Thread: What do you think, L4P?

First, a little background: My name, as you might have guessed from my username, is Adam Gordon. I got my degree in communications after studying Creative Advertising in Seneca@York University (Toronto, ON). Since graduating, I have been busy checking off the 'to-do's of my bucket-list. I've traveled, I've done the Gumball (Even as a crew driver, it was wild) and I spent some of my summer filming a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport for Autoblog Canada. Since then, I've ventured out into the entrepreneurial world with a portfolio and a positive attitude.

Now the business part:
I was interested in advertising for a long time, and I didn't know why. It sure as hell wasn't because I could sell products (which, I'm not bad at). It was because the wide-reaching messages of advertising had the ability to influence culture. I realized what I wanted to do all along was make other people happier and more knowledgeable. After all, spreading knowledge and information might be the best way to better our societies, as well as one another.
I have put together a small 'company' for lack of a better word. We call it "Watch [The] Space". When the company makes a profit, a certain % (currently 15-25%, hopefully 50%+ in the future) of its profit to sustainability initiatives and grassroots education programs. It's a pretty multifaceted company which offers a variety of products/services. They are as follows:

-Promotion: Our first venture involved holding a local rock concert. The response was phenomenal. Students, teachers and parents of students came from all over the region to donate money to sustainability and education. We even let the performing band members and each guest take a vote on which charity gets more of the raised donations.

-Communications Consulting/Marketing Strategies for CSR: CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a growing field. Throughout my education, I worked on a multitude of CSR campaigns. My idea for a CSR Campaign for West49 against Youth Gang Violence actually landed me an internship at West49 (Canada's biggest skateboard lifestyle brand, now owned by Billabong). I believe that if corporations took the time and money to undo some of the damages that naturally occur during their production process, they will not only preserve our earth, but improve their public reputation as well.
PR is an important part of Watch [The] Space. All of our business ventures are carried out with the most ethical means possible. We believe that through our business ethics consultation and implementation, OR through our display of 'practicing what we preach', we can influence some of the biggest corporations in the world to adopt a more socially responsible business practice.

-Organic Clothing Line: Not sure how much more I can elaborate on this one...Wear your heart on your sleeve.

-Public Forum: This type of thing naturally attracts a wide audience, but there are a few common interests among that audience. We are taking those interests and building a forum centered around Sustainability, Education, Citizen Journalism and Activism.

-Sponsorship: Whenever possible, I would love the chance to give back to the communities that helped me grow as a person. Something about skateboarding makes people appreciate life (for the most part). I want to sponsor up-and-coming athletes, not just as a form of advertising for W[T]S, but also as a way of helping someone accomplish their goals and help give back to society.

One day in the (not-so) distant future, I would love to get an electric car, brand it up with some socially responsible sponsors, and take it on the goldRush rally for years to come. I would promote social responsibility and a positive attitude towards sustainability and education for all. Throughout the rally, I would like to commit 'random acts of kindness'. Perhaps covering someone's speeding ticket?
Although that's getting ahead of myself. At the moment, it's still a start-up venture.
Feel free to check it out on Facebook/Twitter, and please let me know what you think
Our website and forum will be up within a week or so.

As you can probably see, our overall goal is 'a better world'. Even the smallest differences can have a profound impact on other people's lives, and if this changes even 1 persons life for the better, I will be happy with this venture. If it changes thousands of people's lives, I will be ecstatic. The question now becomes: How reasonable is this plan?

https://www.facebook.com/watchthespace
https://twitter.com/#!/WatchTheSpace

the first rule of business plans - abstraction

Originally Posted by carendt242

the first rule of business plans - abstraction

Got plenty of that

Sennnneca? Ugh.

JK, went to Western. Are you currently working at an agency or just freelancing?

I don't think there's a building tall enough in the world where you could finish your elevator pitch if it includes a mere fraction of what you just wrote.......

Simplify.

I believe in 10 second pitches, not the traditional 30. If you can have me completely understand what it is that you do in 10-30 seconds, you're probably not worth my time.

Originally Posted by lifeoftheparty.

Simplify.

I believe in 10 second pitches, not the traditional 30. If you can have me completely understand what it is that you do in 10-30 seconds, you're probably not worth my time.

I think I could do that. Also, to answer your previous question, I'm currently freelancing. The agency-life has too many egos for my liking.

10 second pitch:

We're a multi-faceted company. By offering businesses CSR campaigns, selling organic clothing, promoting musicians and hosting a public forum, we would like to raise money for sustainability initiatives and grassroots education programs. From there, we would move into sponsorship and further 'direct-action' activism such as starting our own education program within local schools.

A tad unrelated a teacher once told me this about essay's, I think you can apply it to a sales pitch as well

They should be like bathing suits, long enough to cover the important parts but short enough to make things interesting.

So from what I get your company is more focused on helping the community and using products as a source of income instead of making the community a secondary goal, correct?

Originally Posted by KingNikan

...So from what I get your company is more focused on helping the community and using products as a source of income instead of making the community a secondary goal, correct?

Essentially. The services like the Business Ethics consulting and CSR advertising campaigns will be used for profit as well, but a % of the profits from those will be donated to the community, potentially through the community efforts established by a consulted business' campaign.

I can boil it down to a 2-second pitch: Corporate Philanthropy.