Focusing on Environmental Benefits Will Not Get Us Where We Need ('Expanding The Bubble' Series); It’s Time for You to Toot your Own Horn; When Did Your B2B Team Stop Caring & Tofu Community Updates
Focusing on Environmental Benefits Will Not Get Us Where We Need To Be ('Expanding The Bubble' Series)
By Nate Bellino
In this new series, I’m going to challenge all of us to think creatively about how we can make greater progress without the solution starting and ending with someone else having to change their mind about climate change. I’m not saying we’re wrong, I’m just saying we need to learn and adapt.
For the first article in this series, I’m starting with a bold, semi-heretical statement:
The marketing campaign the environmental movement has been running since its inception is the worst campaign I’ve ever seen.
Climate tech marketing commentary [paid]
It’s Time For You To Toot Your Own Horn
Climate tech marketers can no longer act behind the scenes if we want to save this planet
By Bettina Grab
As marketers, we’re excellent at promoting others. We suck at tooting our own horns. In this article, I share three suggestions for how to raise your profile as a climate tech marketer.
It’s Time For You To Toot Your Own Horn
I stumbled across a LinkedIn post by climate VC marketer Ana Yoerg of At One Ventures that resonated. Ana saw the New York Times looking for people in climate-focused jobs to share their experiences. She replied - for HERSELF - and was shocked to see her name
What we’re reading
When Did Your B2B Team Stop Caring (and What To Do About It)
A bucket of digital ink has spilled about how customers don’t care about your products. The classic jobs-to-be-done framework discusses how potential customers look to solve jobs and don’t care about products. But it seems marketers have gotten to the point where they don’t care about their products. Robert Rose from The Content Marketing Blog writes about how breaking down inadvertent indifference can help your B2B marketing team win together.
“Increasingly, I find B2B marketers […] lack any emotion or interest in the products or the business. […]
For your B2B marketing to have an opinion, consistently generate emotion, and demonstrate an understanding of the human experience, shouldn’t your marketing teams have at least a little of the same?” [Read more]
From the archives [paid]
Why you need a CRM tool
The top three benefits of customer relationship management software for climate tech marketers
Learn what customer relationship management (CRM) means for marketers and how CRM tools can help you grow your climate tech business through integrated marketing & sales. [Read More]
From the community
👋 Welcome, new Tofus!
Thank you to everyone who’s subscribed, joined the Tofu Slack community, and shared this newsletter with their climate tech marketing friends!
Here’s a snapshot of some of our newest members – head over to #introductions on Slack, where you can say hi and learn more about them.
Veronique Lafargue: “I am Veronique, based in the Bay Area, born and raised in France. I am the founder of Maison Lafargue, a boutique marketing agency. My professional experience is both in big tech (Google, Box) and as CMO of several startups. I am also a TEDxWomen organizer.”
Pratika Mallampali: “Hello, everyone! I've been a content marketing writer and a journalist for almost eight years, and I've recently resolved to align my career with the things I care deeply about animal welfare, conservation, and climate solutions. I've worked with clients like Clayton Homes and Humane Society International (India), and done a little bit of reporting on climate and nature-focused topics.”
Matthew Hirsch: “I'm Matt from Berkeley, California. Working in climate since 2009, first as a journalist, then as a consultant, and now as a marketing agency builder, has connected me with people all over the world. Every continent except Antarctica. That's probably the greatest gift I could have asked for. We all have so much more in common than we realize. I'm excited to meet people here.”
Will Van Eaton: “Hi, folks! I'm Will. The roots of my career started in cleantech consulting before diving into B2B product marketing at SolarCity and Tesla. I love to nerd out about renewables and storage. Outside of work, I've gotten back into photography.”
Katia Tsvetkova: “Hi, everyone! I’m Katia, a digital marketer based in New York with expertise in performance and growth marketing. I have experience on both agency and brand sides, working with B2B and D2C brands. Currently, I work in luxury retail during the day and consult climate tech companies on the side while looking for an opportunity to transition fully into climate.”
