When we go shopping we know which chickens were raised cage-free, which shampoos weren’t tested on animals, and which hardwood floors were made from renewable forests. That’s because there’s a little logo that tells us we’re doing the right thing when we buy that product. Unfortunately, there’s no little logo telling us which products are made by people who are treated humanly. That’s messed up, and that’s my idea.

The good news is that there is an organization dedicated to making things better for workers, The Fair Labor Association. While companies as big and powerful as Apple, Nike and Tumi are working with the FLA to improve workers’ rights; consumers have no idea which companies are making a difference.

I figured it was possible to merge commerce and conscience in a marketing plan that would resonate with the consumer, be good business for corporations, and most importantly, advance the FLA’s mission to improve the lives of workers. So I spent my nights and weekends building one. The more I worked on it, the more excited about the idea I became. Friends I talked to loved it, which not only validated my thinking, but also drove me to work even harder. I couldn’t wait to show the Fair Labor Association.

Then reality reared its ugly head. I researched whom to reach out to, and sent a series of well-crafted, heartfelt emails. I figured it was just a matter of time before the FLA told me how excited they were to see my amazing ideas. They weren’t excited. I got one email an underling saying they forwarded my message to their supervisor. All of a sudden, it’s been months and I’m getting nothing. So I talked to a friend of mine who does new business full time, and asked him what he would do. The answer: reach out to everyone. You never know who will respond. That made sense to me, so I created one more passionate email, letting the FLA know I had the solution to advancing their cause.

All the Fair Labor Association had to do to get all this world-class thinking from a creative mind that had worked for years at TBWA\Chiat\Day, and Deutsch LA, was ask. They didn’t ask. I got one last note from the previously mentioned underling stating “we will keep you in mind should your services be required.” Translation: go away. We aren’t interested in you or your idea.

It’s now been a couple weeks and my ego is on the mend. I really enjoyed the process of developing my concept. I wrote and designed all of it, and created a deck to convince the FLA that Fairly Made was a big idea they should embrace. In hindsight it was a little naive to believe that if I built it, they would come. I imagined them being as excited as I was at the possibilities, flying me in to Washington, then on to Switzerland to meet the founder of the FLA. Then we’d work together and roll it out, furthering the cause of worker’s rights worldwide. I know it sounds a little silly, but I’ve decided that it’s okay. You need to dream and act on your ideas. I still believe in Fairly Made, and will continue to pursue ways to make it happen.

The work shown is just a portion of what I developed. Here’s the deck I created if you want to check it out.

Confession: I’m one of those marketers.

When we did the Verizon Living in 4G social campaign, one dimension of it asked consumers to tell us how they’d live their life in 4G. We figured we’d get all this entertaining content people would like and share with their friends, extending the reach of the campaign exponentially. While the campaign was successful, this part flopped. The content created just wasn’t very good. We spiced it up by working with Zoopa, Fivver, and a couple amazing vloggers, but it wasn’t what we had envisioned.

I’ve given user-generated content a lot of thought lately, and have come up with 5 “Tenets of UGC.” Here’s what I believe:

People like to be critics. Don’t ask their opinion unless you’re prepared to have them unload on you (remember #McDstories?). This is probably the most powerful, and hard to control, aspect of UGC. Consumers are 5 times more likely to believe what a real, live person says about a product or service than what a brand says. Think about how we use Yelp! and Amazon consumer opinions and reviews to inform our choices.

People like to win things. There are tons of boring, uninspired sweepstakes out there, and since there are tons, we know they work. Audi’s #WantAnR8 campaign did a nice job turning this human truth into a super smart social campaign. For me it works for two reasons; I want one, and it was really easy to enter. All I had to do was tweet.

People like to look cool. If you make it easy for people to create a personalized piece of content that’s cool and share-worthy, they’ll do it. A few I’ve liked lately include Intel’s Museum of Me, Subaru’s My First Car, and The Grammy Mix Generator. With minimal effort, you can create something cool that you would share with others. It’s kind of a paint-by-numbers approach to content generation, but if you get it right, you’ll win.

People like to be part of a tribe. Whether it’s riding a bike, swinging a golf club, listening to music, or making meatballs, we all like being involved with a community with which we share something in common. In social, the trick is to find a group that will actively engage with your brand because of shared values and interests.

