Photo from the Cafeteria Culture Blog

“Last year, I participated in the prerequisite class for Intern/Mentor, Independent Research, and researched the effects of Styrofoam on the environment and am currently still working to rid my school system of the Styrofoam lunch trays.  I have decided this year to study green marketing and how marketers reach the maximum number of consumers. I want to know how companies make their advertising and marketing greener and how these changes affect their clients.”

1. What do you find are the key factors to a successful green marketing campaign?

Too many companies are jumping on the green marketing bandwagon and not doing a particularly good job at telling their stories about sustainability. They forget the first five rules of marketing anything – green or not – from the consumer perspective:

1. Do I want and need it?
2. Does it work exceptionally well?
3. Do I get a ton of value for the price?
4. Is it convenient to buy and easy to use?
5. Is it good for my family?

Only then do the majority of consumers care about: Is it good for the planet?

Most green marketers still don’t get it, and that’s why “greenwashing,” even though most of it is inadvertent, has become such a nasty nemesis to the credibility of promoting sustainability.

Thank you, Audrey, for including me in your research for your important project of ridding your school district of styrofoam trays. It is gratifying to see young stewards like yourself know that they can make a real difference in this world. Keep up the great work.

Is it because Goodwill’s workforce development programs are a great cause, and they know that the sale of their used items will help put people back to work? Or perhaps it’s because they know their used clothing and household items will help families that are less fortunate, especially in this rough economy? Or by donating to Goodwill do they feel they are doing their part to keep their items out of landfills?

Although altruism is an important motivator, the proximity of stores and ease of dropping off donations drop are the top reasons people donate. In short, it’s all about convenience.

Click on the image to hear the bag.

Another great example is Frito-Lay. They created a marvel, one of the first compostable consumer packaged goods bags for their Sun Chips. Did consumers embrace this remarkable innovation? No, they repelled from the noise it made. Forget what it does for the planet. The loud rustling of the bag, the first brand touch point for consumers, was just too obnoxious for most Sun Chips fans.

This unexpected sensory experience was, in its own way, too inconvenient for consumers and they stopped buying the product.

Forget about the deliciousness of the chip, it being a healthier alternative to other snack items, the renewable energy used to create it, and it’s overall “Greenness.” The sound the bag made trumped all of those brand benefits in consumers’ minds, or ears. Frito-Lay had to pull the compostable bags to, ironically, insure the sustainability of their product.

They have recently launched a new, quieter compostable bag.

Where have you seen consumer convenience trump all other aspects of a green product or service?

If you can shop from home on the internet and help the planet, why go to a store?

Is environmental responsibility beginning to trump convenience, product selection and price as a reason to shop online?

Shop.org recently published a survey that said 35% of respondents believed that online shopping is better for the environment than store shopping. Wait, it gets even better for online stores. 60% of those who believe they are being greener by shopping online plan to shop more often on the web versus traveling to a store.

Other notable stats from the emarketer.com article include:

1. The Green E-Commerce: Gaining Momentum report traces the many ways the Internet is spurring eco-consumerism and how brand marketers are responding.
   
2. The recession has surprisingly little effect on buying green. Eight out of 10 respondents in a Cone survey said they planned to spend at least as much on green products today as they did in the past.
3. Manufacturers more than doubled the number of eco-friendly product launches in 2008 compared with ’07, according to Datamonitor.

So, I put the “Green Online Shopping” mentality to the test and asked our staff why and where they shop online.

Tarah Eland, Production Manager: My favorite online store. . .Etsy is an absolutely lovely site ). They sell everything hand made. I would think it’s green! I don’t have to use gas to get myself to the store and there are more green products at your fingertips that aren’t available in stores nearby.

