1) Planet-friendly demand
Marketers play a role in market demand. As the founder of Brightgeist Brand Stories, I do not want to stir demand for products that hurt our planet & its people. Over the years, it has become clear that this includes virtually every manufactured product. Instead, Brightgeist handles messaging, marketing & communications for organizations that supply services, resources, information or community.
2) Anti-manipulation
Advertising & marketing have a reputation for manipulation, unfortunate but earned. If a company or entity truly has something of value to offer, our job is to make that value click with the audiences suited to benefit from it. Translating value, no matter how complex, is what we do. We enjoy being unexpected, clever & memorable, but not at the expense of clarity & accuracy.
3) Diverse narratives
In the same vein, one-sided representations of any human experience are subtle, rampant forms of manipulation that leave individuals feeling blindsided & alone. (A personal example was my entry into motherhood, during which I discovered that the sum representation of motherhood in mainstream media was a lie). We stand for diverse narratives of varied experiences that capture reality. Stories can connect or isolate.
4) Equitable, non-violent societies
As someone with a majority identity, I have enjoyed a world where I am usually accepted, believed & supported. These societal privileges of safety & opportunity have come at great cost to marginalized, underserved or “othered” communities. As income, investment & opportunity gaps grow, so does the climate impact gap, which disproportionately affects certain groups.
Every year, we pledge one pro bono project to organizations addressing current crises. Our areas of concentrated interest include efforts to decrease consumerism; close the gender investment gap; support new, vulnerable mothers; & end injustices inflicted upon underserved communities. Please reach out if you have an initiative centered around any of these topics. If sufficient pro bono work cannot be identified, we pledge an annual financial contribution to those efforts greater than or equal to 2% of after tax earnings.
