When the environment is no longer a priority, what does the environmental movement do?

Musings
Hamazaki Wong has been part of the sustainability movement for almost two decades. It aligns with our interest in social and environmental justice. But despite those years in the trenches, things haven’t really moved forward as we or the environmental movement would like. As David Suzuki opined in a New York Times article in October 2023, “We’ve failed big time … But even when we won, we failed as a movement to change the underlying assumptions of society, the behavior of government and business people.”

What’s the common denominator in all of this? Trust, or the lack thereof

Finding our place at the table

And now, with the world in greater confusion and distress (economy, wars, fascism, annexation, global reordering, tariffs, income inequality, misinformation, disinformation, wildfires, AI…), how does the environmental movement find its place amidst this quagmire? Research says environment has dropped in priority despite Canadians attesting to its continued importance. Even Mark Carney, who came to power with a sustainability conscience has subordinated those values for economic and trade priorities. I don’t blame him since he reports to the great Canadian electorate, and more immediate threats are on the horizon. But we need to view this not as an ‘or’ (economy or environment) but as an ‘and’ (economy and environment). And this is where the sustainability movement has failed (hey, David said that too) but it’s time we rectified it.

Realigning Nature with people

There has been a great decoupling of Nature from humanity (perhaps with the exception of Indigenous peoples). Most people view Nature is out over there – a 60-minute drive from the City where a forest or an ocean might appear, not here in our immediate vicinity where most of us live. Even environmentalists have that attitude. But the reality is Nature is here with you right now. 

Everything in your immediate surroundings comes from Nature. Everything. 

As humans we’ve just shaped, cut, fired, dried, glued, pressed, soldered, and processed these materials (ingeniously I might add) into products we use in the controlled environments in which we live. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat all come from Nature. But this value-added step in between has convinced us that these physical articles have been separated from Nature, physically and psychologically. That glistening filet of salmon packaged in a white Styrofoam tray, clad in clear stretched plastic, and placed in matching arrays in a temperature-controlled refrigeration unit, that’s a product! And it’s going to be delicious. But that sockeye salmon your brother pulled from the Fraser River, bloodily killed, and descaled and gutted dockside, well that doesn’t seem to be as appetizing, does it? It’s the same product but marketing has decoupled them in ways nefarious. I can say this because I’m a marketer.

It’s not just a communications challenge, it’s a systems challenge

So, getting back to my point — we are at an inflection. And it’s more than a communications challenge, it’s a systems change that perhaps we’ve failed to recognize. It’s time the environmental movement changed its perspective and work with the system than against it. I am not suggesting at all giving up environmental values, after all that’s what gives us (and yes, I consider myself part of the movement) our strength, integrity, and will to fight. I’m suggesting that while environmentalists think the environment is the only thing, our audience thinks it’s just one other thing. It’s not what we want to hear but hearing that, and accepting it, will begin to reshape how we get our message across with the greatest resonance and effectiveness. We’ve come this far with nary a movement in the needle so what do we have to lose? So, what do I propose?

Reach people where they’re at

Tell better stories – 

Humanity is based on stories. They are the glue that holds us together and helps us make sense of the world. I dare say the environmental movement has been lacking on this front opting to confront audiences with facts that shock and awe. Better, tell stories that connect environmental issues and facts with people’s daily lives or cultural sensibilities. People don’t remember facts but they remember stories. Importantly, stories are engaging with a through-line triggering the brain with cause and effect structures that reinforces understanding. But perhaps most importantly, stories trigger emotions and we all know that emotional responses are what inspire action whether that action is buying a product agreeing to protect the environment and Nature. 

Attitude change – 

Remind and convince people that they are Nature, not separate from it. This is a monumental task but we must start. That decoupling, along with human exceptionalism (eg. We can colonize Mars!), has instilled us with God-like features but bringing humanity back to Earth is crucial. It might take 50 years, but we must start and keep this message consistent, frequent, and heard. Recently, Canada celebrated 50 years since the conversion to the Metric system and 50 years later, most of us still can’t express our height in centimetres but we can quite readily tell temperature. That five-decade time horizon gives us a measure to how we might think about how long attitude change takes. The best time to have started this conversion was 50 years ago. The second-best time is now.

