🤔 Last Week in Humane Marketing - Bianca's Take #2
From the New 'Click to Cancel' Rule to Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Packaging: Are Brands Making Real Change or Just Paying Lip Service?
Welcome to Last Week in Humane Marketing - Bianca's Take! I'm Bianca Dămoc, here to bring you the latest news and insights at the intersection of ethics, tech, and commerce.
I’ve added an extra section dedicated to Humane Tech. If you enjoy this roundup, please share it and subscribe to stay connected.
Let's dive in!
The News - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has introduced a new 'click to cancel' rule designed to make breaking up with subscriptions as easy as starting them. Whether you signed up online, over the phone, or in person, businesses are now required to offer a cancellation process that's just as straightforward.
Bianca's Take - Those hard-to-cancel memberships aren't just annoying; they're bad for business. You're not building loyalty by trapping customers—you're breeding resentment. Just think of Adobe, their notoriously complicated cancellation process has earned them widespread frustration and a tarnished reputation. Creating goodwill with your audience starts with respecting their choices. If you make it easy for people to leave, they might just choose to stay (or at least, not badmouth you on social media.) Transparency and ease aren't just ethical; they're smart marketing.
The News - Brands are turning pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Unilever is launching limited-edition pink packaging as part of Asda's Tickled Pink campaign supporting breast cancer charities. Toufayan Bakeries is also joining in, featuring pink packaging on select products with a portion of sales going to breast cancer research. Beauty brands are also releasing special products where proceeds contribute to the cause.
Bianca's Take - While I strongly believe in raising awareness, these campaigns often feel like corporations playing dress-up, much like the rainbow logos that appear every Pride Month. Slapping pink on packaging is easy; making a real difference takes more. I can only hope these brands are putting their money where their mouth is, following up with substantial donations to research and support. I really like what Lush does with their Charity Pot Collection, let capitalism do its job and allow people to vote with their money.
The News - As we reach the end of the travel season, a spotlight is shining on the sustainability of tourism. Climate-focused tours are becoming more popular, with operators offering trips that highlight the impacts of climate change, like glacier walks in Iceland that serve as "living classrooms" for climate education. Other tours direct tourists to local businesses to reduce overtourism with something called the Meaningful Travel Map. However, experts argue that overtourism isn't just about the number of tourists but also about poor local management. A study came out last week and argued that young adults are hesitant to choose green hotels due to perceived risks and lack of familiarity.
Bianca's Take - The rise in climate-focused tours is encouraging. After all, what better way to educate people about climate change than by immersing them in environments where its effects are most palpable? Having said that, I just want to point out that visiting fragile ecosystems to learn about their fragility ironically contributes to the problem. The study showing young adults' reluctance to stay in green hotels is telling. Even when sustainable options are on the table, they're not always embraced. This highlights a gap between awareness and action.
Yes, challenges remain—managing tourist flows and shifting perceptions isn't easy. But every effort counts. I organize free hikes in Vietnam to clear plastic from the trails, and it's incredibly fulfilling. Seeing the immediate impact of collective action reminds me that positive change is possible when we all chip in.
So here's a thought: if you're a marketer with some time on your hands, why not lend your expertise to these green hotels and sustainable travel initiatives? They clearly need help amplifying their message. After all, effective marketing isn't just about selling—it's about inspiring meaningful change. And when what you're selling inspires change, that's the best kind of marketing there is.
Honorable Mentions:
The Indian government has put out new guidelines to prohibit companies from making misleading environmental claims - advertisers are now required to substantiate claims like ‘Pure’ and ‘Organic’ with credible evidence.
The upcoming Inclusive Wedding Summit on January 22, 2025, aims to transform the wedding industry by empowering businesses to embrace inclusivity in their marketing strategies - now if only they could make the cake prices as inclusive.
Sustainable Brands 2024 San Diego Conference took place this past week, this is a good summary, this article also addresses the conference- hoping to make it next year.
Unilever has significantly ramped up its R&D efforts to reduce plastic use, they want to cut 40% of their own plastic use by 2028 - looks like they finally realized turtles don't need shampoo bottles.
Global electric vehicle sales are hitting records, but in the U.S., a significant gender gap shows women are less likely to buy EVs - marketers, how can we bridge this gender gap?
We have lived in the future for 20 years, argued The Verge.
Google went public in 2004. Facebook, Gmail, Firefox and Digg launched in 2004. The word “podcast” was coined from a portmanteau of “iPod” and World of Warcraft paved the way for modern massively multiplayer online games in 2004.
Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction that year didn't go viral due to the absence of online video platforms - a gap that inspired three friends to create YouTube.
2004 - the year that kickstarted our future.
Humane Tech:
Google signed a deal to power its AI data centers with small nuclear reactors - meeting high energy demands while reducing carbon emissions.
Penguin Random House updated its copyright rules to protect authors from AI scraping - stopping the ocean with a bath towel is better than not trying at all, I guess.
FCC says all smartphones must be hearing aid-compatible - great step to make technology more accessible.
Bluesky gained half a million new users in one day after X changed its blocking functionality - to block or not to block, that was the question.
Have I missed anything? Any humane marketing and/or tech news you’d like to add for last week?