Timberland's Global Campaign: Designed to Inspire Change
The Timberland Company has launched the global Earthkeeper campaign, a movement to recruit one million people to become part of an online network designed to create real environmental behavior change.
"Imagine a forum where people who share energy and interest in the notion of protecting our planet can share information and inspiration," says Jeff Swartz, Timberland's president and CEO. "We think the Earthkeeper campaign will be a way to translate lots of passionate talk and ideas into positive, practical action."
Studies show that even concerned consumers are confused about how they can make a positive difference in the world; half of those surveyed say they would do more for the environment if they knew how.
So, the New Hampshire-based company's Earthkeeper campaign will reinforce the importance of 'living green' and also help to make it easy and fun for people to make simple, practical changes and share ideas about how to lighten their environmental footprints.
As part of that program, Timberland will launch an innovative global network of online social networking tools, including partnerships with Changents.com, a strong Facebook presence, a YouTube Earthkeeper Brand Channel and a richly-populated Earthkeeper blog.
Uniting these various Earthkeeper "channels" is www.earthkeeper.com, a Web site which allows users to navigate through the Earthkeeper network based on their level of interest in learning more or engaging in Earthkeeping.
Earthkeepers can share ideas and activities via these online venues, making it quick, simple and entertaining to learn, and discuss greener lifestyles. Earthkeeper forums have been created on YouTube
* Changents.com partnership:
Changents is an entertainment-driven online destination that enables "change agents" to tell their amazing stories while building a network of fans around the world who want to help them. Through videos, photos, blogs, mobile messaging and podcast dispatches from the field, change agents draw in "backers" to lend a hand - virtually or in person.
* Changents.com/earthkeepers:
At this site, Timberland will provide five extraordinary "Earthkeeper Heroes" a global platform to connect with an Internet generation that is hungry to create environmental change on their own terms. The Earthkeeper Heroes include such groups as Big Green Bus, a group of Dartmouth College students who travel around the country in a bus fueled by waste cooking oil. Covering more than 10,000 miles and 40 cities to promote the use of sustainable energy, the Big Green Bus crew will be sending real-time reports and action requests from the road to their Earthkeeper community on Changents.
* YouTube Brand Channel:
The Earthkeeper YouTube brand channel is the place for consumers to learn about EarthKeepers and register via a fun and interactive Green Index gadget to join the movement. Earthkeepers will be able to compete for prizes through video contests, see what other Earthkeepers are doing to help the environment and learn how Timberland is doing its part. A Green Index gadget will help consumers calculate their own environmental footprint so that they may become more aware of easy ways to lighten it.
* Facebook:
The Earthkeeper group page on Facebook is one more place where consumers can learn about being an Earthkeeper and Timberland's Earthkeeping efforts. Facebook users are encouraged to download and virally share the Earthkeeper Plant a Tree application and when a user's virtual tree "grows," Timberland will plant a real tree on their behalf. At time of this release, more than 72,000 Facebook users have downloaded this application and planted trees in a virtual forest.
Timberland's goal is to become a carbon neutral company by cutting back emissions, using renewable energy sources and supporting environmental projects that explore alternative energy. The company pledges to continue to look closely at ways to lighten the environmental impact of its products, reduce waste and recycle. It also will green 300 communities by 2010 and plant more than 100,000 trees this year; on track to a goal of one million new trees by 2010. For more information on the company, go to www.timberland.com.