National Association of Mothers’ Centers Wins SDialogue’s “S Contest”

SDialogue announced today that the National Association of Mothers’ Centers (NAMC) was the winner of the firm’s “S Contest.” SDialogue will work with NAMC in an engagement of up to two months, worth $10,000 in sustainability strategy and communications services.Linda Juergens, Executive Director at NAMC, said “There is no way to underestimate how crucial a sustainability strategy is for organizations, particularly non-profits which are facing increasing challenges in the current economic environment.  The NAMC is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with a firm like SDialogue to accomplish our mission of supporting care giving work.”

SDialogue had promoted the contest and voting process through various social media platforms, advertising and the press. The contest began with 40 entrants, describing why their organizations were worthy of such services and how winning could benefit them.  The winner was selected through a community vote at an online SDialogue contest page, after SDialogue narrowed the field to five finalists.

The contest ended with over 2,000 votes coming in for the five finalists and NAMC clearly taking the lead. Beth Bengtson, partner at SDialogue, said “We’re thrilled with the level of participation and the quality of the entrants. While we felt that all of the finalists were great organizations and worthy of our services, the community spoke and chose NAMC. We look forward to the opportunity of working with them and furthering their cause.”

The five finalists were as follows:
·     icouldbe.org
icouldbe.org is a pioneer in the emerging online mentoring industry reaching young people who do not have access to quality educational resources, using a dynamic virtual learning environment to connect them to mentors who offer practical and individualized advice, information and expertise.
·     People Capital
People Capital is an early-stage, socially-responsible firm that aims to address the funding gap between higher education costs and federal loans and grants – a $113 billion market.
·     National Association of Mothers’ Centers
The NAMC has a 35 year history of life-changing mother-to-mother support and connections, addressing mothers’ unique needs and experiences within a unique culture of mutual respect. Our programs impact not just mothers, but children and families too.
·     Speak Shop
Speak Shop provides face-to-face Spanish tutoring via webcam with teachers in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Customers schedule lessons at their convenience and pay about $10 per one-hour lesson. Teachers gain business and technology skills while working at a fair wage as micro-entrepreneurs.
·     Sweetriot
Sweetriot is an activist candy company based in New York City and is creating a sweet movement to FIX the world! Sweetriot sources and produces our cacao directly in Latin America and uses recyclable, reusable packaging which features emerging artists.

About SDialogue: SDialogue is an award-winning, full-service sustainability strategy & communications firm. Founded in 2003, well before the recent green marketing craze brought everyone on the bandwagon, SDialogue has helped clients that have included Ben & Jerry’s, National Geographic, Working Assets and Yale University, among dozens of others. www.sDialogue.com

About NAMC: The National Association of Mothers’ Centers recognizes the challenges, realities and value of mothering and advocates for support of care giving work. Since 1975 their community-building model has laid the foundation for hundreds of programs in local centers, in libraries and in the workplace. These programs offer mothers, fathers and other caregivers a sense of camaraderie, peer support, empathy, information, and resources. http://www.motherscenter.org/

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Five Inspiring Finalists Selected For the “S Contest”

The top five finalists have been selected in SDialogue’s $10,000 “S Contest,” and voting has now begun.  Over 40 entries were received and narrowed down to the list of five finalists.  Perry Goldschein, partner at SDialogue stated:  “It was a tough job choosing finalists due to the high quality of the responses, and moving stories. Our main criterion was the amount of positive, ongoing impact on society and/or the environment that entrants can have.”

Voting for the winner is open to the public at www.sDialogue.com/contest.  The five finalists are as follows:

·         icouldbe.org
icouldbe.org is a pioneer in the emerging online mentoring industry reaching young people who do not have access to quality educational resources, using a dynamic virtual learning environment to connect them to mentors who offer practical and individualized advice, information and expertise.

·         People Capital
People Capital is an early-stage, socially-responsible firm that aims to address the funding gap between higher education costs and federal loans and grants – a $113 billion market.

·         National Association of Mothers’ Centers
The NAMC has a 35 year history of life-changing mother-to-mother support and connections, addressing mothers’ unique needs and experiences within a unique culture of mutual respect. Our programs impact not just mothers, but children and families too.

·         Speak Shop
Speak Shop provides face-to-face Spanish tutoring via webcam with teachers in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Customers schedule lessons at their convenience and pay about $10 per one-hour lesson. Teachers gain business and technology skills while working at a fair wage as micro-entrepreneurs.

·         Sweetriot
Sweetriot is an activist candy company based in New York City and is creating a sweet movement to FIX the world! Sweetriot sources and produces our cacao directly in Latin America and uses recyclable, reusable packaging which features emerging artists.

