www.BruiseRelief.com

One of the things I really love about Phoenix is their commitment to the environment. They compost over 40% of their food, beverage, and container wastes. They switched from Styrofoam to compostable to-go cups in 2010. Phoenix also recently did a remodel at their Lee Rd. Cafe using green methods such as environmentally friendly carpet and paints, recycled materials, and reclaimed woods.

Yet buzz words like “sustainable”, “environmentally friendly”,  and “green” have become difficult to use in recent years. Call it green burnout. We see these words everywhere, even fast food restaurants  advertising and marketing. It makes words cluttered and almost meaningless. How to really get to the heart of the matter? Don’t just say, show. That is, a short ad is fine, but telling the true story through narrative marketing is one way to really stand out and explain the hows, whys and whats – and that’s what gets response. Narrative marketing can take many forms – blog posts, videos, brochures are a few. Another very effective way is through a full blown magazine or newspaper article.

I was lucky enough to be able to write about this initiative for the Heights Observer newspaper. It’s a great case study for any small business interested in adopting more green practices while saving money at the same time.

Hot Coffee With a Side of Green

Sample quote from the article:

Phoenix Coffee came up with creative solutions to standard construction practices and supported other local green businesses in its remodeling efforts. Phoenix used low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint and environmentally friendly carpet. Materials were reused and repurposed whenever possible (old science lab cases from John Carroll University, for example, were provided by John Deluca from Old School Salvage). The countertops are made from repurposed wood refinished by Aaron Gogolin from A Piece of Cleveland. Store owner Sarah Wilson-Jones “hired” her mother, Polly Wilson, as the general contractor. Mom stayed on site, sometimes 16 hours a day, to keep costs and schedules in line. “We actually saved money doing sustainable construction,” Wilson-Jones says, “because we were thrifty by buying cheaper used and repurposed materials over new. Do the best you can, when you can, with what you’ve got. Greening is a gradual process.”

In 2010 I was approached by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), New Orleans to help them with a new website and overall communications efforts. The IABC is a professional communicators group made up of cross-discipline industries and specialties including marketing, advertising, public relations, and government affairs. There are over 20,000 members in countries all over the world.

The New Orleans chapter has always been active and engaged. Yet after Katrina hit in 2005, board leadership saw a shift and there were gaps in active membership since many members had to leave the city for work or personal reasons. As New Orleans rebounded after the storm, so too did the IABC. Realizing that to attract new members and encourage activity however, a new website would be a critical part of the equation.

I came on as VP of Communications in the Spring of 2010, and as a board we looked a the organization’s communication needs. After this we looked at best practice websites from other IABC chapters. With recommendations to use the website platform WordPress, we then hired a terrific developer who built a website absolutely honed to meet our constituency’s needs. Yet as anyone knows, design is only one component of a good website; content is also king.

From editorial planning, to copywriting, to membership training, I worked to make sure the IABC has a best practice model and is once again showing the world how smart, forward thinking, and passionate New Orleans communicators are. I’m also pleased to announce that New Orleans has been chosen to host the IABC Southern Regional Conference in the fall of 2011. I know that there are plenty of reasons for this, but I would like to think our showcase website has just a little something to do with it as well…

WWW.NOLAFOODTRUCKS.COM

As some of you might know, on a whim in 2007  I started documenting Portland, Oregon’s intense food cart and truck scene. What started as a simple  hobby blog has now grown to over 1 million web hits per year, over 35,000 fans on Facebook, and a successful digital advertising revenue generator. Of course none of this would have happened without the help of my terrific and talented business partner, Brett Burmeister who now does all the day to day of running the site, and has been instrumental in its growth since 2009.

In 2010 I was approached by Erica Normand, a graphics and PR professional in New Orleans. She was also interested in New Orleans’ growing food truck and street food scene. Thus, we are now pleased to announce the launch of NOLA FOOD TRUCKS. We’ve already begun to receive terrific local press about our efforts, and I’ve been able to use what I’ve learned in social media, digital marketing, and content best practices from my professional work and apply them to our new website.

We believe street food is an important economic and cultural equation in a healthy and thriving urban environment. I’m very pleased to be part of this project, not to mention pleased that I get to eat and write about so much terrific “alternative” food in such and amazing and vibrant city.

WWW.NORAWORKS.ORG

I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new website for The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA). Partnering with the talented branding and advertising agency Trumpet and stakeholders at NORA, we were able to provide this dynamic real estate and economic development agency with a government best practice in web content and design. I worked with Trumpet and NORA on several aspects of this project including research and planning, client and project management, content development and copywriting.

As part of a Federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 grant to help redevelop blighted properties in New Orleans and spur neighborhood development, the project’s mission was to provide NORA with a website that is easy to navigate, has detailed information, and allows staff quick and easy access to add and update information. We built the site using Express Engine, and provided guidance and training to staff, thus giving NORA a powerful new tool for better public outreach and information.

Copywriting for government entities can be tricky. Information is often complex, uses highly technical language, and often has specific legal requirements/constraints around it. My role was to help write and often re-write existing materials to provide factual and detailed information, but at the same time balances easy to read copy and  specific government best practices for plain English.

Some resources used for this project included:

• Plain English for Government
• Best Practices in EGovernment
• Best Practices in Local Government Research and Data Services

Taken by Mike Davis, Oregonian, Mix Magazine.

I have a new article out in Mix Magazine about a wonderful wild and culinary mushroom business located in Oregon’s fertile Willamette Valley. The Olsen’s Mushroomery is a little bit hippie commune, a little bit science lab, and a whole lot of wonderful. This was an incredibly fun article to write. I learned tons about wild and exotic culinary mushrooms, cooked and ate mushrooms til my heart’s delight, and found two amazing enterprising souls who are becoming known as international leaders in sustainable mushroom farming and harvesting methods.

My favorite? Well, I’m still a big fan of Chanterelle’s – buttery, with a deep rich taste, this article did turn me onto Chanterelle Mushroom Powder though, and now I use it all the time in dishes such as pasta, rice, soups and even, as the subjects of my article suggested, sprinkled on top of popcorn.

This was also the second time working with talented photographer Mike Davis. His work absolutely compliments my words, and I’m just super pleased with the results. I’d work with him and the rest of the Mix staff again in a heartbeat.

Check it out: Mushroom Farmers Grow Their Own and Pick Them In The Wild.

As some of you know, I’ve been studying and chronicling Portland’s food carts since 2007 here. I’ve really grown a deep fondness for, and commitment to the food cart community. I admire and respect so many of the cart owners for their entrepreneurial spirit, incredible talent, and true grit. The cart owners are absolutely passionate about what they do, highly creative, and prove that good food doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Portland’s food carts are also a terrific case study in grass roots economic development, community building and the power of social media.

Enjoy: New York Times Article on Frugal Portland and Link to Video on Food Carts