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3p is proud to partner with the Presidio Graduate School’s Managerial Marketing course on a blogging series about “sustainable marketing.” This post is part of that series. To follow along, please click here.
By Jared Brick Ecowarrior2012 and Presidio MBA student
In the wake of the sobering ten-year anniversary of 9/11, I am reminded of what can shift because of a global tragedy. Ironically, unintended positives arose from the burning ashes of southern Manhattan. Our national nightmare united many among the world and helped unify a divided nation in an unprecedented outpouring of compassion and support.
The upcoming date of December 21, 2012, looms around the corner, just over a year away. This date is filled with mythical tales, fanaticism, Hollywood formulaic screenplays and even some credible scientific theories. If it reminds you of the year Millenium Y2K hype … it should!
The major difference with 2000, was that we took the date very seriously. This is exactly the point … we prepared for it, we made a big fuss and it possibly helped us avoid a potential crash. The 1/1/2000 date required a global marketing campaign that spanned all computer related industries, false borders and even competitors. The same MadMen behind the Y2K campaigns may be the very same people we may need now.
The next global event – December 21, 2012, is a specific date passed down from previous solar experts, the ancient Mayans. Hype aside, there is strong scientific evidence that a massive natural solar flare and C.M.E. occurrence may occur very close to that date. A large C.M.E., or coronal mass ejection, (imagine the sun throwing-up radiation in our direction) is due to occur sometime at the end of 2012. A natural solar event of this magnitude could easily fry many parts of our antiquated electrical grid, thus paralyzing modern functionality as we know it. This event, while repairable over time, with trillions more dollars, could send a shockwave through humanity. It also has the transformational possibility to awaken us to our deeper underlying survival skills or our worst character shadows. We just can’t know!
So, how can we inform i.e., market this potential threat to the masses and move it away from fringe audience 2012 seems to attract? We simply need a common message to align the globe about this date, to prepare before it looks like this Y2K Nike ad. One idea is that we could collectively hire (via a kickstarter campaign) Nike’s own premier ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy, to make some new preventative 2012 ads. Ideas and thoughts?
In many ways December 20, 2012, reminds me of the entire sustainability movement. What will it take to get our collective act now message across? 2012 may serve as yet another warning most people refuse to hear or better yet, our greatest ally to align our collective causes. Does it also have the global potential to rally us together, focus our goals and get us closer to what is really important? Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t mind if my own school loans were somehow ‘lost’, but not at the expense of large-scale riots, wild pillaging or worse.
As a passionate sustainable business student I am asked to constantly access possible market risk related to the environment. So what could be bigger than a global event to transform all facets of financial markets? More importantly, what is the marketing message that will move the planet or at least U.S. Congress into action? Just a minor percentage of what the U.S. already spent bailing out failed banks could quickly protect our invaluable electric grid resources.
This post was inspired by Lawrence E. Joseph, a non-fanatical level-headed journalist from L.A. who has written Aftermath: Apocalypse 2012 Prepare For and Survive. His Joseph’s book presents a compelling message … let’s be proactive to protect our electrical grid! He presents real world solutions to prepare for these events and we should heed the warning. We can start this serious conversation where it matters most, in your homes, your local communities and to your local representatives. Hindsight is 20/20… too bad we may only have till 2012!
Contact me further at: Ecowarrior2012@gmail.com
Follow more at: http://Ecowarrior2012.blogspot.com
Twitter: Ecowarrior2012
Do you feel we should take action about 2012? If so, what ideas do you have?
If not, why?
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Want to learn more about Presidio and this project? Click here.
