Posts Tagged ‘green living’

Vote for the Top Sustainable CEOs

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

At Home Intel one message we’re always trying to communicate is buy green beyond the product. There are a number of companies with environmentally friendly operating practices and initiatives, and by supporting them you’re reaffirming the “green” lifestyle.

With more companies and corporate bodies adopting green and sustainable practices TriplePundit is calling on its readers to vote and help them identify the “Top Sustainable CEOs.”

TriplePundit readers nominated CEOs for the running, and TriplePundit has narrowed it down to a list of 37 names from a range of companies. Among the list are CEOs from the home and building category including Lee Scott, (former CEO) Walmart, Whole Foods, Steve Roell, Johnson Controls, Ray Anderson (Former CEO), Interface Carpet (client) and Brian Walker, Herman Miller.

Cast your vote on TriplePundit.com.

Tags: green CEOs, Green design, green living, green organizations, sustainability officers, Triple Pundit
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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:

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.
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.
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.
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.

Tags: eco-friendly, eco-minded, green living, greenwashing, Greenwashing index, marketing green, sustainable
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Urban Living: Here to Stay?

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

As reported in Architectural Record, foreclosures and weak home sales are just two effects that the recession is having on the home/real estate industry. Although we may hear about home sales and foreclosure rates most frequently in the news, there are other forces at play that should not be overlooked.

For instance, there is the fact that rural areas of the country are suffering more than urban areas as people continue to downsize from their multi-acre plots of land and 3,000 sq. ft. homes to more compact living quarters closer to the city.

According to Architectural Record, the Woodstock Institute reported that the Cook County suburbs just outside of Chicago saw almost twice the rate of new foreclosure filings as the city proper in the first quarter of 2009.

So what is really behind this shift? While the recession is obviously the driver that is forcing people to make a move, there must be other reasons why urban living is growing in popularity among once suburban residents. Additionally, the trend begs the question as to whether the current mindset is here to stay or if people will go back to “sprawl” when the economy improves.

From our perspective, the trend in urban migration is here to stay for a number of reasons, including:

More and more people are looking for ways to live greener lives, so it only makes sense for more Americans to downsize to smaller homes that are closer to their jobs, use less energy to heat/cool and steps away from mass transportation
Baby Boomers are reaching the age where they are looking for smaller homes that require less maintenance compared to homes with acres of land that demand constant up-keep
Younger Americans are spending more time getting advanced degrees and enjoying their “young professional status” while also waiting to settle down. That said, city living for the 20-30-somethings is very appealing and something that this group is not rushing to escape

Photo Courtesy of Washingtonian.com

We would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to send us a quick email about the trend in urban migration and if you think its here to stay.

Tags: Architectural Record, baby boomers, city living, energy costs, green living, living quarters, Real Estate, real estate trends
Posted in Real Estate | 2 Comments »

New Must-Haves for the Farmer’s Market Lover

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Attendance and interest in local Farmers’ Markets is growing across the country. Today’s shoppers are more interested in healthy living options and are looking for venues with homegrown fruits and vegetables, among other food products.

We’ve noticed that retailers and product marketers are reacting to this trend in new ways. In fact a number of retailers are offering products to make shopping, storing and organizing products form Farmers’ Markets easier.

Here’s a look at five of our favorites:

Green Tree Tote Bag – This is a great canvas tote bag to bring to your local market. Big enough to fit lots of goodies, while still being an attractive bag you’re proud to carry.
Fresh From The Farmers’ Market Cook Book – This book highlights some fantastic recipe ideas for consumers after they visit their favorite market.
Debbie Meyer Green Bags – These bags absorb and remove damaging gases from most fruits and vegetables, allowing your fresh produce to last longer. We’ve successfully tried these in our own kitchens, and so far so good.
Produce Savers – Another good product to help keep your produce from spoiling before you have a chance to eat it, these containers by Newell Rubbermaid are easy to find and use.
Hook & Go Urban Shopper – If you’re buying a number of items at a Famers’ Market, you’re sure to need some help hauling those groceries. Here’s one product that can help.

For more info on Farmers’ Markets, enjoy this article.

Tags: canvas tote bag, farmer's markets, Fresh from the Farmers' Market Cook Book, fresh produce, green living, hook & go urban shopper, produce savers
Posted in Green | No Comments »

The Snackwell’s Effect: Corrupting the Eco-Conscious

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Are consumers sticking to their green diet?

When global warming and the need for greener, more efficient living took center stage, consumers looked to purchase the hottest new items on the market to help them go green, and make living efficiently easier. With all of this newly deemed efficient technology, consumers have slowly lost hold of the initial idea: going green is a lifestyle change; no matter what tools and toys we have to save the earth and our wallets, our day to day lifestyle must transform.

Consumers still need to adopt the idea to use only what is needed, and stop creating waste – this is necessary to avoid the Snackwell’s effect.

The Snackwell’s effect can be defined using the old quality over quantity adage. When going green, simply because a homeowner has installed a quality CFL blub, they are not at liberty to leave this light turned on for a longer quantity of time. Just like dieting, when living eco-consciously moderation is key.

Since consumers aren’t always using these efficient products properly some are seeing no change in their energy bills or eco-footprint. Efficient appliances and tools can be helpful in living a greener lifestyle only if they’re not seen as short cuts, rather small steps towards living eco-consciously.

How can you make sure consumers are using your products properly? Educate them with the background and instruction they need:

Part of a complete diet - Most low calorie foods and diet appropriate snacks don’t work alone – exercise is needed to complete the winning formula – tell your consumers green living is the same way; your products will point them in the right direction, but it’s up to them to keep going down that green path.
What’s your active ingredient? Provide clear labeling and packaging language – if your product is going to help a homeowner go green, tell them why and how.
Calories per serving – Tell consumers how much your products will save them and how much their eco-footprint will shrink over a given amount of time. Give them the tools to measure.

At the end of the day, CFLs and HE appliances are not what is going to save our earth, consumers dedicated to living a better lifestyle are the champions of efficient living.

Tags: CFLs, eco-conscious, eco-footprint, efficient living, efficient technology, energy bills, green living, HE appliances, Snackwell’s effect
Posted in Green | No Comments »

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