UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE AS OF 6/20/2012 TOSHIBA HAS PULLED THIS CAMPAIGN – PARTLY BECAUSE OF POSTS LIKE THIS AND READERS LIKE YOU! Feel free to read it of course and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF PAPER & PRINT!
Toshiba’s self declared “National No-Print Day” is a marketing scam. It’s an environmental bait and switch to get people behind a cause they are championing with non-facts and viral videos, when in fact they are just roping you in to be noticed. I am not going to link to any of their propaganda, so please do your own research if you are unaware of what Im writing about.
I am also not going to preach to the choir. If you are involved in Print, Paper or Marketing you know that being environmentally responsible is a mission, not a gimmick for “pledges” on a Facebook page and attention. But I suppose a “No-Print Day” is a better “cause” for Toshiba to market than bringing to light the environmental impact of creating and disposing consumer electronics, toner ink, and of course computer batteries plus everything else they make – including PRINTERS!
And speaking of that, there are some that say – oh, how BRAVE of a company that makes printers to take a stand on the tree killing print and paper industry – and to those people I would say how about some ice for that kool-aid?
The FACT is we agree that everyone, every chance they have, should be environmentally responsible. If only Toshiba didn’t make a stand against Paper & Print, and marketed a “National Eco Awareness Day” or something along those lines, not calling us out with misinformation. If they shared the FACTS on the sustainability of Paper & Print along with asking people to look around and see how they can do better in their offices and homes, I know I would have supported that and I might have even taken the pledge!
But that is Armchair Quarterback Marketing. What’s done is done, so now, what can we do?
I created this Facebook Page – No Thanks Toshiba. My goal is to get more likes against No Print Day, then they get pledges, so PLEASE just click and like it now. This is more of a “ha ha” thing, but it feels good and will feel even BETTER when we outnumber them!
I also created a list of ACTION options. Certainly there are more and I’d love to hear what you come up with… leave it on Facebook along with your messages to Toshiba!
TURN IN/TOSS YOUR TOSHIBA! If you have a printer in your home or office and the lease is up, get rid of it and let them know why. If you can get out of your contracts earlier, do it. If you use their laptops, next time don’t and same with whatever else they make. The bottom line in marketing is always the BOTTOM line – and if they don’t care about ours, why should we support them?
WRITE LETTERS! Yes, type a letter, print it OUT on PAPER, and send it to:
Mark E. Mathews
President & Chief Executive Officer
Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.
2 Musick Irvine, CA 92618-1631
MAKE THEM PRINT & SUPPORT US! Organize all your friends, family and contacts to call for brochures/printed materials: http://business.toshiba.com/dealerLocator/search.jsp
RUN UP THEIR PHONE BILL! 1 800 GO TOSHIBA – Let them know how you feel
ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS! Set up a page on your website, Facebook page, or use Twitter so your customers can take the NO Thanks to NO-Print Day Pledge (or send them to the one I made). Offer an incentive (discount on next job within a time period, free biz cards with order etc). Toshiba want’s NO Print, let’s create MORE PRINT – best revenge!
TAKE TO THE SOCIALSPHERE! I declare Toshiba #NoPrintDay Thursdays. Starting this week, send at least 1 tweet to @ToshibaUSA against this “cause” on Thursday and thereafter. Make sure to include #noprintday since they are watching it.
Post on your blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, G+ and SHARE the FACTS on your environmental practices and the overall sustainability of Print & Paper.
Remember – This isn’t a war against TOSHIBA, it’s a factual and professional response to misinformation and greenwashing using the Print & Paper industry as the proverbial bad guys.
GUERRILLA ANYONE? Take to the streets. Print out 8.5 x 11’s and hang them around town. “This printout helped plant a forest” and include a QR code to a mobile optimized page on your website with facts. Include your email for more info – maybe make some new contacts.
Don’t have time to go around town? Use your email signature with same message and link to your site with the FACTS, and you can also tie in the say “No Thanks Pledge” mentioned above.
Don’t have access to do that – put the message and link to an Industry site of your choosing where FACTS can be found.
WHO’S WATCHING THE WATCHERS? Is there a way for us to demand/require an independent body must be hired by Toshiba to confirm not ONE thing was printed by Toshiba, or any of their vendors FOR Toshiba, on No Print Day? The ramifications of them fighting such a thing would essentially show their true intentions.
I do have a running dialogue in my head debating whether or not to bring ANY attention to Toshiba and this ridiculous cause. But if history shows us anything, you can’t leave it up to others to step up for you. I hope you are ready to stand up, be vocal, be counted, and be TWEETING on Thursdays!
One Response
Declaring National No-Print Day is a marketing scam. It’s an environmental bait
and switch to get people behind a cause they are championing with
non-facts and viral videos, when in fact they are just roping you in to
be noticed.