Yesterday while I was reading our issue, I was sitting with windows wide open enjoying what felt almost like a springtime breeze. This afternoon as I sit to write there is a snowstorm warning. With the weather patterns changing as quickly as they do, and with weather being such a visceral part of our day, this is the perfect month to focus on sustainability…but perhaps not in the way you expect.
The thing about weather is that we seem to lack a memory for it. It’s like trying to match colours without swatches. I think it’s difficult for people not to get wound up about the environment because it’s “ours”. With big congratulations to Leonardo DiCaprio for the Oscar (finally!) we have speeches and media time dedicated to the importance of saving our planet. And while I am in support of a greener earth, I don’t believe that encouraging this doomsday outlook is helpful. Instead, we should take care of the planet because it is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. So as the weather teeters and totters between winter and spring I am reminded that every March is a weather mix up in Canada!
With all that weather talk, I now draw your attention to our focus for this issue. Diana Varma (formerly Brown…CONGRATULATIONS!) covers the facts about pulp and paper in Canada. Drawing on the knowledge and insights of many experts she reminds us pulp and paper products are a highly renewable resource. It is our challenge in the graphic arts industry to spread that message loud and clear. Perhaps you will share some of these facts with your clients, or share a copy of this magazine with your more skeptical crowd.
For the those of you super aware on the sustainability front, I draw your attention to the branding article by Nadine Evans. With a quick reminder about the importance of customer service, Evans focuses on the experience your clients have with your front line staff. These are likely not your subject matter experts that you spent months recruiting. It’s the people that work in the shipping department delivering your work, or the front desk staff directing calls. Make sure you encourage them to represent your brand in the best possible light. Invest the time to teach them how to do this, and empower them to make decisions when they need to.
Hope you enjoy your green beer (responsibly)!
