On November 30, UIUC sustainability representatives met with Coca-Cola and discussed the following:

Attendance: Jake Slager, Shawn Patterson, Pete Varney, Jen Fraterrigo, Mariangelix Bonila, Erika Harvey, Brette Bennett, Bryan Johnson, Steve Breitwieser, Travis Tate, Kendall Chadwick, Shreya Mahajan, Meredith Moore, Daphne Hulse, Marty Kaufmann, Thurman Etchison, Sarah Carten, Liz Doeschoet

Presentation

• Increase recycling and reduce waste (top two goals)

  • Implement consistent messaging, infrastructure, and activation

• Talked with sustainability ambassadors, coke sustainability team, and UIUC folks to come up with this presentation

• Don’t Waste: Block I design makes it look like “I Don’t Waste” — part of the branding

  • I is really key, because everyone should be involved

  • Goal: to make recycling as easy as possible. Make it a movement, not an afterthought

• Brand identity

  • Co-branded marks developed, but the mission and purpose is much larger than just the brand

  • Collective sense of ownership through the brand design

  • Iconic I is a key part of the visual. It anchors everything else. Using it as an emotional element, a part of ownership

  • Broken up with two formats

    • Big banners, large signage — more real estate, bigger impact in those instances

    • Smaller pieces — flyers, digital, social more standard sizes

  • Don’t Waste Days: specific to events on campus; more targeted than just the Don’t Waste general branding

  • Always use the marks on white, navy, or orange backgrounds

• Tone of voice:

  • Empowered, uplifting, courageous, bold, and self-assured

  • Combined the language of the university with Coca-Cola

  • Hybrid approach: make the world a better place, build a sustainable feature. It all starts on campus by capturing students’ attention through education and entertainment. it should feel like a natural extension of the U of I’s brand personality

  • Work to combat skepticism with recycling: is what I’m doing really making that big of a difference? Combat this.

  • Recognize the critical role of Athletics in the messaging: individuals and leaders may have more of a voice that influence many people (kept this in mind and used this to craft the message)

• Content ideas, activation ideas, athletics

  • Content

    • Instructional signage

      • Leverage signage to showcase what can and cannot be recycled. Easy for people to understand to make it as painless as possible. “Moment of truth” about to throw away bottle or can and they catch the message and decide to recycle the item

      • Location suggestions

    • Awareness signage

      • Keep recycling top of mind at all time

      • Evergreen message

      • Show proof of progress helps combat skepticism (data)

Immediate feedback

• Daphne: Likes Moment of Truth (Pete likes this too). Like the awareness signage, which plays well into data and tracking, increases transparency around operations and recycling
• Meredith: Thinks consistent instructional signage is very important. And the Block I is very recognizable which means whether you’re at State Farm Center, Memorial Stadium, or on campus somewhere, you start to recognize these signs.
• Jake: One thing he’s learned about sustainability is that the consistency is very important.
• Jen: Name, image, likeness situation with Athletes. Would we have to think about this? Logistics to discuss.
• Jake mentioned likeness to Marty — something to continue thinking about
• Brette: this is all meant to be a though-starter. It will all need to be tweaked as we move forward.

• Video content

  • Short-form: 15 seconds. Built for social, but can be used elsewhere. Feature one or two people testifying what they don’t waste. Finish out with key spokesperson.

  • Long-form: 1 minute. YouTube, in-stadium or arena. Include 5-10 students, athletes, coaches, or faculty. End with a key spokesperson.

  • I Don’t Waste movement goes beyond recycling.

    • Work with various athletes, coaches, and recognizable figures on campus to say what they don’t waste: time, shot, down, opportunities, chances. Make it personal to our community

    • Make it feel natural to the students. Start and end or trickle in recycling and waste messaging where it can feel natural

  • Social

    • Recommended platforms to reach out to owners and start the conversations around sharing the Don’t Waste message

    • Continued engagement

      • Reinforce the message and get people to continue engaging on the topic

      • Proof of progress - combat doubt and skepticism. We do this through showing our actual data and how we are progressing.

        • How do we get the data on an ongoing basis?

        • Doesn’t always have to be a huge audit or a big number. Can be little wins on an ongoing basis.

      • Instagram Add Yours feature: it’s a newer trend people are enjoying. Adds sticker to their story “I don’t waste” anyone can click on the sticker and post their own response

        • Easily start on a U of I owned profile

      • Instagram gifs: create school-branded gifs with a sustainability theme

      • Surprise and Delight social participation”: surprising students who engage in the social media campaigns or share content from in-person activation. Winners receive co-branded sustainability prize packs

  • Activation

    • Infrastructure

      • People won’t walk more than 15 feet away from the trash can to recycle something

      • Addition of new bins and making sure recycling and waste and paired would help increase recycling

      • Reusable cups

        • Freestyle machines track

        • There are lower tech options

        • Offer large reusable cups for purchase or at orientation. Would have to think about POS or meal plan integration. If people use the vessel, make sure there is a reward or incentive

      • Sponsoring a bin

        • Work with RSOs to sponsor new recycling bins in coordination with the school, the orgs can have plaques affixed to a bin or decorate a temporary bin to increase recycling opportunities on campus

        • Recycling maps

          • Illinois App

          • Showing people where they can recycle

      • Don’t Waste Days

        • Don’t Waste Wednesdays

          • Select one day a week or a month where the university focuses on sustainability initiatives

        • Monthly or quarterly campus clean up events

          • Offer incentives like t-shirts, concert tickets, sports tickets

      • Celebrate the little wins

        • Green teams: in-person group distributing sustainable prize packs if they catch someone recycling

        • Educate your campus community

        • Recycle bin game

• Athletics

  • Don’t waste game days

Closing feedback:

• Thurman: Man on the street to kick of the social campaign (student testimonials). Recycling webcam that is on at all times to show the trick shots, or at least track what’s going in the bin
• Marty: Remain mindful of how much Athletics can commit to various initiatives.