Business
Olympic Medalist Dotsie Bausch Wants You To Switch4Good
Dotsie Bausch, founder of Switch4Good, has a question for everyone.
Have you ever wondered why milk is required in public school lunches? The United States is the only country in the world that requires children to drink cow’s milk.
“Holy crap, what are we doing? Why are we feeding – especially to children, of which 70 percent of them cannot digest – Why are we making them drink this fluid?”
It’s a little weird, no?
Maybe it wasn’t so weird in the 1940s… 1840s… or 840s…
Today, however, we’ve learned a thing or two about how cow’s milk affects our bodies.
“Upwards of 70 percent of the world’s population cannot digest cow’s milk, and it makes you quite sick – this lactose intolerance. I’ll tell you, it’s pretty awful.
“Wheezing, stuffy nose, coughing. And then big-time gut distress: constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping.
“It’s pretty gnarly.”
It may take some time for us to shake the familiarity of cow’s milk in our diets. We’ve been inundated with cow’s milk (or just “milk,” for the layperson) from ads, culture, government requirements, lobbyist pressure, and dairy farmers.
Here’s The Truth About Milk…
Milk is meant for the babies of the mammals producing it. Cow’s milk is for calves. Human milk is for babies. Cat’s milk is for kittens. You get it.
Mammalian milk contains the necessary fats and vitamins for us to grow into strong healthy grown mammals. We, and every other infant mammal, contain an enzyme that allows us to digest that milk. That enzyme disappears once breastfeeding has concluded.
Northern European farmers were among the first to go “You know what? I want to try that cow’s milk. I mean… why not, right?” roughly 6000 years ago. Or so the theory states. Over time, they developed a genetic mutation to the enzyme that allows us to digest milk. These humans evolved to digest cow’s milk for as long as they were alive.
This familiarity with cow’s milk extended into the business world when it came time to make money off of that sweet, sweet utter juice. Milk was everywhere: delivered to our door by the milkman, in our schools, in our breakfast cereals.
Imagine getting made fun of for not putting milk in your cereal as a kid. Guess who’s the weirdo now, Stacy?!
Soon enough, “Got Milk?” entered the zeitgeist. Along with it, the idea that to be a successful athlete, you needed to drink milk. If Cal Ripken can play more consecutive games than any other baseball player, it must be the milk, right?
Speaking of athletes. Did you know that milk is the official sponsor of Team USA?
PED – Performance Enhancing Dairy
“New Zealand and the United States are the only countries in the world whose Olympic Committees are not government funded. They have to go out and get private funding.”
Enter the dairy industry to save the day! With “Got Milk?” featuring every famous athlete under the sun, it makes total sense that they would sponsor the Olympics. Since the government can’t be bothered, apparently.
“I have been exposed to and definitely pressured upon throughout that journey that milk – the mammalian secretions of the cow – are the only real way for athletes to recover from hard workouts, the only real way to build muscle and muscle tissue, and to repair and recover.
“I started to peel back all of the layers on everything that I had been taught and learned and really recognized that it was truly coming from a marketing perspective, not from an evidence-based perspective.”
It was at that moment, during the 2012 London Games (after winning the Silver in cycling), that inspired Dotsie Bausch to start Switch4Good.
“I had this idea to put on a commercial on the closing ceremonies of what then was the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on NBC that basically has seven of us, all Olympic athletes from four different countries.
“We’re standing up and saying, ‘Hey, guess what? We don’t need cows’ milk to recover. This isn’t the truth. It’s not a thing. And there are thousands of athletes that are finding a new way forward.’
“The dairy industry got it kicked off after it aired three times.”
Angering The Milk Masters
That move only served to fire Dotsie Bausch and her fellow athletes up. After being silenced by the dairy lobby, Switch4Good only got deeper and more motivated. The best way to crush your adversary is to silence them, right?
Smooth move, milk hawkers. You couldn’t just let it be. You just had to keep making your milk money.
Thanks to Big Milk’s fear and power, Switch4Good got strategizing.
“We work in two ways: behavior and culture change, but we also work on systemic change. We do quite a bit of work right now specifically to change the laws in the United States: that children have to be fed cow’s milk in schools. And if they don’t want one, they have to have a milk note from their parents.
“So, we’re working with members of Congress. It’s actually a regulatory change, not a statutory change. So it doesn’t have to be voted on.”
They even had a win.
“One of our big wins from last year was getting the dietary guidelines of America to put soy milk in as nutritionally equivalent so that here is a choice.
“Now we have to implement the choice into schools.”
