Data can lead us down a rabbit hole that delivers incremental wins, yet loses sight of why consumers connect with brands in the first place. You may have seen Jeff's post on analysis paralysis a couple of weeks ago.

We've talked about what it is. Now let's talk about solutions. Thursday, June 21st at 9AM Pacific/10AM Mountain, I will be teaming up with our good friends at Sustainable Travel International to give you an hour-long look ...

Since Earth Day sits near the turn of the seasons, we thought we would not only rally our team to do something that makes our place a better place, we also wanted to do something that helped gear people up for the summer commute. This year for Earth Day, we challenged the whole crew at Mercury to walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to work, each day for a week, building up to Earth Day.

To help motivate us ...

Back from the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and unburied enough to think about the show, its evolution and its future. Over 1,000 brands and over 20,000 people descend on the Salt Palace for a few days, catching up, trading stories and sharing the latest and greatest gear. Having gone to both the Summer and Winter Markets each year for the past five or so years, I’m no newbie, nor am I a veteran, or even someone ...

Want to connect to the green consumer? Help them stand out.

I recently listened to the Freakonomics podcast “Hey Baby, Is That a Prius You’re Driving?” and it got me thinking about consumption, specifically conspicuous nonconsumption, or conspicuous conservation. Call it what you want, the green consumer wants you to know they’re a good person–and that’s an insight that businesses can leverage to help change consumer behavior for the better.

Sustainable brands often try to blend ...

...with Donnie Clapp, Community Manager for Montana Office of Tourism

Talking to your friends is easy. Talking to a stranger is harder. Where do you start? How much do you talk about yourself? How many questions do you ask? What do you do with your hands?

Jumping into social media on behalf of your sustainability- or tourism-focused business is similar. You're on Facebook and Twitter, and you feel comfortable there with your friends and family. It should be just ...