Minneapolis

Good afternoon fellow Carrotmobbers,

Operation Carrotwave is going strong. Our group has traveled to 4 hardware stores and has 2 left to go today. We’ve been sidewalk chalking and gathering information on environmentally-friendly items in the stores.

At all the stores we visited today, there was an absence of programs or seminars on environmentally-friendly topics for customers to participate in. We’d love to see these shops offer something for the local community to participate in and learn more about what they can do to “green” their homes.

We found items marked as “green” at some of the locations, but greenwashing was also spotted. Carrotmobbers will be keeping a keen eye open for other indications of how much work we have cut out for us.

We invite to you to join us for the remaining 2 stops today:

4pm Ace Hardware Frattallone’s, near Downtown
5pm Welna Ace Hardware in Phillips neighborhood

Please visit our google map to see where we’ll be.
Let us know if you’ll be representing!

The Carrotmob MPLS Team
cmobmpls@gmail.com

Hello Mobbers!

Get prepared, this Saturday, Sep. 26, Operation Carrotwave will unleash carrots on Minneapolis! We will be rockin’ some guerrilla marketing and using sidewalk chalk to put the message where you walk. We will also be visiting all of our hardware stores with a scavenger hunt to find out more about the products they are carrying.

You can be as hardcore as you want, we just want you there! Got mad chalking skills and want to throw down around the lakes and sidewalks of MPLS? Or get more involved in our hardware stores? Join us at one, or as many as you want. Be prepared to rock the verbal messages as we want to tell everyone we encounter about what we’re doing.

Our schedule will go from 10 am – 1 pm, and then again from 4pm – 6pm. Here’s our schedule, you can meet up whenever you want!

10am Bayers DO It Best Hardware in Linden Hills and chalking up the Lakes
11am Guse Hardware in S. Mpls
12am Bryant Hardware, near Uptown
1am Nicollet Ace Hardware in S. Mpls
4pm Ace Hardware Frattallone’s, near Downtown
5pm Welna Ace Hardware in Phillips neighborhood

Please visit our google map to see where we’ll be.

Let us know if you’ll be representing!

The Carrotmob MPLS Team
cmobmpls@gmail.com

South Minneapolis hardware stores here we come!

Carrotmob Minneapolis has made the decision to “mob” a hardware store on Saturday, October 24th. The bidding process begins today and bids are due by 3:00pm on Monday, October 5th.

Call to action for the hardware stores:
1. Complete the Carrotmob “Business Partner Initial Bid Survey”, indicating the % of gross revenues from October 24th you’re willing to commit to energy efficiency improvements in your place of business.
2. Up your bid, if a competing business has out bid you.
3. Hold on to your hats if you’re the winning business and prepare for Carrotmob Minneapolis to shop at your store on Saturday, October 24th!

“Business Partner Initial Bid Survey” questions include:
1. What products do you carry that help improve customer’s efficiency?
2. Do you offer programs/seminars/etc. on home improvement & energy use reduction? If so, what programs are these?
3. Do you offer hazardous material collection at your store? If so, what materials do you collect? If not, how do you dispose of these materials for your store when needed?
4. What energy efficiency improvements have you already done to your store?
5. Do you have any green initiatives or partnerships currently?
6. What percentage of gross revenues from October 24th are you willing to commit?

I am very excited to announce the kick-off of our business bidding process. Watch for additional updates throughout the bidding process and selection of our winning business to “mob”.

For questions or further engagement with Carrotmob Minneapolis, the bidding process, and the scheduled carrotmobbing taking place on October 24th, please feel free to call me at #612-237-3770 or join our Google group at http://groups.google.com/group/carrotmob-minneapolis. I welcome interested “mobbers” to participate in not only the planning, but become one of our “mobbers”!

Happy “mobbing”!
Natalie

Hello Carrotmobbers around the world!

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, we are off to a running start and I wanted to share some of our progress with interested Carrotmobbers.  Our efforts are focused on planning for our  first event on Saturday, October 24, 2009 to CARROTMOB MINNEAPOLIS!

We are now one of the official “MOBS” on the Carrotmob map.  Our group here in Minneapolis was thrilled to learn that there are other Carrotmobbers around the world who are also planning events to be held on October 24, 2009, as part of the International Day of Climate Action.  Without delay, I’d like to give a shout out to other locations around the world who are also supporting www.350.org, by holding a Carrotmob event on this important day: Bonn, Germany; Cambridge, MA; Durango, CO; Ottawa, ON, Canada; San Francisco, CA; and Sydney, Australia.  “Hello” around the world from Minneapolis, Minnesota!

This past week was the launch of our Google Group, “Carrotmob Minneapolis”.  This has been a great success and is a wonderful communication tool.  I invite you to stop by our website, join our group,  and post an introduction.  You can find us at http://groups.google.com/group/carrotmob-minneapolis. Since the launch of our Google Group, we’ve been having an online discussion about the type, location, and scope of business we’d like to “mob” and setting parameters for our geographic location.

We have a leadership team of 3 people, who are leading the charge to plan for our October 24th event.  I welcome and thank both Esther and Eric for joining me in leading this endeavor.  You are rock stars!

In the coming weeks, our group will “kick-off” the bidding process for selecting a winning business and begin promoting this event in a more formalized manner.

I invite you to stay tuned for future updates on Carrotmob Minneapolis and get involved in planning an event in your city.  If you live in Minneapolis or close by, you’re welcome to join our group!  I’m already having a great time and getting to know lots of awesome people.

Happy “mobbing”!

Natalie

Welcome Minneapolis Carrotmobbers!

I’m Natalie Gille, an active participant and leader of Carrotmob Minneapolis. I like music, traveling and rock climbing, among many other things. I keep quite busy (as many of you know). I also really like bringing people together and our Carrotmob Minneapolis event is a perfect example of bringing people together! It’s for a great cause too – energy efficiency improvements at the business we “carrotmob” on October 24th, education and visibility on what we can do to become better at caring for the planet, and a positive impact on our planet and the atmosphere! I LOVE IT!!!

I’ll be actively leading this group. With some awesome leaders involved in planning this event, you’ll be hearing from me, as well as others who have stepped forward into leadership roles and have responsibilities that include: business interaction, logistics, managing volunteers and interested carrotmobbers, and marketing and publicity.

Would you like to be involved in Carrotmob Minneapolis? If so, please click on the following link, which will bring you to the Google group, “Carrotmob Minneapolis”. http://groups.google.com/group/carrotmob-minneapolis

I’m honored to be part of the movement to provide solutions to the climate crisis and invite you to be as involved as your schedule allows. Let’s take on this town and CARROTMOB MINNEAPOLIS!!!

See you soon!
Natalie