There aren’t a lot of brands that can pull this off, like say, Red Bull. I really like their Launch promotion. Multiple UGC truths are in effect here. First, it’s a contest. People get a chance to have their idea come to life. It also requires users to create a video explaining their idea. Being on the Red Bull Facebook page, and having people check you out, definitely checks the “look cool” box. Viewers get to vote on the entries, scratching the critic itch we all have, and of course, contestants are encouraging their friends to go and vote, generating traffic and buzz for Red Bull.

People like things to be easy. I touched on this a couple times, but it’s important enough to be the final truth. Don’t expect people to dedicate hours to creating the perfect piece of UGC for your social campaign. Would you?  There are a small portion of a brand’s faithful followers that will rise to the challenge and create something amazing, but don’t bank on them to make your campaign shine. Keep things easy for people, follow my UGC truths, and your odds of creating a social campaign that delivers business results look pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JvqhmMGb-A

An initiative targeting customers who bought first generation 4G LTE smartphones. These early adopters have been dealing with devices that deliver an experience far short of what the newer Droids offer. We wanted to reach out and get them into a new Droid before they consider other options.

For this holiday campaign, we opted for a piece that looked like a catalog, not another self-mailer from Verizon. Results have exceeded expectations.

Another holiday piece that focused on accessories. Beyond being a big initiative for Verizon to push beyond devices and plans, we felt smartphone accessories would be more universally considered as a gift. The insight proved correct, and incremental sales were impressive.

This piece went to customers who have a basic phone. The idea was to give them a sense of not just what a smartphone can do for them, but how it enables them to connect in new ways to the people they care about.

The outer envelope of a mailer to the Asian segment, aligning with the Year of the Dragon celebrations.

We pay more for products that treat animals and the environment well. How about we do the same for people?

I’ll admit it. I’m one of the hypocrites I’m not happy with. I like the idea of locally grown produce, fair trade goods, and free range anything. I also happily pay more for them. Buying them makes me feel better about myself, that I’m part of the solution. When I see a logo on a product I’m buying that lets me know I’m being a good global citizen, ten times out of ten, I go for it.

So why is it I throw all that out the window when I buy an iPad?

The answer to the question isn’t simple. Part of it is my own selfishness. When I buy an iPad, or a flat screen TV, I only care that it’s awesome and that I get a good deal. There’s nothing virtuous at play here. It’s just vanity and hedonism. While Apple is currently the poster child for labor abuse, they’re not alone. It wasn’t that long ago we were demonizing Nike.
So it got me thinking that maybe this is as much a marketing problem as it is an ethical one. What if there was some kind of badge that let us know when we’re buying a product that was made by workers who were treated fairly? It’s worked for coffee growers, chickens, and the rainforest, why not people?

Yes, I know a logo is not the answer, but I did one anyway to make my point. It helps bring the cause to life in a simple, iconic way. (RED) has done an amazing job raising awareness with smart graphics and inspired marketing.

We all know about what’s happening with Apple. The beginning of 2012 has seen extremely unfavorable coverage of what’s going on at Apple’s supplier factories in China:

January 6, 2012: “This American Life” airs “Mr. Daisey and the Apple factory”, and expose on inhumane conditions at Foxconn, the gigantic factory in China that makes Apple products.

January 13, 2012: Apple announces that it has joined the Fair Labor Association, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights and living conditions of factory workers around the world as a “participating member”

Tim Cook also sent out a email to all Apple employees announcing the FLA membership, and talks about Apple’s commitment to creating better conditions in it’s factories.

January 25, 2012: The New York Times runs a front page article on Foxconn,  Apple Computer’s supply chain, and how it’s business practices are part of the problem.

With apologies to Apple, I put my Fairly Made logo on a page of their website. Obviously, Apple has to back it up, but I know it would make people feel better about Apple and buying their products. Imagine going into Best Buy, and seeing the Fairly Made logo on the shelf talker next to the flat screen you’re considering. Awareness at point of sale would make a big difference.

I think tech companies need third party validation in this area. I mentioned the Fair Labor Association earlier. They’re a big organization with members that are primarily in the apparel business. Apple, to their credit, is the first technology company to join. What if the FLA developed a campaign that let us know which products and companies were doing the right by their workers? I’d buy it, and I’ll bet most of my left leaning, Apple-loving, fair-trade advocating friends would too.