Soy milk?! In public schools?! How… reasonable.
Dairy Nonsense
Some of you may consider soy milk in public schools to be hippie nonsense. But you’d be wrong. What is nonsense is drinking mammalian secretions from a mammal that is not at all related to humans.
Frankly, gorilla milk would make more sense.
Switch4Good and its mission to convert all dairy consumers into non-dairy consumers is an uphill battle. There isn’t just resistance from the powerful dairy industry. There’s personal resistance from smaller communities.
It wouldn’t be America without someone yelling, “You can’t tell me what to do!” Right?
Dotsie Bausch understands this better than you think.
“I grew up for thirty-five years of my life eating animals and the products of animals . . . loving animals, but mistreating them via I was a competitive horseback rider. So, it’s a journey and it’s painful to unpack 100 percent.”
“If you believe that we’re all equal – and I mean all – whether you have four legs or two, whether you have hair all over your body or just on your head – that [humans and animals] should have a relationship of mutuality and respect, not extraction.
“And that is how we treat so many animals – especially our food – as a product to extract from.
“That’s not equality, and I don’t think that’s fair.”
Convincing The Milk Drinkers
When it comes to convincing people to Switch4Good (see what I did there?) the strategies vary. What often gets people in the door is their own health. Say you want to cut dairy out and you start by drinking your coffee black. The idea of keeping yourself healthy is enough to check out Switch4Good and what they have to offer.
That, as Dotsie Basuch has pointed out, isn’t the “stickiest” of strategies. People give up on themselves for a variety of reasons.
If Dotsie Bausch and company want people to Switch4Good (look, I did it again!) they need to consider all strategies. One of the “stickiest,” according to market research, is the ethics side to this debate.
How Does Bessie Feel?
Imagine, just for a moment, that you’re a cow. You’re just trying to live your life, eating your cud, enjoying the sun, lying down when it’s about to rain. It’s kinda nice, no?
All is well when – suddenly – your perfectly nice day is interrupted by forcible impregnation.
Wait, what?!
You carry your calf to term, about nine months or so. Then you give birth (hopefully with the help of a ranchhand in the midst of their own coming-of-age story).
THEN, if forced impregnation wasn’t enough, you have your beautiful baby calf taken away from you.
Bruh.
Now, the milk you have produced to make your calf big and strong is now being harvested and extracted for some other entitled mammal to consume from a tiny paper carton in between math and gym.
Not only that, but sometimes it’s wasted through the nose of some snotty child, or mixed with chocolate like some kind of dessert! It’s even been used to ruin perfectly delicious coffee.
So, you’re forced to have a calf, it’s taken from you, and so is the milk you produce. All for the glorious pleasure of wealthy industry tycoons. Then, next year, it happens all over again.
Not so fun being the cow, is it?
Taking On Big Milk
Dotsie Bausch and Switch4Good have their work cut out for them. They’re fighting an uphill battle against industry, government, culture, and the stubborn.
“We’re still at the beginning. So quite honestly, I feel proud of the team that goes out every day – no matter how many doors are slammed in our face – because the door slams multiple times a day. It’s not like we’re getting water to children in sub-Saharan Africa. Everybody on planet Earth is like, ‘Yup, that’s a good idea!’ We are still seeding the idea that [consuming dairy] is not a good idea.
“We’re not doing something that’s popular. We’re doing something that’s straight up against the grain . . . eye-to-eye with the status quo. And it’s hard to get up every day with hope because it’s not wildly popular what we’re doing – nor do many people want to lean into it – it’s very hard to get attention and recognition.
“It’s the fierceness and the grit of the team to wake up every day and get creative and keep fighting.”
If anyone can get everyone in the world to Switch4Good (last time, I swear) it’s Dotsie Bausch and company.
Will you Switch4Good?
Omnichannel has become a recent buzzword online. That’s because the business landscape has shifted most of their marketing efforts into virtual communication. Advertisers are always looking for new ways to boost online connections with audiences while increasing sales. This is how “omnichannel” sprouted quickly and into every marketer’s arsenal. But what is omnichannel, and what are some omnichannel marketing platforms that do the job? Read on to find out.
What is Omnichannel Marketing?
The concept of omnichannel is simple. It aims to provide marketers a quick way to communicate with their customers and get as much engagement and conversion as possible from one go. Their objective is for customers to enjoy a seamless shopping experience on multiple brand channels, including online, mobile, or in-store. This means, marketers would have to show customers the same pricing and promotions across all brand channels.
