Thursday, May 26, 2011

SRI Conference Preview: Marc Stoiber on SRI Branding

Creative director and brand strategist Marc Stoiber believes the SRI industry is stuck in clichés, bogged down by uninspiring language and lame acronyms.

Stoiber will speak on SRI branding at this year’s Canadian Responsible Investment Conference in Victoria.

“Is green the best way to position a green/SRI brand?” Stoiber asks. “Or should we simply be talking about [SRI products] as more enlightened, more innovative and more forward-thinking?”

Stoiber says terms like SRI and ESG lack the loft and inspiration needed to carry the industry forward. “Would Martin Luther King have rallied millions of people by saying “I have a socially responsible idea?” Right now, I fear the industry is stuck in clichés when it comes to describing the inspiration.”

“My main point is that we’re moving forward one tame increment after another,” Stoiber says. “This is a guarantee for sameness. It’s time to re-examine what SRI promises, see it from the consumers’ point of view and make it as exciting and inspiring as it needs to be.”

Although Stoiber is negative towards SRI as a brand, he certainly believes that SRI products have a future. “I believe SRI products will futureproof client portfolios and therefore prove superior.”

Marc Stoiber is VP Green Innovation at ad agency Maddock Douglas. He has spent nearly 20 years in advertising and design, specializing in building brands.

The Canadian Responsible Investment Conference will be held in Victoria, BC from June 20 to June 22. This year’s theme is Creating Value, Making a Difference. Marc Stoiber will speak on Monday, June 20 at 3pm on SRI Branding, What’s Working and What Isn’t.

If you're interested in blogging about this year's conference, please contact Doug Watt at dwatt11@gmail.com.

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