Green Spark
What will people do if you give them a simple platform for suggesting ideas? What if they could also share their knowledge and sources of inspiration to help turn those ideas into a reality? That’s what General Mills’ Vice President of Sustainability was thinking when he came to Zeus Jones with a project in mind. Working in a company that makes constant efforts to be more sustainable, he had seen the potential General Mills had to make a difference, but he knew something was missing. There was no way for employees from one part of the company to know what was being accomplished by employees from another.
To start, we threw out the old conception of a dusty suggestion box sitting idly on a counter. Instead, we wanted to get people to talk to one another, aside from their division or rank in the company.
In that sense, it was an experiment for the whole culture of General Mills. So, how to turn that experiment into one that plays off the natural ambition of a bunch of creative and strategy-oriented people and generates a grassroots movement for the environment?
The Strategy
That was where we came in. First, we conceptualized the platform as a social network called Green Spark, where a Spark is the central object – both a currency and a status update. We created a simple dialogue box that asks, “What’s your idea?” and urges people to share all different types of sentiments and information. Users can support and follow an idea, as well as join in on the conversation by giving tips, critiques and background. We asked ourselves, “What would motivate someone to use this platform?” We thought that aside from advancing from their eco-minded goals and desire to connect with new people in the office, it could also give employees the chance to demonstrate their willingness to go above and beyond in hopes of advancing their careers. To expand this element, we asked individuals in senior management to take a role in kicking off the project and created a background page that connected Green Spark to corporate goals.
Let the Ideas Guide the Content
But more than anything, we wanted to make sure that Green Spark was simple. Instead of creating myriad features, we wanted the ideas to take center stage. What it becomes is up to the staff.
