Roxy's Open Notebook

What's in your backseat? Floor? Empty water bottles or a pair of blue jeans, perhaps? ...more than you know.

When you get into your car, have you ever thought about what you are sitting on? Do you know what your car parts or components are made of?

Trash. Yes, trash. Automakers are recycling plastic detergent bottles, milk cartons, blue jeans, old carpet fibers, soda bottles, yarn, and even used cardboard to make materials for vehicles to help reduce their carbon footprint.

GM and Ford are already using trash, or recycled materials, to make different parts to their vehicles. GM used recycled water bottles to make register vanes in the Cadillac SRX and used cardboard to make an acoustic backing for the headliner in the 2010 Buick Lacrosse, as well as blue jeans to make dash mats. Ford used recycled soda bottles and yarn to make the fabric for the seats in the 2010 Taurus SHO and Lincoln MKZ, as well as laundry detergent bottles and milk cartons to make different exterior and under-the-hood components.

Read more about how Ford and General Motors are reducing their carbon footprint. Or read an article published by the Hartford Business Journal Online.

While both companies are making more efforts to become eco-friendly and help reduce waste, I'm sure it tremendously helps market their brands and make them stronger.

What do you drive? With the exception of a hybrid, is it green? How is the automaker of your vehicle reducing its carbon footprint?

My 15 year old reads! ...let me explain.

The last time my son and I went to Subway, he selected SunChips and I selected Baked Lays to go with our subs. The next day, I saw his chip bag in the backyard. That's normal for him and I assume other 15 year olds as well. Major no-no with mom. So, here I go...

Mom: Dalton, would you like to tell me why your potato chip bag is in the backyard?

Dalton: As he starts stuttering, mostly because he knows all too well that expression on my face. Uh, mam, well, the SunChip bag can be thrown in the yard. 

Mom: Excuse me?

Dalton: It'll grow.

Mom: Have you lost your mind?

Dalton: More stuttering. I swear, it'll grow a plant. The bag...cutoff by mom. 

Mom: Yeah, son, voice slightly elevated whatever! I think you've misread the copy. Or, you're crazy. Pick the bag up and place it in the trashcan where it belongs!

Dalton: But, mom. Cutoff again.

Mom: No, buts. Just do it. Oops, stealing Nike's line. That's ok, they probably stole, I mean, borrowed it from a mom anyway.

The following week, we make another trip to Subway (we really like Subway), and he proceeds to tell me that the bag can be planted. Great, here we go again.

While standing in line, Dalton smiling hands me a bag of yep, you guessed it SunChips. And, of course the backside of the bag is facing up. He's a wise one. This is my cue to read the bag.

Well, #!*%#!*%. Ever been challenged by your wise teenager and lost? This happened two weeks ago and he is still talking about it, and telling everyone.

The SunChips bag is compostable--totally made from plants. My son reads, but he failed to read all copy. The bag must be placed into a compost bin or pile. Mom only lost half the battle. Yes!

Not only is the packaging fun and appealing to the eye with such bright colors, the product packs 18 grams of whole grains See ya Baked Lays, less salt, and 0 grams of cholesterol. Healthy for you, healthy for the planet, and tastes great too!

Kudos Frito-Lay! Innovative concepts tried and tested.

For more information on how Frito-Lay is helping our planet, go to Frito-Lay. 

Is your packaging fun and green? What have you done with your packaging to make it environmentally friendly?

We've all heard of boot camp, summer camp, but Camp Bacon? Really?

Love bacon? Love to cook? Well, good news. You can join hundreds of others for a weekend of pork-fun at Camp Bacon in Michigan. Or, in another city that hosts bacon camp. What, this isn't held in the South? 

Are you laughing yet? Don't. This is serious, well, for the bacon obsessed, anyway. This event is intense, with a lesson in the history of bacon, cooking demos, readings, concerts, bacon bingo, bacon trivia, and, well, eating bacon--Edwards of Virginia hickory-smoked bacon, Arkansas' Ham I Am long pepper bacon, bacon scones, bacon doughnuts, and there's more. Okay, before I write more, where do I buy a ticket?  

This event reminds me of the "ol saying" Momma always said, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Well, clearly you can reach everyone in this manner.  In my opinion, with businesses cutting advertising/marketing budgets, this could be a great way for meat companies to market their product to consumers, as well as retailers. Marketing strategy--host a camp. What better way to promote your brand?  Hello, Tyson, Wright, and others...host a camp, near me please.

McDonald's is being sued, again.

It seems that McDonald's is being accused of using deceptive marketing to sell Happy Meals by offering toys with the meal. And The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) agrees that offering toys is helping make your children fat.

Seriously? I'm sorry, but did someone throw individual responsibility out the window? Regardless of what marketing strategies are used to sell a brand, it is the consumer's responsibility--the consumer makes the choice. So what if your child pesters you for a Happy Meal, the parent has final say. 

Will the CSPI sue video game manufacturers next? ...I'm just asking. And, while I'm asking, why is McDonald's being targeted? What about Wendy's or Burger King, or all the other restaurants that offer toys or some sort of freebie targeting children? I know, let's sue Wrigley's and Mars (or the retailer) for having their product placed at the checkout.

Again, it's the parent's choice...as with everything, you have to place limits and educate your children.