Please visit www.sDialogue.com/contest for more information on each finalist and to cast your vote for one lucky winner.  Deadline for voting is midnight EST, Friday, October 16. The SDialogue team will announce the winner by no later than Friday, October 23, 2009.

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October 1, 2009 – Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Index; Palo Alto Software’s Award; SDialogue’s Report

Corporate Social Responsible News: Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Index; Palo Alto Software’s Award; SDialogue’s Report

Enter the “S Contest” for a Chance to Win $10,000 in Services – Deadline Wed, Sept 30th

As part of its rebranding effort, SDialogue (formerly SRB Marketing) is currently running its $10,000 “S Contest,” and using audio and video to promote the contest to other organizations with a sustainability story to tell.  It’s also giving participants multimedia options for entering – participants can enter the contest with a short written argument for why they should be chosen at the firm’s website or Facebook page, or can add or substitute a video at its YouTube page.  The winner gets $10,000 worth of sustainability strategy and communications services.

Perry Goldschein, SDialogue partner, “As we got closer to launching our rebrand over the summer, we realized we wanted to “start fresh” by giving something back.  We felt tremendously privileged to work with the organizations we have.  So, we decided we would run a contest to help out a lucky winner with pro bono services, while getting the word out about our new name and focus.”

The September 30th deadline to enter is fast approaching (yes, that’s next Wednesday!). If yours is an organization that serves more than the financial bottom line (also conducts business with people and planet in mind), or sincerely wants to be, then they’d like to help you create and tell your story.  The winner gets $10,000 worth of sustainability and communications services!  Visit the entry page (www.sdialogue.com/contest) for more details.

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Social Media’s Powerful Impact on the Sustainability

Dialogue today announced a new report, Social Media Advances the Sustainability Dialogue, New Ways to Powerfully Engage Stakeholders.  The paper identifies the natural intersection between sustainability and the rise of social media; explores what leading brands are doing to change how they communicate; and shows how organizations can use their sustainability efforts to engage with their stakeholders in powerful ways that enhance trust and reputation.

Today’s stakeholders are increasingly looking for an authentic, two-way dialogue – gone are the days of one-way communication.  Much of today’s efforts to communicate about sustainability by the S&P 500 focus on producing reports that comply with standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). A traditional sustainability report is still needed, but there are other ways for companies to disseminate that information and turn it into a conversation that builds trust, solves problems, and increases reputation, all of which contributes to the financial bottom line.

Social media is a growing phenomenon, and one that should not be underestimated in terms of reach and influence.  Forrester reports that “More than 4 in 5 US online adults now participate socially with people aged 35 to 54 growing 60 percent in the last year alone.

The prevalence of social media and increasing importance of sustainability efforts offers companies a unique opportunity to more effectively engage stakeholders. There is a natural intersection between social media and sustainability as both require authenticity, accountability and engagement with their audience to be effective. SDialogue’s paper shows how the power and influence possible with social media enables companies to advance the sustainability dialogue, taking it to a new, higher level of engagement and transparency.  It can be downloaded for free at www.sdialogue.com/social.

CSR Minute: September 17, 2009 – Caterpillar’s Dow Jones Sustainability Index; Alcatel Lucent’s Award; SDialogue’s Name Change

Corporate Social Responsible News: Caterpillar’s Dow Jones Sustainability Index Status; Alcatel Lucent’s Eco-Award; SDialogue’s Name Change

The S Contest

Describes The S Contest, where we give away $10,000 in sustainability strategy & communication services to the winner!

SDialogue, formerly SRB Marketing; Contests and New Media Advance Sustainability Initiatives

The use of contests is on the rise as more organizations promote awareness of their sustainability initiatives.  Contests are a great way to engage people in a participatory manner to learn more about a subject, while also promoting the organization.

At the same time, the explosion of online tools over the last few years has vastly expanded audience reach for a fraction of the cost – not only for media like text and graphics, but for audio (e.g., podcasts) and video (e.g., YouTube) as well. Organizations are increasingly using these various media channels to raise awareness and increase participation in their contests.

For example, as part of its rebranding effort, SDialogue (formerly SRB Marketing) is currently running its “S Contest,” and using audio and video to promote the contest to other organizations with a sustainability story to tell.  It’s also giving participants multimedia options for entering – participants can enter the contest with a short written argument for why they should be chosen at the firm’s website or Facebook page, or can add or substitute a video at it’s YouTube page.  The winner gets $10,000 worth of sustainability strategy and communications services.

Another contest, run by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, is the annual International Corporate Citizenship Film Festival, first held earlier this spring.  Member companies submitted videos detailing the impact they’re having through their corporate social responsibility programs. About 15,000 votes were cast on the Center’s web site and 30,000 video views recorded. The first place award went to FedEx, second place went to Hitachi, and third went to PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

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