Green agencies is our new thing. If your workplace isn’t so friendly to the movement, here’s something to suggest to your HR team. In New York, we have something called TransitChek. Michael Ruby, Senior Copywriter at Stein Rogan + Partners, wrote us an email highlighting how this service helps Mama Earth:
“The way it works is that staffers are allowed to set aside a portion of their pre-tax salary for commuting each month (like a 401k). These pre-tax funds can then be used to pay for mass transit, vanpooling/carpooling and commuter parking costs. All in, employees can save up to $1300 or more a year. Plus, by encouraging more employees to commute, commuter benefits help keep cars off the road – helping to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and greenhouse gases.”
Advertisement
Now, TransitChek and TransitCenter is a client of Stein’s, but that doesn’t matter. We thought everyone used TransitChek already until we asked some folks over IM if their agencies participated. Sadly, it was 50/50. This is such a simple way for your firm to save you some cash, while providing an incentive for folks to forget the cab for a subway ride.
We didn’t know much about Stein Rogan + Partners either. Turns out it’s a full-service, integrated agency with a heavy B2B practice, as well as a few consumer brands. More interesting is that their President, Tom Stein, is a bass player in the rock band, Cheaper Than Bowling, which was the winner of two ad agency Battle of the Bands. Don’t you love these details? Everyone gets a little more human when you know they’re rocking out in some guy’s basement to a cover of like, Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run.
[image source]