Agree? Disagree? Why?

For more information, read this news article or the letter sent to McDonald's Corporation from CSPI.

Can instilling fun in the workplace build employee loyalty and boost productivity, and perhaps even decrease costs associated with healthcare?

We've always heard that laughter is the best medicine. Studies have shown that laughter is a powerful antidote to stress and conflict. It  relaxes the body, boosts the immune system, triggers and releases endorphins, and protects the heart.

Would you rather work in a stressful environment where employees are constantly complaining and have negative attitudes that destroy morale and productivity, and ultimately the company's culture and success, or a fun environment?

According to a study conducted by Dr. David Abramis, California State Long Beach, people who have fun on the job are more creative and productive, better decision makers, and get along better with their co-workers. One corporate study showed after a trial period of incorporating humor in the workplace in a variety of ways, including everything from a special humor bulletin board to silly hat days, the company experienced a 21% decrease in staff turnover, 38% decrease in Friday absenteeism, and fewer sick days.

So, by employers creating a happier workplace, they can inspire employees to look forward to coming to work, become more engaged in the company's goals, relieve stress, boost creativity and productivity, build loyalty, as well as increase quality of work life, financial performance, and trust. Trust ensures the environment is a safe place to have fun where employees can be silly or engage in activities that might be out of character for the workplace. Other incentives include a decrease in turnover, absenteeism, and sick days, which could reduce costs associated with illnesses as people experience the positive physiological and psychological effects of laughter.

Of course, the use of fun in the workplace must be appropriate in nature. If properly used, it can be a great tool.

I work for a marketing and communications firm in Memphis, TN. To ensure a fun workplace, senior management formed a committee that all employees would participate in via a rotating schedule. The committee's primary goal is to address minor employee concerns, such as having a fruit bowl or having charitable events, and building morale by interacting and engaging all employees in a variety of fun-filled activities. The employees named the committee Culture Shock. Some of the activities hosted by Culture Shock have been a chili cook-off judged by clients and/or retirees, school supply drive for needy students in Memphis, TN, pumpkin carving/decorating contests, office Olympics, and a toy drive to fill St. Jude's toy closet. To make the activities more engaging and fun, the events are competitive with prizes ranging from a plaque to a ladle trophy.

To learn more about Oden's culture or view pictures from our more recent activities, visit us at our Facebook page.

It seems Starbucks is using integrated marketing to rebuild its customer base and increase sales. 

Starbucks has employed an e-marketing campaign using Facebook, as well as other marketing avenues, not only to contact its existing customers, but also to reach potential new customers.

Starbucks created Free Pastry Day as an event on Facebook with an RSVP. Currently 132,987 people have confirmed, and 34,158 are tentative. I would love to know the bottom-line results of this campaign.

What do you think about using Facebook or other marketing social channels to build your customer base, promote your product, and increase sales? I do not even drink coffee and here I am blogging about it--spreading word of the event even more. Ingenious!

Of course, there are rules...and don't forget to print out the coupon for the free pastry or you will not be a happy customer when the register dings! Go to www.starbucks.com/blog/4983/free-pastry-day for details.

When all else fails, let's resort to what really sells...alcohol.

Starbucks, or should I say Beerbucks, has decided to sell beer and wine. Yes, now you can have a beer to go with that latte. What's next? Cigars? Peanuts? Jukebox? Hell, let's just buy a jukebox and drop a dollar in it, throw some sawdust on the floor, move the tables/chairs to the side, and boot scoot aka dance. Watch out McDonald's, you may need to sell a shot of whiskey with that Quarter Pounder.

Starbucks has experienced hard times in the last year with sales down, stores closing, and layoffs. Is this a clever integrated marketing strategy or brand development gone amok? ...a desperate attempt to increase revenue.

Starbucks will open the "experimental store" next week in Seattle, as well as convert two of the Seattle Starbucks locations into this European-inspired coffeehouse. If all goes well, they will open more in other cities. They hope that this "evening twist" will increase revenue.

Does America really need another bar? Is America ready for this type of coffeehouse?

Reduce waste, conserve energy and resources--recycle. It seems most of us are constantly trying to figure out ways to do our part in saving our planet through recycling. Most of us want to do our part, and when we find a conpany that creatively and innovatively designs a sustainability program, we tend to side with them and purchase their product, more so than ever--even if we never had before.

When's the last time you've been to your local basketball court, playground, or tennis court? Have you ever noticed what the surface is made of? Several years ago, Nike implemented a recycling program--ReUse A Shoe. Nike's recycling program not only helps the environment, it helps communities using Nike Grind. The process involves cutting shoes into three pieces, feeding the pieces through grinders, then purifying the product. Then, the product is sorted into one of three types of Nike Grind, which in turn is ued to build playground surfaces, outdoor tracks, basketball courts, tennis courts, equestrian surface products, and even consumer products, such as buttons, zipper pulls, and shoes. In fact, there are two basketball courts and one playground in Memphis, TN that were built using Nike Grind. The  Nike Employee store located in Memphis, TN is a drop-off location for recycleing shoes. And best of all, Nike recycles all brands, not just Nike. For more information, go to www.nikereuseashoe.com.

ReUse A Shoe--Innovative design and intergrated marketing strategy and communications at its best! What an ingenious way to advertise your company.