Check out the site at www.cortomaltese.com.

An innovative fundraising effort appeared at City Hall Park around Thanksgiving. Instead of the traditional holiday gift drive boxes, SUS (Serving the UnderServed) used cardboard to create a full-scale replica of an apartment, showing what the 3500 people who benefit from their services really need.

The cardboard cutouts were created by set designer Mark Borow, with lovely details such as a cardboard chicken dinner on a cardboard plate.

SUS is an organization that provides housing and other services to for New Yorkers in need, helping them live with dignity in the community, direct their own lives and attain personal fulfillment.

www.susinc.org

PFT: Stonyfield has been driven by a sense of purpose from the beginning. How would you define your purpose today?

GH: When we first started in 1983 our goal was modest – to close the gap between consumers and where their food came from. We were on a mission to show how food is something that’s good for us, not just less bad for us. We started our little organic farming school with what we thought was a naïve idea at the time: a business model that benefits consumers and farmers alike.

Today we’re the #3 yogurt brand in the U.S. with 1850 dairy farmers who are all profitable. It’s been a 27-year overnight success where everyone wins: cows live twice as long, farmers don’t lose profits, consumers eat nutritious and delicious foods and the planet’s precious resources are sustained.

PFT: Purpose-driven marketing is now the norm for many traditional food companies, yet some of their products fall short on the health and sustainability scale. How do we encourage companies to not only market with purpose, but to create products with purpose?

GH: The notion that we have to be all or nothing is unrealistic. Many companies can’t make the kind of leaps that are truly needed right away. We have to try to persuade them that they can take small steps like converting their ingredients to organic, impacting the supply chain.

It takes activism. I’m on a number of boards and have exposure to senior decision-makers, with opportunities to influence I never imagined way back when. The only real way to persuade these decision-makers is to show them how transitioning to organic does not impact the P&L negatively-it can be profitable as well as positive for their image.

PFT: Most people now understand that organic foods are better for your health and better for the planet, but costs remain a barrier for many. How do we make organic foods more accessible to everyone?

GH: In the early days, the Achilles heel of organics was that it was “food for the elite”. We’ve made a lot of progress, but it is still expensive. Why? As a matter of policy in the U.S. we subsidize a lot of the stuff that makes us sick. I can show you the American food pyramid and then I could show you the subsidy pyramid and they’re inverted. The stuff we should not be eating is subsidized. So we have an uneven playing field out there. I’m not arguing that organics should get subsidies. I’m arguing to take away the subsidies from everyone.

In the end, it’s all about supply and demand. We understand that Walmart, with its huge supply chain, can save us. It’s a place where most people can afford to shop, so Stonyfield is there. If we’re not there we don’t give everyone an organic choice. By increasing our volume, we increase our efficiency. When we first started out, the fuel costs for running an organic farm were huge. Today, we find efficiencies in packaging and manufacturing to lower costs. The good news is that natural and organic food has increased to $25b, but that’s still only 4% of total U.S. food sales. Ultimately, demand will increase supply and lower costs.

PFT: Pause for Thought works with entrepreneurs who are passionate about a cause. Thanks to companies like Stonyfield who paved the way years ago, today there are many hopeful entrepreneurs trying to do the same. What advice would you give them?

GH: You must have a superior product. Everything else is secondary. You’ll never have enough money to compete otherwise. Every day we get amazing feedback that “this yogurt is so good!”  People love it, it’s a close to the farm, rich experience.

You’ve got to have determination. There are always problems in business. There hasn’t been one day in the past 27 years without problems, but somehow, we survive. You have to be as tough as Teflon. You will have problems 24/7, that’s just what business is.

Be authentic. Social media helps reinforce authenticity because you can be completely transparent. For example, we step out of the way and let the farmers talk to the consumer on our “Farm Cam” so consumers experience the people behind the product.  It’s hard to get all of that across on a yogurt lid.

And social media levels the playing field. The party who has more money does not necessarily win. We only spend .5% on media vs. the 11% big companies do.  We have a huge reach through our rewards program myStonyfield.com and Facebook. Social media is a gift.

Don’t underestimate the need for cash. You need a firm grasp of cash flow daily! You have to spend to get to the right cost of goods. With growth you can run losses, but only for a while. It was my ability to raise money that was a critical thing that got us through. Entrepreneurs are pathological optimists who overestimate revenues. I tell them to cut their revenue estimates by half and double their costs.

Surround yourself with great partners. Having a superior product is a prerequisite, but that’s no guarantee of success. You must engage with professional marketers to make sure we do a superb job of using what little space we have on our packs to really educate. You must be creative, opportunistic and really engage with super dynamic communications folks to help. You only get one bite of the apple…its not only what we make but how we communicate.

PFT: What’s next for the Gary Hirshberg brand?

GH: On a personal front, as I look back at the past 27 years, we’re just getting near the starting line. We’re starting to have an influence. But we don’t have 27 years left! Our air and soil are toxic, we’re all experiencing the negative effect of climate change, and we need to make a positive impact quickly. I feel impatient to reach out to decision-makers who can leverage major change. As a father, I’m plagued with concerns about the world my children are coming into as adults.

