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Sure the economy’s tough, but repeat after us: Don’t. Stop. Marketing. In bad economic times, most businesses cut their marketing budgets. But why? That makes it harder for people to find out about your products and services, just when you need them most. Instead of cutting your marketing dollars, why not make them work smarter? In addition to our design services, ALR consults on working from an environmental perspective. That can do two pretty great things: reduce your costs and get you noticed. Then when we come out of the other side of the downturn, you’ll really be ready for success. As always we appreciate your feedback. If you like what you see below, be sure to visit the ALR blog for frequent updates. Thanks for reading! Noah Scalin
in this issue Q&A on ALR's new graphics for ALAN cyclo-cross bicycles CheatNeutral on why carbon offsetting is crap [01] ALR 5-Quick-Questions Project Profile  New Graphics for ALAN Cyclo-Cross Bicycles
Q1: Tell us about the bikes.
Q2: What inspired the new graphics?
Q3: ALR had another pretty cool idea, right? A3: Definitely. Since very few bikes are made every year, Noah suggested adding a “bike tattoo” – a limited edition graphic. This year, it’s an etching of a femur along the top bar that riders can see when they’re on the bike.
Q4: What special steps did you take, environmentally speaking? A4: For our tradeshow signs, Noah worked with a company that created reusable banners from eco-friendly materials based on traditional Japanese nobori banners. The stands were even made from reusable materials that were locally sourced so they didn’t have to be shipped.
Q5: Are you happy with how it all went? A5: Extremely happy. With most bikes, the look is really generic. But with ours the look is so different, and comes from a very different perspective, so we’ve gotten a lot of attention in the industry. Visit the Stellina Sport website for more information. And read a recent rave review of one of the bikes at PezCycling News HERE.
[02] resources  What does it take to change the world? For Denver it’s literally change. As part of its 10-year plan to end homelessness, the city recently transformed used parking meters into Donation Meters and put them around the city. It’s working. Since 2007, Donation Meters have redirected much of the millions given every year to the city’s panhandlers – 99% of which is spent on drugs and alcohol – into meals, housing, job training and substance abuse counseling. Read all about it HERE.
[03] design & film  We give Equal Exchange two big thumbs up for its recent promotion. The organization – which promotes fairly traded food and sustainable farming methods – brought attention to its cause with an invitational 48 Hour Film Project. Thirteen teams of filmmakers got a theme (“Dangerously disconnected from food”) and the mother of all deadlines (two days) to write, shoot and edit amazingly funny, thought provoking films. See the fruits of their labor HERE. (Don’t miss the hilarious “Best Film Overall.” It’s first.)
[04] environment  Carbon offsetting? It’s a joke. Essentially, it’s paying for the right to keep on emitting carbon. So CheatNeutral parodies the concept with one that’s easier to understand – offsetting your romantic indiscretions by paying others to be faithful. CheatNeutral reassures cheaters that “Your actions are offset by a global network of fidelity, developed by us.” Ridiculous? Youbetcha. That’s their point, and they make it very well. You’ll find the site – and yet another great video – HERE.
[05] blog For more items of interest be sure to visit the ALR blog. Recent entries include: (Bad) Memory Lane Take Back The Filter: Success! Designing for Forever |
written by Jo Lord edited by Noah Scalin about designletter Designletter is a semi-regular update on the activities at Another Limited Rebellion, the world of socially conscious design, and beyond. Another Limited Rebellion is a socially conscious consulting and design firm committed to helping businesses and organizations bring positive changes to their communities in a sustainable manner. Noah is a lifelong activist whose first protest marches were spent in a stroller and then on roller skates. In addition to starting Another Limited Rebellion, Noah created the community supported agriculture group Sprout and teaches a course on socially conscious design called Design Rebels at Virginia Commonwealth University. The book based on his award winning Skull-A-Day project, SKULLS, is in stores now. Jo is a socially conscious writer who eats vegetarian, drives a 40-mile-a-gallon VW Bug and recycles like a woman possessed. When she isn’t fretting about global warming, nuclear proliferation, the nursing shortage and the correct way to hang toilet paper, she tries to remember that the world is a pretty great place in spite of its issues. Sign-up or read back issues here. |