Kim Hodge, Film & Video Manager: My favorite on line shopping store is a UK based department store called John Lewis www.johnlewis.co.uk they offer everything from furniture to baby gifts to glorious handbags.  They provide free standard shipping within the UK right up to Christmas, so even relatively last minute gifts to my family are easy to choose and delivered on time to get under the tree for Christmas Day.   It saves me a bundle on international shipping, and time in line at the post office.  Green?  You bet I think it’s greener.

Jon Hrach Web Designer: Great topic. I assume it uses less resources to shop online since you don’t have to physically drive yourself to the store, but the product still has to be delivered to your house, so I’m not sure. bhphotovideo.com: good prices and used equipment. Interesting note: B&H is a Jewish business, and doesn’t do business on Saturdays. Their online store is actually closed on the Sabbath. Newegg.com: Good prices on computer hardware. I guess most of my online shopping is motivated by price.

Leslie Quinn, Bookkeeper: My daughter is a ballet dancer and goes through about 2 pair of pointe shoes a month…  We purchase through discountdancesupply.com who sells them for approx $15-$20 less than any of the dance stores (although still quite expensive at $55/shoe)  here in the Valley.  They usually ship within a few days and she can expect them at our door within the week.  It’s been a beautiful thing, and a savings of both time and money!!!

Tiffany Franquemont, Account Intern from Univeristy of Missouri: My favorite online store is Forever21.com.  Shipping is free after spending $75 or more and it’s quick. After I buy clothes from the website, my clothes are at the front door within days. I think that buying online is the green thing to do because it is a gasoline saver. With the gasoline prices rising, shopping online not only saves consumers money, it reduces fuel burning.

Parker Howell, Video Intern from Chapman University: Threadless.com. Though, oddly enough, I’ve never bought anything from there. Does that count? I like the community, both looking at others’ designs and showing off my own.

Josh Feig, Interactive Writer: I really dig iTunes. I think it’s still the best, most usable online store there is.

Got a favorite site where you shop? Do you think online shopping is the green thing to do? Let us know below.

Say hello to a self-described “Miserable Green Git,” Rob Manuel (Yes, he’s about to eat his cat). Check out his offbeat video from the terrifically creative site: DoTheGreenThing.com.

BTW, I had to turn to Kim Hodge, our film & video manager who hails from the U.K., to translated “Git” for me.  A git, roughly speaking, is an opinionated, old man who is a bit angry about something: In this case, the “We can all save the world” kumbaya of greenies.

The Goode Family is created by Mike Judge, the brains behind Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill.  The show takes an arguably hilarious shot at about every green, sustainability and politically correct social norm out there.

The Goode Family premise from their Wikipedia page:

The Goodes are an obsessively “green” family who live an overly politically correct lifestyle. They have solar panels on their house, harvest rainwater for use in an outdoor shower and plant-watering, garden in their front yard, drive a hybrid car, recycle, reuse shopping bags, etc. They are also vegans. The family lives by the motto “What Would Al Gore Do?”, a spin on the Evangelical Christian motto “What Would Jesus Do?“.

You can catch it starting this Friday, June 12, at 8:30 pm on ABC.

Once you watch it, overlay the sarcasm over your own green initiatives and see how you stack up.

Does this show make you want to run for eco cover, or do you think it’s actually good for environmentalism?

After years, (make that decades), of the same old expected utility advertising, Arizona power company, APS, has scored big time with its Sunspower campaign. They did it by drafting Steve Nash to promote their solar energy programs. Now all though the NBA is kind of going through the motions with its “Green Campaign,” APS did a smart thing: They capitalized on a hugely popular local sports star, and probably the NBA’s best green ambassador, and leveraged his cache for their renewable energy push.

BTW, did you know that Nash plays every game in a custom shoe made by Nike called “Trash Talk”. The shoe itself is made from 100% manufacturing waste produced from Nike’s normal shoe production line. In addition, Nash drives a hybrid vehicle and has installed solar panels into his own home. He also has a pretty happening website.