Context, context, context – 

Most people don’t understand the environment. They just take for granted it’s there to provide when they need it without fully grasping that Nature is declining and may not be such a willing resource soon. It’s another problem no one wants to hear amongst all the other concerns plaguing them – job, children, tonight’s dinner, next month’s vacation… Understanding this context allows us to reframe the conversation. Remember what I said about Nature being one more thing? Let’s make sure that one-more-thing is put on the agenda but done in a way that respects and understands all those other things, lest we come across as shrill or preachy. The actor Michael Caine talks about ‘using the difficulty’ where problems can be reset as opportunities. During a stage play, a chair was thrown in front of Caine preventing him from entering the room. The director said, ‘use the difficulty’. If it’s a comedy trip over the chair, if it’s a drama, smash the chair but above all, use the difficulty to your advantage given the context. The postscript to this point is Nature’s plight is not an environmental issue; it’s a social issue. Thus, if people are to play a role in the environment’s well-being, understanding their situation and using their difficulty(s) could be the difference in creating an army of converts rather than unsympathetics.

Stop saying stop – 

Negativity and scorched Earth communications tend to be a hallmark of the environmental movement. But in a world rife with negativity, more of it just doesn’t compute. The mantra of ‘stop fossil fuels’ or ‘stop the wolf cull’ or ‘stop LNG’ begins with negativity but often don’t follow up with solutions or alternative ways of thinking. It’s just stop, full-stop. How often have you admonished your teenager to stop doing something only to find she tunes out, or worse, it reinforces her resolve to continue that behaviour? It’s a self-defeating effect. Rather, flipping the narrative may be instructive by starting with what the solution is followed by the why. This non-lecturing stance would likely find better reception and acceptance. Do we as environmentalists want to go further? Yes, of course – to get our points across with profundity because surely there’s a global urgency here. But given where we’re at, it’s more important to be effective and pounding people against the head is sure to create nothing but a headache. Instead of ‘no more fossil fuels’ consider, ‘1.5 hours of sunshine upon the Earth is enough to meet the world’s energy demands for a year. So why fossil fuels?’ Admittedly, the second statement is longer (anathema for most copywriters) but the point is more important.

There is much more to say on this topic but suffice to say, a reframing is necessary, and it must be enacted now. Nature and environmentalists are not the bad guys or even the bearers of bad news. Sure, the situation is dire, but we cannot pontificate ourselves out of this mess. Many will say the opposite of death is life. But I subscribe to the idea that the opposite of death is hope for without hope we have nothing to live for. Love to hear your thoughts on this.

Many will say the opposite of death is life. But I subscribe to the idea that the opposite of death is hope for without hope we have nothing to live for. 

Love to hear your thoughts on this.

The Future: Marketing with Meaning

Breaking the Mold: Why Real Estate Marketing Must Evolve in an Era of Economic Uncertainty and Declining Sales

Musings
The Future: Marketing with Meaning

Moving Beyond Sameness to Capture Interest and Affinity

Walk down any city street, click through online listings, or scroll a developer’s Instagram feed: you’ll likely encounter a parade of interchangeable real estate campaigns—gleaming kitchen counters, generic family smiles, and cheerful taglines promising “a place to call home.” It’s a formula so familiar it’s become invisible. But in the shifting sands of today’s real estate market, where presales wane, immigration is topsy-turvy, and economic uncertainty casts a long shadow, this sameness is not just uninspiring—it lacks relevance.

The State of Real Estate Marketing: A Crisis of Creativity

It’s no secret that real estate marketing, once a playground for bold architectural renderings and aspirational dreams, has fallen into a rut. Projects are marketed with interchangeable imagery and forgettable slogans. “Luxury living redefined,” “Inspired spaces for inspired lives,” and “Where community meets comfort”—the phrases blur into white noise. This homogeneity isn’t just a missed opportunity; it’s a liability at a time when differentiation is more important than ever.

Presales in Decline: The Early Warning Bells

Presales, the lifeblood of many real estate developments, have been trending downwards in multiple markets. Factors such as rising interest rates, inflation, population stagnation, and concerns about future value are making buyers cautious. In the past when things were good, the right marketing gloss could paper over hesitations, but today’s buyers—savvier, information-rich, and risk-averse—aren’t easily swayed by another photo of staged interiors or a stock image of a latte in the sunlit park.

