Node: embodying ‘applied hope’
When I walked into Rocky Mountain Institute in 2008—a young, eager professional armed with a fresh masters' degree and the energy I now know only an early twenty-something can possess—I could hardly imagine the role the organization would play in my life’s journey. In my early years I developed immediate admiration for Amory Lovins, RMI’s co-founder and energy visionary famous for establishing a vision for the ‘soft energy path’ in the 70’s. While many at the Institute valued Amory for his analytical genius, I was taken by his optimistic outlook and most of all his storytelling. As a communications professional within RMI I was taught the fundamental ‘truths’ of our messaging: it’s not about motivations but outcomes (and whether you care about the environment, economy, or security you should do the same thing about energy), when you can prove that saving energy makes sense and makes money you can partner with even the most unexpected bedfellows (like Shell Oil), and most of all: applied hope. RMI worked within the framework of applied hope which, according to Amory meant,
“we work hard to make the world better, not from some airy theoretical hope, but in the practical and grounded conviction that starting with hope and acting out of hope can cultivate a different kind of world worth being hopeful about, reinforcing itself in a virtuous spiral.”
Fast forward to 2020 which is a year that many feel there is very little to be hopeful about. This year has been marked by a global pandemic and resulting economic collapse, devastating wildfires, a crazy US presidential election, and social unrest. Yet in spite of the fact that 2020 seems to be ripped from the pages of some dystopian novel, there are still so many individuals, families, organizations, companies, and communities that hold on to applied hope, and are living it everyday. It is in this spirit that I founded Node Communications.
We believe that a smart idea rooted in social good can take off in unexpected ways—with the right strategy and support. During my time at RMI I had the pleasure of working with countless corporations, agencies, and cities that were working hard to save energy, and transition to renewable resources. RMI was expert in helping these partners design the tools, business models, or policies to achieve their low-carbon goals. But there was one missing piece: strategic marketing and communications.
Consider the example of an electric utility that is working toward an ambitious renewable portfolio standard, but lacks the staff and expertise to convince their board and customers that this is great for the planet and their bottom line. Even the best laid plans can often get axed due to lack of support because nobody thought about the message. Or, think about a company that spent millions to cut the carbon footprint of their retail locations through building performance upgrades. Without a solid marketing strategy, the company could be missing out on billions in revenue from a growing set of savvy customers who want to align their purchasing habits with retailers who share their environmental values.
At Node, we want to help companies doing good things succeed, not just HOPING for success, but actually applying it. By helping clients understand how strategic marketing and communications plays an integral role in the ultimate success of their environmental commitments we believe that we can make a concrete impact in creating a world being hopeful about.