2 July 2010, Belgium, somewhere on the periphery of Brussels. We are sitting in a small, scorching hot Peugeot. This includes Steve of creative concern (England) Fred and Magali of Yuluka (Belgium) and Regine and Michael of fairkehr (Germany). With a perceived temperature of 45 degrees and maximum squeeze factor, we saw Jesus and couldn’t take him with us. A man with flowing hair and same white robe stands at the roadside, hitchhiking. An expression of tropic hallucinations or a sign that our mission has been granted divine assistance? An estimated ten roundabouts later -life is going in circles- we meet up with Johann and Renee of Chapeau (Netherlands) and Gildas and Guillaume of Sidiese (France). The group is complete. The first meeting of the European network of sustainable agencies begins.
In January 2010, these five agencies from Manchester, Paris, Den Haag, Brussels and Bonn took part in an EU tender for a campaign that was to promote the climatic benefits of public transport. The bid, entitled “Ticket to Kyoto” became the network of European sustainable agencies’ first cooperative effort. The tamer of this motley, multicultural troupe was Christoph Konnings, chief executive of the Yuluka agency in Brussels. It was Christoph too, who recognized the value of the network and rounded the lot of us up in Brussels a few months later.
Merci, Christoph!
Still, let’s consider what we have in common first. All five agencies work with clients who are concerned with sustainability. All five agencies are in turn dedicated to sustainability and agree on its ecological, social and economic definition.
Ethical principles define our work with the client, but also the interaction with our employees and the handling of resources within everyday working life.
Our dealings with clients are not about making a quick buck, but they are about long-term, reliable and trusting co-operation. It’s not about the quick burning of creative fireworks, which light up, multicoloured and then expire. Instead we opt for durable partnerships based on mutual appreciation and effective communication concepts that consider the challenges of the future.
Solidarity among the staff is actively promoted, flexible working hours allow the combination of job and family, employees are not sucked dry and replaced as is common on the agency scene.
The differences show in the topics and strengths. Together, the five agencies cover a wide range of topics with competent professionalism: animal welfare, nutrition, traffic, travel, corporate social responsibility, advertising campaigns ranging from a textual emphasis to up-market graphics, public contracting authorities and major corporations, NGO contacts, local rootedness and global thinking.
Counting almost 100 creative members of staff, the European sustainable agencies network is as large as one large agency, but as multifaceted and colourful as real European life. We can draw from cross-cultural experience, good language skills and a host of French, English, Belgian, Dutch and German ideas and skills.
3 July 2010, after a day’s exchange of experiences we all feel richer and stronger than the day before. Something greater is beginning, sustainable communication is becoming international. The task of sustainability has been so for a long time.
Michael Adler, 15. July, 2010
Right before my departure to the Ile de Noirmoutier in France.
