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Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

Lessons Learned in Communicating Green

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Tips on positive green messaging

This year we’ve seen dozens of brands and products join the green movement. Some have launched their new products and commitments to the eco-lifestyle with great success, while others learned some hard lessons about marketing green and how to appropriately communicate their eco-messaging.

We’ve looked back over the year and pulled together this list of tips and observances on effectively marketing green:

  1. Choose the right language – If you’ve created a product that has one sustainable/green/eco element, make sure you communicate that aspect in an appropriate way. Don’t jump right in and say you’ve got the green living solution if you don’t.
  2. Maintain Momentum – If you’ve decided to practice more environmentally-minded business or create a product that fits in one of the many green categories, don’t stop with that one initiative. Continue to take smaller steps towards eco-operation. If you take one step and cause a lot of conversation or attention to be drawn to that one phase, consumers will want to know what’s next. Take a series of small steps to keep their faith.
  3. Provide Background – Consumers are learning more and more about what makes a product sustainable or green, and they want to know that about your product or brand too. So, instead of just creating a product with messaging that states the simple point that your product is green, tell consumers why – they want the details.
  4. Unveil Behind the Scenes – Shoppers across the nation are learning how to live more eco-minded every day from each other and leading sources. They are sharing tips, lessons, successes and failures of the process. To better relate to consumers share the ups and downs of your brand’s greening process. Let them know that you’re in the same boat and this is new for you too.

For more tips on how to have a successful entrance into the green world, check out this site. If you’re looking for a source that can give you more information on how green a product really is, check out the Greenwashing Index.

With eco-friendly products and brands becoming more commonplace in today’s market, consumers are more educated on what it means to be “green” or “sustainable.” This makes it even more important to ensure you’ve got the most accurate messaging possible.

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Communicating Green Messaging

Thursday, October 1st, 2009


What’s worked in green marketing and a peak at what the message sounds like in the future

When the green trend first hit and brands were scrambling to jump on the bandwagon the term “greenwashing” was quickly coined. Government, organizations, consumers and even big brands realized standards were needed for the sustainable landscape.

Thus the lines separating the varying levels of green products started to become more defined. We started appraising a product’s green value based on many categories like packaging, chemical makeup, performance and manufacturing process – and new language was introduced. Terms like responsible, eco-friendly, sustainable, renewable energy and post-consumer became a major part of marketing vocabulary.

So here’s a quick list of what we’ve learned watching the evolution of green messaging so far and what can we tell about where it’s going moving forward.

Green

  • Make green the second message – Eco appeal is not enough to sell a product. Lead with messaging that communicates the effectiveness and high performance of the product; make the green the bonus feature.
  • Show the good and the bad – Homeowners are learning just how complicated it is to adopt a more responsible lifestyle. Just as it’s becoming more acceptable for consumers to take small steps towards living green it’s okay for big brands to do that too. You’re not turning green overnight, and we don’t expect you to. So be honest about your goals and share the highs and lows of working towards them. This list rates companies on green by considering the pros and the cons of their work.
  • Share the details – Made from recycled products? Don’t stop there – tell us which recycled products. Tell consumers why and how your brand or product is a good choice. There is so much competition in this space that brands need to share their unique practices and efforts in more precise and detailed language.
  • Think outside the box and beyond the shelf – The details of your production process may not be so obvious to the naked eye looking at your product on the store shelf, but these days consumers do their research and have an educated and trained eye when shopping for responsible products. It’s no longer a must for items to be made from recycled or renewable resources. Share the changes made in your production or shipping process and your product will be considered responsible in the minds of the shopper.


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Weekly Intel: News You May Have Missed

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Weekly Intel

Take a look at the links below to see what news and trends you may have missed this week.

Greening your backyard

Taking best green home practices to the college dorms


Eco-Friendly Home and Luxury go hand in hand


Danny Seo’s top three home appliances

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The Importance of Water Conservation

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Exploring the Products and Brands That Are Making It Easier for Consumers to Save Water

Practicing energy efficiency is one of the more popular ways that homeowners are diving into the green living landscape, and though conserving water is equally important and easy to do it’s often overlooked.

When it comes to water conservation, the key is to stop wasting.  In their May issue’s “At Home in the Zone” feature, Dwell points out to readers that there is a big difference between the amount of water we actually need to accomplish every day tasks and the amount of water we are using to do those tasks. 