Economic Uncertainty: The Trust Deficit

Economic volatility has only heightened the need for trust and transparency in the buyer-developer relationship. Promises of a bright future ring hollow if the marketing doesn’t address the real needs of potential buyers and push their emotional buttons. The result? A growing disconnect between what developers are selling and what buyers are searching for.

Beyond the Smile: The Pitfalls of Generic Marketing

Why has sameness become the status quo? Partly, it’s a symptom of risk aversion and frankly, there was no need to do anything different in a seller’s market. Developers and marketers, wary of alienating anyone, create campaigns designed to appeal to everyone—and, paradoxically, end up resonating with no one. The proliferation of templated marketing assets and easy-to-use design tools has further fueled the trend, making it all too easy to churn out lookalike campaigns. But in practice, this approach creates several key problems:

  • Commoditization: When every project looks the same, price becomes the only differentiator—and in a softening market, this leads to a race to the bottom.
  • Lost Emotional Impact: Buying a home is intensely personal. Generic marketing fails to make an emotional connection or tell a compelling story.
  • Erosion of Trust: Homogenous campaigns can come across as inauthentic or evasive, especially when economic uncertainty makes buyers more skeptical.

The Call for Change: Differentiation as Survival

Now more than ever, real estate projects need memorable, authentic, and distinctive marketing. Differentiation isn’t just a creative whim—it’s a necessity for survival in a challenging market.

Strategies for Standing Out

How can developers and marketers break the cycle of sameness? It starts with a willingness to rethink not just the ads and brochures, but the entire marketing approach.

  • Tell a Real Story: Instead of leaning on vague promises, root your campaign in the specifics of the project—its location, its architecture, its ethos. What’s unique about the neighbourhood? The design philosophy? The people who will live there? Use real voices, testimonials, and stories from the community.
  • Show Transparency: Address economic concerns head-on. Offer clear information about timelines, developer track records, warranty protections, and financial incentives. Educate rather than obfuscate; trust grows in sunlight.
  • Embrace Creative Risk: Stand out by taking creative risks, whether that’s through bold visual design, or unexpected campaign partnerships with local artists, chefs, or businesses. And no, offering a free Porsche with the purchase of a unit isn’t the way to go because it smacks of elitism when authenticity is today’s currency.
  • Highlight Value: Go beyond “luxury living.” Speak to what actually matters to today’s buyers and what they value—social connection, flexible spaces for remote work, wellness, environmental advancement, or other such values. Show how the project meets evolving needs.
  • Engage with the Community: Position the development as part of the fabric of the neighbourhood, not an isolated island. Host local events, support community initiatives, or create public spaces that invite interaction long before the first residents move in. And do this on a sustained basis.

The Future: Marketing with Meaning

The real estate market may be cyclical, but the need for genuine connection is constant. As presales falter and economic headwinds persist, the projects that succeed will be those with the courage to be different—to tell a story, to build trust, and to offer real value(s).

The age of interchangeable marketing is ending. The winners will be those who see not just another house to sell, but a unique place for someone’s life to unfold—and who are bold enough to show that, especially when the market is at its toughest.

In this changing landscape, “nice picture, smiling people, pithy copy” is no longer enough. The challenge—and opportunity—for real estate marketers is to create campaigns that are as distinctive and meaningful as the homes themselves.

 Like this piece? Ask us how we could help elevate your trust levels.

In an era of low trust, be a brand of high trust.

Musings

In a world of blurred truths and broken systems, trust is eroding across different aspects of modern life.

If you think everything is swirling in confusion, you’re not alone. All around us, society, business, and marketing are mired in uncertainty of a kind of pandemonium where the structures and patterns we’ve come to know, and trust, are no longer evident or decipherable. And it’s more than the tariffs. Indeed, the tariffs are wreaking economic havoc and fostering an economic slowdown and consumer non-confidence, which adversely affects sales and budgets. But they are just one piece of the puzzle (albeit a big one) creating a cascading effect along, with other pre-existing variables, that erode the very foundation of socio-economic systems. 