However, it also goes beyond that. You have to ensure that customers can navigate through different channels with ease. This means customers can switch between your brand channels without any roadblocks. For instance, a customer can order from your online store and have the option to pick it up from your physical location. One way to increase sales is by offering customers additional items to boost order value.
Why is Omnichannel Marketing Important?
Omnichannel marketing is crucial these days since most people have shifted to online browsing and shopping. Moreover, if advertisers market on three or more channels, this could result in a 90 percent higher retention rate compared to using a single-channel campaign.
Additionally, omnichannel marketing also strengthens your brand messaging since campaigns are consistent across all platforms. But what are the primary reasons why advertisers focus on omnichannel marketing?
- Brands will get high customer retention
- Gains customer loyalty
- More personalization in the customer’s journey
- More integrated business
- Better customer insight
- Smooth and enjoyable customer experience
How Does Omnichannel Advertising Work?
An example of omnichannel marketing is when a sports retail store sends its prospects an email containing a recent promotion on its newly launched running shoes. The email content shows the link to the promotion. Once customers click this link, they are taken to the brand’s eCommerce website. Instructions also let them know they can get it from the brick-and-mortar store.
Another example is when a furniture store shows a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube about how its experts craft their pieces. Once viewers watch the video, they are welcomed with a link inviting them to join the brand’s email newsletter.
10 Omnichannel Marketing Platforms
Here are 10 best omnichannel marketing tools.
1. BigCommerce
This online and offline sales tool is for large-scale businesses looking to streamline their advertising strategies. BigCommerce unifies all marketing campaigns in an easy and convenient platform, including in-store, online, social media, and marketplaces. It can also handle large volumes of sales, traffic, and transactions, providing customers with a smooth experience.
2. NewStore
NewStore is the tool for all your POS and inventory management systems. It can manage orders, inventory, and customer data across the brand’s channels. It also comes with robust marketing tools that offer personalized engagement, such as push notifications, mobile apps, and location-based marketing.
3. Glassix
If you’re looking for the best omnichannel marketing platforms for communication, Glassix sits at the top of the list. It’s an AI-powered advertising tool that helps with email, SMS, live chat, messaging apps, and social media. Using Glassix means tracking all customer interactions and messages in one user-friendly interface is easy. It also lets you send targeted messages to your audiences based on their preferences and behaviors.
4. Desku
In addition to integrating all customer communications in one interface, Desku also helps with automation functions, such as chatbots, canned responses, ticketing systems, and more. Plus, it offers reporting tools and analytics to monitor progress.
5. Omnisend
Omnisend is the platform for all your SMS and email marketing campaigns. It’s best suited for eCommerce businesses and allows advertisers to create, monitor, and automate campaigns across all channels. It offers drag-and-drop features and is extremely easy to use.
6. Tidio
When searching for the best omnichannel communication platform, Tidio ranks high. It’s designed to facilitate customer interactions, manage inquiries, and offer real-time support.
7. Adobe Experience Cloud
You can’t succeed in omnichannel marketing without using a cloud-based service. And Adobe Experience Cloud ensures you get the right cloud-based solution for optimizing customer experiences. You can use this tool to build and manage customer journeys through AI-powered insights. You can also integrate this platform with other Adobe tools like Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Target, Adobe Campaign, Adobe Analytics, and more.
8. Revealbot
If you’re spending time on paid ads, Revealbot will help you manage them in one user-friendly interface. It’s a marketing tool that helps optimize digital advertising campaigns on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google Ads. You can use this tool to set automation features, campaign budgets, and custom ad rules.
9. Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus if one of the best omnichannel marketing platforms for eCommerce businesses. It helps create a streamlined customer shopping experience. From workflows and checkouts to customer segmentation and targeted marketing campaigns, this is a reliable tool to use.
10. Oracle CX Commerce
Oracle CX Commerce is the best solution for B2B and B2C businesses. It’s a cloud-based eCommerce platform that helps provide personalized experiences. It also offers advanced features that simplify segmentation, customized content, targeted promotions, and customer engagement.
If you frequent the outdoors, you know how important protecting your playground is. When you’re close to nature, you must always prioritize eco-consciousness. While you practice sustainable habits, supporting brands prioritizing sustainability becomes a top priority. If you’re always planning an outdoor adventure and need the gear, here are the top 10 sustainable outdoor gear brands you must check out.
1. Patagonia
Over the years, Patagonia has lined up its corporate social responsibilities, mainly focusing on labor and the environment. They have robust social responsibility programs that ensure workers and communities are cared for. Patagonia claims that 85 percent of its products are made in factories with Fair Trade Certified certifications. The brand also helped over 85,000 workers by participating in Fair Trade programs. The brand also helped more than 2,000 farmers from its Regenerative Organic Certified cotton program.