Laura Fitton:” Hello, everyone - it's wonderful to be here! My name is Laura Fitton (she/her), and I'm known for evangelizing Twitter. Now I evangelize the Climate Economy. I rely on Fractional Growth Executive consulting projects (PR, Comms, Marketing, Biz Dev). Let's change this world together. We ARE the economy!
Are you missing your rockstar climate tech founders or marketers? Invite them to Tofu!
#general
🏆 Cooper was thrilled about his startup being selected as one of 6 prize winners in the first (of two) rounds of the Department of Energy Equitable and Affordable Solutions to Electrification Prize.
🎙 Two Tofus, Neil and Ted, collaborated on a conversation about how design and brand play a key role in building clean technologies. Steven and Bettina enjoyed the podcast!
🍕Allanah launched a new channel on TikTok and Instagram for bite-size facts and tips to reduce food wastage on ‘Stop Food Waste Day’.
⛽️ Kathrin shared a thought-provoking podcast on hydrogen energy for anyone interested in understanding the basics and the technologies being developed.
🙋♀️ Claudia invited Tofus to listen to her recent chat on the “Women Changing The World” podcast.
📺 Jamie from Generation180 shared a video series created in partnership with comedian David Perdue to educate Americans about the clean energy and cost savings benefits for consumers in the Inflation Reduction Act.
⛺️ Jamil called on Tofus to apply for the third cohort of the Climate Tech Bootcamp, a global, virtual program for early-stage climate founders and technologists, by June 2.
#events
🧑🏻🎨 Catherine will be delivering a virtual lecture at the Chicago Graphic Design Club on May 24 on her recent design collaboration with Murmur Ring and Carlos Teixeira. Tofus can connect over graphic design and design methods applications.
🇩🇪 Joshua is organizing a ‘Berlin Climate Teach Drinks’ for people working in Climate Tech on May 24 at 6 pm.
🦸🏻♀️ Elena shared about the upcoming Climate Avengers Q2 Open House on May 27.
🎬 Natalie invited Tofus to a free webinar, ‘The Climate Job Search: How to Break In and Stand Out’, designed for those new to the field. It is on June 20.
#marketing-strategy
📰 Cooper is called for advice on starting fractional PR (Public Relations) for his startup. Laura and Whitney offered to schedule a chat.
✍️ Merrill is looking for best practices to set up a cookie consent manager for her client. Jarett put together key points that she must consider.
🤖 Jessica invited Tofus to sign Generation180’s National Going Electric Pledge to make EVs more accessible nationwide. Pledge signers will have a chance to win an Electric Ford F-150 Lightning.
💠 Peenaz asked for recommendations for simple frameworks for in-house brand positioning exercises for a sustainable B2B lending company based in Germany. Aki and Bettina shared some articles.
#technology
📈 Sarah is looking for dashboard recommendations for tracking and optimizing marketing campaigns.
🔎 Kelly sought SEO advice while doing website redesign and new domain migration for her business, Ola Impact. Betsy shared a referral for someone who could help.
#jobs
🏝 Leonard has an opening for a Director of Marketing at The Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center in Hawaii.
🤝 Robin is seeking a highly motivated and proactive intern to help with the onboarding of new users at the Climate Team talent marketplace and building the community on our platform.
👨🏼🎨 Rebecca is looking for a Brand Strategist at her former company in San Diego.
📌 Keith started a job board for people with traditional commercial skill sets who want to work in climate-focused retail, e-commerce, consumer, and tech companies.
✍️ Nate wants to hire a freelance copywriter (immediately) to help update the website copy with a focus on cleantech.
🔎 Julia is looking for SEO consultants for one of Greentown's member companies.
📌 Rhythm shared an environment wiki for job boards and projects in the environment.
💼 Did you know that Tofu has a vibrant jobs channel featuring new jobs in climate tech marketing daily? Check it out for your next career move.
Want to feature your climate tech marketing job ad here and promote it to more than 800 climate tech marketing experts? Get in touch with Bettina to chat more.
Thank you to our supporters!
Thank you to all who have subscribed to support this community – it means a lot!
With love,
Mel & Bettina