What’s the common denominator in all of this? Trust, or the lack thereof

  • Tariffs – we are witnessing a tragicomedy in real time with a daily whipsaw effect of indecision, consequences, and idiocy. Nothing can be planned whether personal schedules or business agendas due to lack of certainty with the result that nothing productive or fruitful happens. Get ready for another whipsaw tomorrow…
  • Misinformation and disinformation – we can’t trust information anymore, certainly not like we used to. The fact-checking guardrails of social media have been stripped away such that disinformation can now masquerade as truth, and misinformation is allowed to wallow in its own muddle. And the bias of news organizations, mandated by corporate overlords with a reason for private gain, is another crack in the mantle of distrust. Add to this, the kinds of (lightweight) stories and information that are being prioritized and spoon-fed to you by media, and it becomes clear that all that’s out there cannot be taken at face value. Event when it’s fact.
  • Generative AI – have you seen AI deepfakes that mimic politicians or celebrities? You probably have but don’t even know it. That’s how good they are. That’s why there are so many competing versions of reality. So what can you trust these days when you can’t even trust your eyes?
  • Social media – akin to the point above citing misinformation, disinformation, and the disappearance of fact-checking, social media itself has fomented an environment of toxic commentary where friends become foes and complete strangers threaten bodily harm. Yes, the eyeballs are still there but should there be a discount for the weakened trust environment.
  • Luxury brands that aren’t luxury – Trump’s tariff wars with China have created an entire raft of casualties, none more puncturing than the exposure of luxury brands as, gasp, Made in China, but finished in Italy, with the word ‘finished’ being somewhat loose (such as the label is sewn on in Italy). The allure and illusion that designer brands have built over the decades have, in days, come crumbling down including trust in those brands and the quality and workmanship they exude, not to mention the exclusivity.

In uncertain times, brands earn trust by showing up consistently, delivering on promises, and communicating with transparency and purpose.

So, what’s a brand to do? The answer: build or reinforce trust.

  • Extend guarantees – offer guarantees on your products or services to reinforce their quality and value. If you already offer a guarantee, extend it for longer periods to create confidence and build trust.
  • Do as you say, and say as you do – in a world of empty promises, be a brand and company that honours what you say, and take steps to reinforce those words by actions. For example, in a retail setting, this means ensuring your communications in the marketplace are matched by staff at the store level to complete the trust loop.
  • Be direct, sincere, and authentic, with a smile – at a time when customers are roiled with confusion and uncertainty, don’t add to it by making them have to second-guess. Get straight to the point in a direct, sincere, and authentic way, all while projecting an air of friendliness. Does it mean less creativity? Not necessarily, but perhaps creativity that’s less obtuse but still makes that emotional connection.
  • In social media, pick influencers you can trust – how many social media influencers have you seen go rogue, make sexist or discriminatory pronouncements, and lose the brand appeal they spend to much time and energy to create? Yeah, those ones. More than number of followers and ‘likes’, look for deeper qualities such as values, integrity, and of course, trustworthiness. This may take more time to vet but it will benefit you in the long term.
  • Over-communicate with not just benefits, but values – speaking of values, this might be the most crucial point. After all, trust is a value. Sell your product, pitch those USPs but wrap them in values that your customers can get behind. It’s a story customers need now.
  • Be agile and opportunistic – they say the only constant is change so what about embracing the uncertainty and using it to your advantage? Tariffs down today by 10%? Drop your prices by 10%. This would necessitate the opposite when the tariffs go up, but you get the point – by being agile and opportunistic while making a social commentary of the times in which we live, not only do you engage customers in a more compelling way, but you’re also saying trust us, even if you can’t trust the system.

A final note not necessarily related to trust: might it be a good time (when few are looking) to realign your customer marketing to better reflect your customer mix? For example, if 50% of your customers are Asian but you spend only 10% of your budget reaching them, now’s the time to move them up your priority list along with budgetary importance. Imagine the ROI a greater investment in this customer base would yield. Think of it another way, your more-productive customers have been subsidizing your lower ROI customers. A realignment could be meaningful and instill trust in these more engaged customer segments.

In an era of low trust, be a brand of high trust

 Like this piece? Ask us how we could help elevate your trust levels.