How To Build a Brand That Scales; Meet Fellow Tofus at SF Climate Week; Updates from the Community
The Business of Building a Brand
By Melanie Adamson
Smart marketing playbooks start with the brand. Branding is a critical first step for scaling your business because it gives you and your employees the communications guidebook to tell your story.
A brand defines why the company exists, why you get up in the morning, and the future of your industry, also known as your purpose, values, mission and vision. The branding work informs how we execute media relations, website development and even sales, HR and customer service. And in a crisis, a well-developed brand will answer the questions you so desperately need to get through those critical moments.
Climate tech marketing events
Network with Fellow Tofus at SF Climate Week
Following a sold-out event in 2023, we’re bringing back our Tofu climate tech marketing networking evening at SF Climate Week!
Meet fellow Bay Area Tofus to put faces to names and chat about climate tech, marketing, and life in general! We hope to see you there:
Monday, 4/22: 4 p.m.: Tofu Climate Tech Marketing Happy Hour - The Afterwork Bar
As one of the leading global marketing agencies for climate tech, we (Alder, the agency behind Tofu) are excited to host a panel discussion on climate tech marketing at SF Climate Week and sponsor the Wings conference near our HQ in Portland, OR.
Tuesday, 4/23, 8 a.m., SF Climate Week: Becoming a Unicorn: Growth Marketing for Taking Your Company from Brand to Scale - 9Zero
Thursday, 4/25, all day, Portland, OR: The Wings Conference, Viking Pavilion at Portland State University
Our top 3, most-read practice guides on Tofu [paid]
How To Get A Role in Climate Tech Marketing, How To Do ABM on a Budget & Go-to-Market Strategy vs. Marketing Strategy
We've sifted through our growing archive of Tofu articles (now over 100+) to spotlight the pieces that have resonated the most with you, our members. Happy reading!
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 an overview of some of our newest members – head over to #introductions on Slack to say hi and learn more about them.
Elizabeth: “I’m the CMO/COO of GreenPortfolio, a climate fintech platform empowering values-driven individuals to make sustainable investment choices. Skilled in ideating/translating complex topics into compelling messages, B2C brand strategy, and providing startup founder resources/support. Currently seeking early adopters to gauge interest in a service that helps people find values-minded financial advisors.”
Frank: “Hi! I'm in Menlo Park, CA and I'm Product Manager working in a Stealth Climate Tech Startup. Nice to meet you!”
Jenna: “Hey Tofus! I'm the Head of Marketing at Latitude Media, where I also run Latitude Studios, our marketing + production services arm. Let’s riff on marketing and comms strategies in the wonky world of climate tech. I'm also happy to make connections and intros to help people get jobs, get media coverage, and build partnerships. Looking to keep an eye on the challenges and successes of marketers and comms leaders in climate tech”
Josephine: “Hi! I am from Canada but I am about to embark on a 1 year Working Holiday Visa in Australia and New Zealand. I've got a background in media production (ad agency producing, in-house, etc.) and tech brand marketing. Looking to network, do coffee chats, meet people in the social enterprises/non-profit community marketing/climate space.”
Vishad: “Hello everyone! I’m a UX Designer with 4+ years of experience working with small startups on complex SaaS and Enterprise products. Currently an independent UX Designer and a fellow at Terra.do, gaining knowledge in Degrowth, Regenerative Agriculture, and Climate Science. Actively seeking projects in the climate space to align personal values with professional work and contribute to building a livable, healthier, fairer, and sustainable planet."
Are you missing your rockstar climate tech founders or marketers? Invite them to Tofu!
#general
👥 Cooper is wondering if anyone has access to a discount code for Canva for Teams
⛰️ Elena is in search of the right person take her up on an offer to live on a mountain top in Southern Oregon. You can find out more here.
🏛️ Jenna is looking for someone with experience running petitions for political purposes, “I have a petition that I wanted to run to submit to the White House in time for Earth Day (April 22).” If anyone has any experience or can help (particularly on how to set up embedded email forms), reach out to her
🏢 Lotem asked the channel if anyone knows of any online trainings for new homebuyers in NYC/NY state?
📰 Matt shared an insightful piece called “10 Best Practices in Climate Communications” by Cassidy Villeneuve.
👕 Melanie would love to know if anyone has a vetted vendor for sustainability-minded branded clothes.
#events
⚡ Katharine invited you to a Berkeley Home Electrification Fair on April 20th from 2-5pm at the David Brower Center.
🎓 If you’re currently a student or recent graduate in the Bay Area, Kevin invited you to join their SF Climate Week meetup, “College to Climate” on Sunday April 21st.
🌎 Michael is moderating an in-person panel on May 8th called, “The Grounding Volume 9: Climate Change—Join The Fight!” The panel will feature climate luminaries, Terra.do co-founder Kamal Kapadia and Work On Climate co-founder Eugene Kirpichov, who will discuss their climate journeys. Learn more about the panel here.
#jobs
👨💻 Andy Epifani is seeking Front End Developer and UX Designer opportunities. Contact him on LinkedIn or email him if you’d like to chat.
🌿 Alder is looking for a new part-time Tofu Community Coordinator. Apply via the email in the job description or DM Bettina Grab or Melanie Adamson if you have any questions!
⚡ Bree Bouwer at Omnidian needs a Demand Generation Specialist ASAP. Omnidian is based in Seattle but they’re remote friendly. If you’re interested, apply here.
👩💼 Claudia Guerreiro knows of a freelance community manager position related to gender equality and leadership. Message her for more details.
👥 Tanya brought to our attention that Community Energy Labs is hiring both a Head of Engineering and a People Operations Manager.
🏘️ Cooper is looking for part-time hourly help at QuitCarbon’s events in California (tabling, talking with folks about home electrification, enrolling them in our US Department of Energy award-winning free service). Learn more at: quitcarbon.com/jobs.
🔌 Dana Dohse has two new roles on the EnergyHub Marketing team: Product Marketing Specialist and Partner Marketing Specialist. Reach out to Dana and send over your LinkedIn/resume if interested.
📈 Liza Moiseeva is hiring a Digital & Lifecycle Marketer at Commons (with a focus on conversion optimization for web, email, and SMS). Apply via the job listing or email liza@thecommons.earth.
🖥️ MJ Halberstadt is looking for a part-time content manager/strategist for a climate science startup. MJ is also hoping to chat with any climate-minded web designers, UX designers, and web developers open to gig work. DM him if you’re interested.
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 1000+ 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