What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word Carrotmob?
Ok, that was pretty lame. I apologize (I found that here).
The Carrotmob I’m actually talking about is a non-profit started by Brent Schulkin. I’ve never met Brent, but I can tell you, anyone who posts this list of detailed personal values get an A+ in my book for honesty and openness. He also gets an A+ from TeamJaded for starting Carrotmob- a DIY do-er.
In an email forwarded to me, Brent says:
"If you didn't know, I'm trying to start a new non-profit called Carrotmob. This Saturday is the first campaign. If it is successful, the network will grow, I'll get funded and hire people, and I will have found a so-called "career", that elusive catch that we have all been seeking since we first learned what an "astronaut" was."A sentiment regularly felt by those trying to Make It Happen. So TeamJaded urges you to support Brent and Carrotmob… Go do this:
“On Saturday, March 29th, at 1pm, come to K & D Market (on 16th St at Guerrero in San Francisco) and buy whatever you want. Buy a lot. We're going to be tracking everyone's purchases and then calculating how much revenue we brought to the store. K & D has committed to spending 22% of all the revenue we bring in on energy-saving measures identified by an SF Energy Watch audit, in order to make their store more environmentally friendly!”
Need more info? Go here. Got more Questions? Go here. It's pretty simple. Buy things you already buy. Help make the world a better place. Carrotmob made this lovely graphic to illustrate:
You still wondering what exactly IS Carrotmob?
From Carrotmob.org:
Our goal is to improve the world by helping companies embrace socially responsible choices. Our primary focus is the environment. We recognize that corporations must keep profit as their top priority. Historically, this fact has meant that the environment has suffered, since companies have made more money by harming the planet. We are going to put rewards in place that will make environmental responsibility the more profitable choice. Companies will do what we want, not because of negative pressure, or morality, or a boycott, or a petition...there are enough sticks out there. We need a big juicy carrot. They will do what we say because they won't be able to resist the profits.
And for those of you who hate reading, you probably didn't make it this far... but here you go:
Thanks to Rachel Strader for passing this info along.
1 comments:
I like where Carrotmob is going; using capitalism against itself. Carrotmob seeks to become a label. If a consumer sees the signature Carrot, they know that business is environmentally friendly and will be more apt to buy. (See “Organic”) The radical transparency is a big plus as well. However, I don’t find on the web site a detailed explanation of what it means to be Carrotmob endorsed. Carrotmob needs to be much more detailed about what it means to “embrace socially responsible choices.” (For example, nuclear energy is not one of the choices I would call socially responsible) This is where their support will come from, a strong, incorruptible Carrotmob code of practices. There should be a detailed list of energy-cutting practices and a grading system for each business. In combo with a site like Yelp, or maybe starting their own business directory of Carrot approved establishments, we may come to see that Carrot as a marker of environmental integrity.
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