Tip of the sweat band to APS for finally using a run and gun offense to make green fun, solar relevant, and its big, and sometimes awkward, utility a little more human. You can see the other four spots here.

Introducing the first “21st century” green pizza box that’s eco-friendly (patent #7051919). With innovation like this, perhaps the guys at Eco Incorporated should take over GM.  Here’s 10 marketing ideas on how some “eco-conscious” companies might leverage the ingenuity behind the green pizza box for their sustainability campaigns.

1. United Auto Workers could co-brand boxes with Sharpie to offer laid off Chrysler employees convenient “Will Work for Food” signs.
2. Gatorade could sponsor “Whats for Snack?” promotion at little league baseball games and re-purpose the pizza plates for  eco-friendly bases.
3. Wells Fargo’s student loan department might up-cycle sections of the green box as mortar boards for high school slackers whose graduation gowns didn’t get ordered because nobody thought they’d actually graduate.
4. Martha Stewart Living can demonstrate how to create wicked Origami potholders.
5. Hush Puppies could re-use little storage containers as “Blue collar” shoe trees.
6. Band-Aid could add their logo on recycled box parts for LARPing armor and shields.
7. Greasy pizza box  plates could be branded and re-purposed by Blizzard as speedier mouse pads for WoW.
8. Nike could outfit inner city soccer kids with shin guards.
9. The Clean-Burning Coal Industry can include instructions on how to create simple cardboard blinders with the use of a coat hanger.
10. Eddie Bauer, employing plastic bag wire-ties,  could market a new line of “His & Hers” sustainable urban flip flops for after-dinner stroll.

In every half-baked “eco-friendly” product is a whole menu of green things you can do to make our planet happy. What can you do with the big green box?

Download Your FREE Daily Water Conservation Tip Widget

In celebration of Earth Day, the Water – Use It Wisely conservation campaign has launched it’s FREE water-saving tip widget. Load it on your site or blog and every day you you and your followers will receive a new water-saving tip (there are more than 100). You can see how it works at the bottom of my blog. Click on it, and you will link to WaterUseItWisely.com, which offers a clearing house for ways to save water. You can also receive a daily water-saving tip by following the campaign on Twitter @WUIW.

Also, check out the outdoor water use campaign that was just lanched in Arizona using legendary animators from Disney by clicking here.

Mother Nature Could Care Less…

…whether you’re Republican, Democratic, Green Party or Independent: Partisanship aside, the globe warms us all equally. Personally become more sustainable and worry about the party later.

…whether you’re a man or woman: C02 does not discriminate. Pay attention to your carbon footprint and learn how you can reduce it.

…whether you’re rich or poor, or somewhere in between: Maybe you can’t afford a hybrid car or solar for your home, but you certainly can’t afford to ignore the FREE and easy things you can do to help save the planet and your money; like turning down your thermostat, recycling, and re-purposing stuff.

…whether you’re young or old: Our lungs all work the same,  and most of them are extremely efficient at sucking in air pollution.  The clear solution is to simply drive less.

…whether you’re good looking or ugly: No one is immune to free radicals from environmental toxins that ravage our bodies. Detoxify your home with natural cleaners.

…whether you’re bright or dim: Switch to CFL light bulbs.

…whether you’re an environmentalist or redneck: When a species becomes extinct, we all lose. Support smart land management and care for the outdoors like it’s your indoors.

…whether you’re a shopaholic or miser: Non-sustainable products produced by carbon belching factories cost consumers much more than money, so vote with your wallet and buy green.

…whether or not you’re thirsty: When we run out of clean drinking water, we run out. So please use our water wisely, and you’ll conserve some cash while you’re at it.

…whether or not you’ve got a green thumb: Everyone pays the same market and environmental price for our produce. Plant an organic garden – weeds and all – and save money, the planet, and some sanity.

…whether you’re a titan of industry or child laborer: Inequality in the workplace threatens to dismantle the world economy. Ask for and buy fair trade when you can.