2. Osprey
Osprey, a brand that creates robust backpacks for travel and outdoors, is also committed to sustainability. The company is a trusted bluesign SYSTEM partner, which helps eliminate PFAS-based DWR in 100 percent of its textile products. On top of its promise of eco-friendly materials, the standard for its backpacks is unparalleled, offering durability, functionality, and repairability. These products undergo field testing and athlete evaluations to ensure it’s a pack that runs a lifetime.
3. Hydro Flask
Plastic bottles comprise one of the highest numbers of ocean pollutants. Hydro Flask is committed to minimizing this by introducing excellent insulated water bottles that last a lifetime! I bought one five years ago, and the insulation functionality still works like the very first day I got it. The brand boasts its recycled-content bottle, the Slingback Bottle Pack, with a 100 percent recycled polyester body. It also eliminated single-use plastic for its packaging, specifically for 90 percent of its products. Hydro Flask uses soy-based inks and no foils and varnishes for their products too!
4. Black Diamond
Black Diamond is among the top brands for the best outdoor gear, specifically reliable and durable helmets. The company’s ethos is based on the team’s outdoor pursuits. First, the company’s 12,000-square-foot headquarters is energy-efficient, with a 2,200-watt solar photovoltaic system that generates about 3,000 kWh of electricity per year. Black Diamond also advocates for sustainable outdoor and recreation practices and is a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association’s Climate Action Corps.
5. Sierra Designs
Sierra Designs is also one of the best sustainable outdoor gear brands you can rely on. They aim to create products that have as minimal impact as possible on Mother Nature. The brand boasts the DriDown product, which ensures that feathers come from animals that weren’t subjected to any harm. The brand also uses neglected recycled materials for its fabric’s exteriors and insulation for apparel and sleeping bags. A lifetime warranty also backs all Sierra Designs products.
6. Hyperlite
Hyperlite is your go-to outdoor gear brand if you’re into climbing, hiking, or rock climbing. The company is committed to sustainability for as long as the brand is still in operation. They created the Hyperlite Mountain Gear ethos, essentialism, which differs from minimalism. The brand believes that an intentional and thoughtful approach to assembling its backpacks ensures its products are safe, comfortable, warm, and efficient. Hyperlite is a proud partner of Dyneema, a bio-based fiber company, and promises to use this fiber in all its outdoor gear products.
7. MSR
For all your climbing equipment, don’t miss out on MSR products. The founder, a lifelong mountaineer, believed that a safe and reliable equipment is key to greater adventures. Today, the brand is proud to hand-build many MSR products. The brand is also another founding members of the Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group. It’s a collaboration of over 300 outdoor brands, manufacturers, and suppliers that focus on sustainability challenges and solutions.
8. Sunski
When you’re enjoying outdoor adventures, make sure you enjoy it in style with Sunski sustainable glasses. Sunski is a fantastic eyewear manufacturer in America that uses plastic scraps to turn into frames! A unique sunglass niche in the industry. The sunglasses are flexible, lightweight, and extremely durable. All Sunski customers will also get a lifetime warranty for their glasses. And if they break? Repair or replacement is free!
9. Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi backpacks, travel packs, hip packs, and duffels are colorful and vibrant and made with eco-friendly materials. They embarked on the The (Re)Purpose™ Collection program, which uses recycled deadstock or leftover fabric from other fashion brands. They also offer a lifetime guarantee on repairs or replacements. As members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, they support Amazon’s reforestation. Cotopaxi believes that doing good will create a ripple effect, so they reward customers who #DoGood!
10. Goal Zero
Here’s another eco-friendly outdoor gear brand for all your needs and more. To offer you the best outdoor camping experience, Goal Zero even sells power essentials, such as inverter generators, handheld portable power devices, solar panels, and battery banks. The company also aims to practice eco-conscious manufacturing methods by ensuring all 10+ factories in nine countries adhere to environmental and human rights standards. Its top sustainable camping gear is the Yeti Portable Power Station, with a four over five rating!
Eco-consciousness and health and fitness must be the perfect tandem. If you prioritize your health and fitness, the same care should also concentrate on sustainability. While you’re focused on your fitness goals, the process shouldn’t be as destructive to the environment. Just like you want to nourish your body with the good stuff, you also want to protect Mother Nature like it’s your own body. After all, the outdoors offers so much to benefit your health in the long run. Hiking, camping, rock climbing, surfing, swimming, to name a few. That said, protecting your playground as much as possible is only fitting. And that starts with choosing the most sustainable activewear brands. Here are the top 10 sustainable brands for fun and play.