The reduce, reuse and recycle principles all apply to our water supply, making conserving it one of the easiest ways to go green.  Here are some products that are currently available to help homeowners cut down on their water use and waste:

  • Low flow shower heads: This review of low flow shower heads outlines multiple options with different features that  cater to everything consumers could possibly look for in a shower head, including modern design, perfect water pressure or a no-frills green performance. 
  • Rain collection barrels - With a seemingly endless amount of natural sources of water, it has become harder for society to understand the importance of conserving it. Rain collection barrels help homeowners tap into and use those natural sources in an eco-friendly way.
    Photo Courtesy of thrifyliving.net

    Photo Courtesy of thrifyliving.net

  • Efficient toilets - Dual flush and high efficiency toilets allow homeowners to flush with a clear conscience, knowing that only the water needed for a successful flush is used every time.

Here are two angles to consider when it comes to marketing products that allow homeowners to better conserve water:

  • Cause-message - Join the Fight - With their Save Water America campaign and the launch of a Water Saving Contest, Kohler educated and inspired their audience with the right statistics and info and then empowered them by presenting their products as the solution to the problem.
  • Value- message - Save Money - Waterpik, producers of low flow showerheads, lead their communications efforts with the value message.  Sharing with consumers the environmental and economical benefits of water conservation, their website even provides this simple tool for homeowners to calculate how much money they will be saving with the use of their product.

Features like Dwell’s and charts like this one are real eye openers for homeowners and consumers - just like the rest of the green movement, the key is to share the right information with your consumers and provide a product that will help them take that first small step towards living a greener lifestyle.  

Note: See Kohler’s Save Water America video below. 

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Green Is the New Modern

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

Trends in Interior Design

storelocator_landing

Complements of Home Depot, NYC

Though we have all celebrated that the sustainability movement is established as more then just a passing fad, when it comes to interior design the trendiest products are green.

Below are a few ways that homeowners and designers are looking to incorporate green design:

  • Alternative Materials – Stylish design elements made from recycled materials, like wallpaper made from 100% post-consumer paper, is a key criteria in green design.
  • Fabrics and texture – Natural and earthy tones and fabrics are most popular.  Trends point towards bamboo shades, woven rugs and organic cotton throws.
  • Prints and graphic design – Simple and clean yet bold prints are most popular when it comes to wallpaper and fabric selection.  Designers look to incorporate prints with a natural yet modern feel.

Accessibility and ease are key messages when marketing green interior design products.  Shoppers are looking for products that offer a quick transformation with big green value and style.

Where do they find these products?  Here’s two effective ways to enter the “greentailing” space:

  • Specialty stores - Can your product be found on the shelves of green supply stores like Green Depot?  These are the places where passionate green designers will look for their next purchase.
  • Enter the green blog community – The green blog community is on the cutting edge of green design.  Homeowners and designers search the green blog circuit for fresh ideas and to find the next hot products.

Homeowners are beginning to understand that style does not have to be sacrificed when it comes to being eco-friendly.  Capitalize on their increasing willingness to adopt green products by leading with messaging that highlights performance and clearly states where to find product.


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Crafting a Green Message that Resonates

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Take a cue from the cleaning product isle.

As an inexpensive and easy step towards going green, homeowners are replacing harmful cleaning products with eco-friendly alternatives. We took a look at the top green cleaning solutions and surveyed consumers to find what tactics and key messages work best.

Clorox Green Works and Nature’s Source (SC Johnson): Proven Reliability.
Both lines come from brands that consumers know and trust.  With names featuring clear green verbiage and a clean packaging design, these two are on top because they send the message of dependability and quality performance.
bottles-1

Seventh Generation: A call to action.
With the name “Seventh Generation” and a website based on taking eco-action, the brand appeals to those looking to accept environmental responsibility.  (Not to mention the honest mission statement and simple package design scream affordability.)

Method: Eco-Friendly in style.
With packaging focused more on style and less on green, Method uses word of mouth tactics to share its eco message.  The brand turns website visitors into product ambassadors by providing the option to “Meet People Against Dirty” and join the Method community.

Whether its quality performance, green in style or eco-advocacy, the key is to pick a single message and stick to it when marketing environmentally friendly products.

Now it’s your turn. What green messaging resonates with you?
Take our quick survey and we’ll post the findings next week

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