Jacquie Ottman's
Green marketing Blog
Déjà Vu All Over Again - Part II
Posted on July 22, 2008 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Last month I discussed some of the green marketing missteps that we keep repeating no matter how many times we should have learned from hard experience that such tactics fall short. I suggested that rather than repeating these mistakes, perhaps the best solution is to move forward with new product innovations that truly transcend green marketing claims and eco-labels.
In fact, pursuing a course of eco-innovation - new product concepts with the potential for significantly enhanced consumer benefits and significantly reduced environmental impact - might be just what the …Read more...
How Far, Pray Tell?
Posted on July 22, 2008 by Jacquelyn Ottman
How far have your products traveled from manufacturing plant or farmer's field to market? Perhaps it's time to tell your consumer. In a marketplace where more and more consumers want to know their carbon footprint, and the marketers themselves are often confused about how to craft their sustainability messages, meaningful, easy-to-understand information is at a premium. Too many think, for instance, that bamboo (which travels 6,000 miles to get to your floor) and fair trade bananas are going to "save the planet," when the truth is that locally procured alternatives …Read more...
It Isn’t Always So “Friendly” Being Green
Posted on July 22, 2008 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Don’t join the growing number of marketers throwing around phrases like "environmentally friendly,” “Earth friendly," and "ozone friendly." While such claims have a calming ring, they can be very misleading. The simple fact is, there is no such thing as an "eco-friendly" product; all use resources and create waste to some degree. To avoid such confusion in the marketplace, the Federal Trade Commission introduced its Environmental Marketing Guidelines in 1992. Some key takeaways:
—Be specific. Marketers are liable not only for inaccurate statements but also for consumers' misinterpretations of …Read more...
Green, No…Greener, Maybe
Posted on July 22, 2008 by Jacquelyn Ottman
You'd never know it reading the press kits, but there's actually no such thing as a green product. All products use resources and create waste to some extent. At best, there are "greener" products that have less environmental impact than others. If you're mindful of a potential green backlash (and you should be!), develop your sustainability message with this in mind.
Are you reading this, Mercedes-Benz? I hope so. That "clean-air blue" motif is cutting it a bit fine. I read somewhere that Toyota's ad agency once presented them …Read more...
CFLs: It Takes a Team to Market a Lightbulb
Posted on July 16, 2008 by assistant
CFLs have become the quintessential example of a mainstream green product. As proof, as of October of 2007, Wal-Mart announced that it had surpassed its goal of selling 100 million CFLs by the end of 2007, three months ahead of time. However, this accomplishment was not so easily attained. The current success of CFLs is due to the innovation and commitment of a virtual “village” of manufacturers, designers, and marketers.
Remember those early CFLs? Too many consumers were reluctant to pay $15 versus 75 cents for an incandescent, despite …Read more...
Consumers Want Better Products, Not Processes
Posted on May 29, 2008 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Many companies tout their green processes as they lobby for consumer recognition as a green company. but it would be far more productive to spotlight products instead.
Michael Mendenhall, CMO of HP, demonstrated his understanding of this when, in a recent Ad Age interview, he stated that purchasing carbon credits are not enough to qualify a company as green—that products, like his company's own Dynamic Smart Cooling System, was a "key plank" in any corporate sustainability platform.
Campaigns susch as BP's Beyond Petroleum and GE's …Read more...
FTC Takes on Green Packaging Claims—And Not a Moment Too Soon
Posted on March 30, 2008 by Jacquelyn Ottman
As companies scurry to appeal to a fast-growing eco-consumer base, the Federal Trade Commission is stepping in to bring clarity to the arena of green marketing. As I write, numerous stakeholders are developing their testimony for an April 30 hearing on environmental claims for product packaging. Here’s a rundown of the key issues, and why they’re becoming more important by the day.
In January, the FTC held hearings with the goal of updating its Green Guides to include standards for the marketing of carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates. …Read more...
