich mix of activities was undertaken across the site when it reopened in 2006. The new brand was used on all touch points including a new signage system on the south bank. Workshops were used to guide all staff in understanding the newly refurbished building and the full brand story.

The marketing and communications explained the breadth and depth of creativity at Southbank Centre attracting new attenders (over 250,000 to the opening weekend) and driving sales and membership.

The segment of the general public identified was already very concerned about the environment but currently weren’t members of any environmental NGOs.  They thought that the solutions to these complex problems were impossible to find and the media coverage was seen as depressing and off-putting. So first and foremost they didn’t need to be ‘sold’ the importance of the environmental issues but rather given a window to support them.

For business we needed to position WWF as the essential environmental organisation to consult or partner in the pursuit of sustainable solutions, with a mainstream business audience.

Campaigns were devised that targeted both groups by focussing on the solutions, which were seen as far more motivating, and the messaging was about two of the major environmental threats – C02 emissions and deforestation.  These two issues were also priority areas of work for WWF and research showed that the public (and business) were particularly concerned about climate change and deforestation.

The aim was to demonstrate that increased influence with government and business could make a difference. We wanted to show that people could make a big difference to the environmental issues themselves.

We ran a regional multi-media campaign. Posters, radio and events were used to reinforce the message, along with a dedicated website, featuring stories about WWF’s work, a planet hero quiz, information on what people could do to help reduce environmental problems, and the opportunity to join WWF.

An extensive PR campaign was used to bring the campaign alive, including a feature where a family affected by the Birmingham Tornado in 2005, met a family from Boscastle, previously affected by the flooding in Cornwall.  Also a WWF survey was conducted showing that over 85 per cent of people in Birmingham were increasingly worried about the impacts of global warming which gained media coverage.

Partnerships were a critical part of the campaign delivery with support from HSBC, Ben & Jerrys and Canon.

The campaign resulted in increased awareness of WWF as an environmental organisation.  And importantly consideration to support amongst those who saw the campaign increased by 17% with 1,000 new members.

The positive affects of the campaign were useful in developing relationships with current partners as well as developing new partnerships with Disney, and ITV’s Extinct series.

In the business community, we achieved an increase in familiarity rating amongst business leaders up by 5% as a result of the whole campaign to target business leaders.

The Director of Communications and Policy said of our work: “The Fairtrade Foundation employed Green Banana Marketing as independent marketing consultants. During this time they led our global market research and brand-positioning programme, working with international partners in Germany, France, Switzerland and the US. They bring huge energy with a clear sense of what works and doesn’t. It was a pleasure working with GBM – we would certainly consider them for future marketing consultancy and recommend them to others”.

Key to this was building partner understanding and exploring new ways of developing the Fairtrade message.  Our research proved valuable in demonstrating to partners the areas in which people support Fairtrade.  We also developed quantitative findings across 15 countries, feeding into the 5 year growth strategy.

We developed new initiatives for Fairtrade Fortnight including Gobananas – a new record attempt for the most people eating Fairtrade Bananas in twenty-four hours. The campaign was a success with 470,000 consumers responding to a viral email. Corporate support was changed gear with Sainsburys, Waitrose and Tesco advertising the event on all their pre-packed Fairtrade bananas.

Successful partnerships were established with new organisations including Cadburys and sales of Fairtrade bananas during the campaign period across multiple retailers increased by 15% overall.

Our research showed that young adults cared deeply about the environment but were confused about what to do. Hence, a responsive and fresh approach was essential. We built an agile and easy to use platform that worked well for our audience.  We developed the brand to be about being at the heart of environmental action. The marketing supported one campaign; ‘excess packaging’ through on and offline activity including:
1- presence at the top 5 universities’ fresher fairs and launching a young ambassadors programme

2- running solar powered cinema at key music festivals (including Secret Garden and End of The Road) with relevant themed films

3- producing 60 second campaign films which was seeded across a number of networks and channels and sent to key bloggers

4- raising awareness and interest in Greenvoice by getting entries to ‘film vert’ competition and designing the brand’s publicity

5- filming at breaking news stories and seeding with media sites such as BBC

We communicated with over 400,000 people gaining 5,000 new users.  The activity gave us a cost per new user of under £4.

We secured support from The Ecologist (25,000 readership) and Channel 4. Greenvoice went on to act as an advisor on C4’s new reality TV Battlefront about young adults campaigning.

We achieved first page Google ranking for our featured campaigns and signed up over 500 people to a Facebook fans page, and gained 4,000 signatures in support of the excess packaging petition.

The Marketing and Communications Director at Care said of our work:  “Care International was delighted to engage Green Banana Marketing to develop an engagement strategy for a new project. They provided relevant and engaging insights to the challenge, quickly getting to the root of the issues. The strategy, which they developed, helped achieve the necessary levels of corporate support and importantly focused on dealing with the barriers as well as positioning the benefits. I would have no hesitation in briefing Giles and Green Banana Marketing on future projects – providing refreshing, creative and cost effective work“.

Our partnership strategy provided a route map to achieving the appropriate corporate funding for a new online product in the most achievable sectors, enabling Care International to further its vision.  The strategy provided a clear articulation of the benefits to potential partners, the most appropriate sectors to target, a full analysis of the likely target audience, and creative engagement ideas for partnerships.

The strategy has helped secure meetings in the identified support and funding from at least 3 of the partners.

The Centre for Fashion Enterprise designers are often setting the international fashion agenda. With a roster of past and present international designers, the Centre is hugely respected within the industry, and their designers are characterised by innovation and creativity that is central to their work.

Working with an organisation that supports designers such as Christopher Raeburn, who is pushing the boundaries internationally for sustainable fashion by making clothing from re-appropriated military wear and sustainable/recycled products, it is really exciting and creates many dynamic conversations with companies.

GBM are developing and delivering a focused strategy to help foster a varied range of partnerships for CFE, allowing them to further cement and broaden the work they do with Britain’s promising design talent.