1. Iron Roots
While some activewear brands claim 80 percent sustainability, Iron Roots embarks on 100 percent sustainable products and processes. It’s plastic-free all-organic athletic apparel that will not only make you feel good but also make you feel better about wearing Mother Nature-friendly apparel. Founded in 2018 by Dutch friends, the founders combined functionality, design, and sustainability in beautiful sportswear. They were both fed up with how the market manufactures most apparel from unsustainable materials. The brand uses non-plastic materials and unique plastic-based apparel like polyester. It’s a breathable and comfortable activewear that will help you achieve your fitness goals!
2. Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective is a Seattle-based brand making waves in the sustainable activewear niche in 2024. They are famous for their sports bras, trendy gym tops, leggings, and more! But the best part is the teams behind this brand are tree huggers, prioritizing recycled materials for their apparel. From fabric scraps to water bottles and fishing nets, you know you’re working out and helping the brand’s mission. The brand also uses eco-friendly dyes to color its clothes while managing wastewater responsibly. They created the ReGirlfriend program to prevent textiles from being in landfills!
3. Patagonia
Every outdoorsperson has heard of the famous brand Patagonia. The company has set a gold standard for sustainable apparel and manufacturing. Recently, the popular activewear brand has revamped its ownership structure to ensure it allocates a budget for environmental initiatives. The brand not only outsources sustainable materials and works with eco-conscious factories, but it is also transparent about it.
4. Groceries Apparel
Groceries Apparel is another sustainable activewear brand that focuses on upcycled food waste without needing third-party people or factories. They manufacture their activewear themselves through non-toxic and locally sourced materials. Who would’ve thought another person’s food waste could be a gym rat’s workout clothes? They manufacture all their products in their Los Angeles factory, making them a 100 percent self-sufficient brand!
5. Move by Mate
Move by Mate knows that conventional cotton, a material used by most apparel brands, is detrimental to the environment due to its pesticide use, heavy farming, and excessive water consumption. Move by Mate is also one of the sustainable activewear brands that uses organic cotton instead of traditional cotton, keeping the soil healthy. They claim that organic soil is also more breathable.
6. Wolven
If leggings are your workout go-to, then you must check out Wolven. It’s a brand that produces recycled sexy leggings for your exercise routines. Wolven is also deemed Lululemon’s competitor due to its elegant designs in multiple muted colors. Wolven leggings are made of 84 percent recycled PET or plastic bottles. The brand’s recycled materials are also Global Recycled Standard-certified. When you buy Wolven leggings, you’re guaranteed they are free of uncomfortable, harmful chemicals.
7. Reformation
You can be sure this brand is one of the most mainstream activewear brands that doesn’t take eco-consciousness lightly. Reformation boasts multiple eco-friendly initiatives, and they will not stop anytime soon. For one, they have a RefRecycling program, encouraging customers to drop off their used Reformation products in exchange for store credits. Moreover, Reformation also partners with many eco-conscious organizations like Bluesign. They also have a FactoryForward to ensure their suppliers become the best at what they do.
8. Gngr Bees
Founded in 2019, the owner, Natalia Grisard, was inspired to create Gngr Bees by her love for wildlife. She claims this brand is “driven by purpose and not by profit.” The brand’s apparel is made from discarded products. The company has reclaimed over 45,000 plastic bottles and over 4,000 kilograms of fishing nets. Gngr Bees also partners with Azizi Life and Beach Collective to plant mangroves and recycle ocean-bound plastic.
9. The North Face
The North Face has a long history of embracing eco-friendly products, initiatives, and commitments ever since. They are committed to prioritizing nature through science-based and actionable goal-setting. The North Face ensures all their materials are 100 percent recyclable and responsibly sourced. They created the North Face Renewed program that focuses on circularity by giving used gear a second life. This way, they are given a chance before users toss them into a landfill.
10. Tentree
Tentree is a Vancouver-based brand that believes in the power of tree planting. Its name is embedded in its company vision to plant ten trees in exchange for every item purchased. The company centers its practices on environmentally friendly ways, which they call the “earth-first approach.” This focuses on safe and fair working conditions for all employees and prioritizes sustainable and recycled materials for their products. Some of these materials are Tencel lyocell, Repreve polyester, and more. They created the Climate+ Initiative, which lets customers prevent carbon emissions by buying a pack of trees.
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