…whether you’re hungry or full: When we carelessly strip our lands of natural resources to feed our collective consumption, the table becomes bare for all.

…whether you’re an extrovert or a wallflower: The subtleties of our environment our immensely more powerful than the extremes or our beliefs. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

…whether you’re a believer or an atheist: When it’s all said and done, we all compost equally – Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

So today, celebrate Earth Day.  Download this calendar of the 26 things you can do in less than five minutes each day to save the world. It won’t cost you a dime. You can use it during any month. You’ll probably save the planet, and a thousand bucks.

1. Fly-on-the-Wall: By searching appropriate keywords on Twitter, (“green advertising”, sustainability, “environmental marketing”) and then following the conversations, I can better understand the thinking and trends in the industry. I also capture quick links to relevant websites and articles, and learn what like-minded eco-conscious Tweeple are looking for. This way I know how and, more importantly, IF I can help. Plus, it helps me define the green community I want to engage.
2. Cheerleader: Blogging gives me the forum to applaud the best green marketing practices, (Like the Kohler toilet promotion) at least as I see them, and share those insights. GreenRaising.com is another good example.
3. Encourager: Social media gives me the voice to invite great companies to do better with their green initiatives, like Telluride Ski Resort’s modest participation in SkiGreen.
4. Boo-Hisser: I can also call out those greenwashers of the world: The “Clean Burning Coal” industry comes to mind, or StopNestleWater.org.
5. Advocate: Social media allows us to also become advocates for those in bureaucracies. Large government organizations often have important conversations they need to have with their constituents but can’t use social media due to policy. Water conservation is a good example, where towns and cities partnering in the Water – Use It Wisely campaign can’t always engage in social media. So the campaign’s website, that we manage, does it for them.
6. Utility Infielder: SM isn’t only about commentary. Being a resource for identifying and sharing cool websites like Coke’s LivePositively.com, linking to great causes like Brighter Planet and featuring their badge on my blog (look to the right), or offering useful downloads like the Earth Hour to Earth Day calendar for the easy things you can do in five minutes or less to save the planet.
7. Pollster: Where else can you administer a FREE poll and get solid, relevant information from around the world? (Take a second and vote on your favorite green website.)
8. Organizer: With free programs like TinyChat.com, you can easily gather your world and host a conversation on the green and sustainable topic of your choosing, inviting in experts, followers, clients and interested parties.
9. Connector: Sean Daily of GreenLivingIdeas.com uses social media to connect eco-conscious writers and help them promote their work through podcasts and social networks. Sam Davidson of CoolPeopleCare.org connects with their followers daily with simple things you can do in five minutes or less to save the world. I use it to connect folks like these with you.
10. Educator: Webinars are your digital pulpit to help educate and train participants about your work in sustainability. Once produced, your presentation can be re-purposed through a blog, as a free eBook, and with slideshare, to name a few. I have recently posted my webinar, “How to Reduce your Carbon & Hype Footprints” which was part of the iGreen Virtual Conference.
11. Enabler: Barack Obama’s campaign demonstrated that social media is one of the greatest enabling tools of all time. Take a page from his playbook and build community around your environmental mission, green cause, eco-conscious rants, or global warming march. You don’t even need a worldclass strategist and/or web designer.  You can start on Ning.
12. Individual: Is mass media dead? Probably not. But more now than ever the individual consumer is in control. As David Ogilvy once said, “Word-of-mouth marketing is THE most powerful form of advertising.” As a marketer of sustainable, green, and eco-conscious people, products and/or programs, consider yourself blessed to have such a powerful, far-reaching and empowering medium at your finger trips…for free.  There’s something or someone bigger than us all out there, and he/she may have endowed us all with social media as THE tool that saves this planet.

What’s your 13?

If you would like to follow the tweet string from the Wisconsin MBAs, search #bizpitch. Thank you Melissa for this terrific opportunity to work with your students.

Cheers!