Have you ever heard the quote “Anyone who thinks his or her effort is too small has never been in bed with a mosquito?” We can all make a difference. Everything we buy is a vote. I have yet to meet a consumer who says give me yogurt with double-growth hormones, or a double-dose of pesticides, please. Consumers know the difference between good and bad and want better.

In the end, life is about continuous improvement. We all live in glass houses, we’re a long way from perfection but we need to take little steps. I think like an incrementalist. I believe we must take a few giant steps, but every step counts.

Gone are the days when a brand’s purpose was purely functional. Poland Spring’s purpose is no longer mere hydration, and Suave is much more than clean hair.

Purpose is also more than separating paper and plastic, although it certainly plays a role–remember when Reduce, Reuse, Recycle was a big idea? Now it’s engrained in our lives and we wouldn’t think about doing otherwise.

Purpose today goes well beyond function and recycling, and brand owners are realizing that defining a distinct purpose is now an integral part of their overall Brand Language right along with Color Palettes and Tone of Voice.

But to truly resonate, a brand’s purpose should not be something that changes like seasonal colors. True purpose comes from the heart and is at the core of the brand’s actions. Purpose informs branding initiatives and becomes a metric for evaluating success, rather than a filter for determining whom to sell to or associate with.

When a brand embraces a compelling purpose, the result is authentic, believable and draws an audience in. I applaud companies who have proclaimed statements of purpose, and have taken significant steps toward their goals.

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has a simple purpose: “Saving people money to help them live better”. This reason for being is at the heart of their company and has been from the beginning.

I was thrilled to hear recently that Walmart, which is also the world’s largest grocer, launched an initiative to feature more local produce in their stores. Obviously this is not the company’s purpose itself, but it certainly supports it. The impact on sustainable agriculture will be significant, and will improve the lives of communities and farmers providing Walmart with product as well as improving the quality of food Walmart sells to their customers.

Other such initiatives have spurred companies who want to do business with or sell their products in Walmart, to improve their own business and sustainability practices. Manufacturers have reduced packaging, improved speed-to-market, and are increasingly sourcing more ingredients and materials from sustainable sources.

So “Purpose” may be a buzzword, and it certainly is trendy, but it’s more than that. Companies, brands and people with true purpose are smiling now, knowing that when the trend is over, they will still be here, purpose-driven and looking for what’s next.

If you live in or around New York City you’ll be familiar with the city’s evolution over the past few years to a safer, cleaner place to live and work. For me, New York City is an example of re-branding at it’s best. Yes, there is a new look and feel–including a contemporary graphic language that speaks to the urban populace, but at the heart of the re-brand are many amazing initiatives that are more than just image-driven campaigns.

One such example is MillionTreesNYC. On Saturday I had the pleasure of taking part in one of the city’s great projects to plant one million trees across New York City over 10 years. Currently, I believe the count is at about 400,000.

Trees play such an important role in our quality of life–they clean the air, they provide shade and protection, and they connect us with the great outdoors.

In Pelham Bay Park, in The Bronx, I joined other volunteers on Saturday to pitch in and help with this awesome transformation.

To learn more about MillionTreesNYC check out their website– www.milliontreesnyc.org.

Examples of food packaging making nutrition-related claims

Nutrition claims are pretty common in food packaging. I’ve designed and delivered literally hundreds of them for America’s food industry over the past 20 years. Some of them are good, others are laughable. Many are making claims that are deceptive because they present a perceived benefit while masking the food’s lack of nutrition or ingredients that are potentially damaging to your health.

Today, with a more socially-responsible eye, and living in a time when corporate companies are realizing their own responsibility in giving back to the community, I have to question why food companies are still making claims that are deceptive, and often untruthful. Are food companies somehow exempt from owning up to the social problem of obesity we face in America? With some two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, I would think that food companies, and the people who work for them, would feel some obligation to at least tell the truth about the products they are selling.

It’s no accident that many of the products that make deceptive claims are marketed to children. Mothers in their effort to feed children desirable foods and to deliver healthy meals are inevitably searching for the panacea that will magically deliver on this dialectic. It’s not entirely the mother’s fault to think that “A full serving of vegetables”, or “A good source of fiber”, or “A good source of vitamin D”, or one of my favorites “May promote brain development” are highlighting foods that are good for their children.

At what cost are we “buying” these claims? Is a full serving of vegetables a benefit from a product that delivers 900mg of sodium per serving? That’s more than half the American Heart Association’s recommendation for sodium intake in an entire day. Excessive amounts of sodium are linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, all of which are now increasingly showing up in children according to the AHA.

Is it OK that sugar coated cereals that have minor amounts of added fiber can be marketed as “good for you?” Excessive sugar intake, which often leads to obesity, is a prime predecessor for type-2 diabetes development. How can this be acceptable marketing in a socially-responsible world?

I understand the need to sell product and deliver results for investors. But I believe that brands today have more responsibility than just delivering on the bottom line. America’s food-producing companies have the power and the reach to make a real difference in people’s lives. Improving the quality of our food supply, and communicating honestly with us are critical first steps.

I believe brands have a social responsibility to deliver on a higher purpose–quality of life and the future of the planet are at stake, and we’re all responsible for making a difference.