Big supermarket chains, such as TESCO, have in between launched huge green campaigns to popularise their efforts. But especially smaller shops lack in money to accomplish their green ideas. A smart consumer network tries now to help businesses on their way in to a greener future.
Cologne in Germany on 17th of april 2010, 2 o’clock p.m. In front of the grocery shop “Obst und Gemüse Land” in the Zülpicher Street people have already formed a queue. They all have come to shop and to change the world at the same time. The concept behind: Carrotmob.org.
To lure businesses with a carrot
The name ‘Carrotmob’ refers to an English proverb: “There are two ways to make a donkey walk forward: Either offer a delicious carrot out in front of it, or hit its behind with a stick.” Carrotmob rather distributes gratifications instead of hauling out the stick. “We believe that we can get businesses to make big positive changes by offering them profits in return. It’s a positive model, where there are no enemies and everyone wins.” explains Brent Schulkin in a video on the Carrotmob homepage.
(video source: vimeo.com)
The US-American Brent Schulkin is the founder of this movement. He was frustrated that people, who get involved in climate protection, were always accused of grumping and complaining. Thus he developed a form of consumer activism that goes without boycotts or other forms of consumer-protests and works quite simple: Companies with a certain idea, how to improve their social responsibility can apply online for a Carrotmob. The network elects the ‘best idea’ and arranges a flashmob for that store. The customers foray in that shop, making huge volumes of sales at once in order that the shop owner can accomplish his ideas.
In the beginning the primary concern of carrotmob.org was to improve the environmentally sustainability of businesses and stop climate change. Meanwhile all kinds of social responsible changes are accepted, e.g. making a shop barrier-free or assisting fair trade projects.
Sceptical reactions in Cologne
Although this form of flash mob has already spawn spin-off networks around the globe, the shop owners in Cologne were rather sceptical about the project. Hence the members needed to boost this project themselves. They visited 15 shops that sell mainly fruits and vegetables and introduced their idea to the shop owners. In the end only two stores agreed to participate. But nonetheless Martin Terber, member of the organising team, is proud of their success. In an interview he blabbed, that the store “Obst & Gemüse Land“ offered straightaway 50% of the sales volume. “During the negotiations we could raise that to 75%.“ And these long odds should paid off, as we will see later.
The idea behind
Carrotmob.org is one example how people, who share the same idea, use the internet to organise their interests. Media experts call this "Collective Intelligence". An internet community coordinates and mobilises consumer's engagement and canalizes it into a network of added power. In this sense carrotmob.org organises consumer power to make a collective decision, who is going to be rich by making the world a better place. A “flashmob 2.0” as one may say. Because in contrast to ordinary flashmobs the participants of carrotmobs target a certain aim: They want to reward businesses for their social responsible ideas and motivate people to reflect their consumption. The US-American social scientist Howard Rheingold therefore coined the term “Smart mobs”.
Record sales for “Obst und Gemüse Land”
And this idea works quite well: Within six hours the costumers in Cologne made record sales in the amount of 3250 EUR. Thus 2.937,50 EUR (75%) will soon be reinvested to reduce carbon emissions. Thereby the shop owner receives support from a professional energy consultant.
A contract between “Obst und Gemüse Land” and Carrotmob Cologne enjoins that all measurements must be initiated not later than 31st of July.
Altogether Carrotmob is a smart way to connect consumers and lead their single consumption activities into a business reward for more sustainability and an environmentally friendly commerce. Or to say it with Paul Cezanne:
"The day is coming when a single carrot freshly observed will set off a revolution."
Impressions:
Carrotmob on Twitter: http://twitter.com/carrotmob
Carrotmob on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carrotmob
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