Jacquie Ottman's
Green marketing Blog
Will I See You at Sustainable Brands ‘11?
Posted on May 31, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Sustainable Brands ‘11 kicks off on June 7. This year’s theme is “Play On!”
I’ll be giving a kick-off talk on how to move sustainability forward through the power of educated, enlightened consumers.
I’ll also be doing a special signing for my new book, The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding (Berrett-Koehler, 2011).
Link to the SB’11 Pre-Game Webinar Series to see a sneak peek of some of the ideas I will be sharing.
Register now and use my special code “ottmansb11” to receive the …Read more...
New Sun Chips Bag Proves Frito-Lay Has Learned Its Green Marketing Lesson
Posted on May 23, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Remember the brouhaha last fall over Sun Chips’ noisy “compostable” bag? It prompted Frito-La
y to withdraw the special bags on all but their “Original” flavor (which they retained as a show of support for their green strategy). They’ve just come out with a quieter option. It’s on-pack messaging tones down the composting message, and in doing so demonstrates, however counter intuitively it may appear, that they have actually learned some valuable lessons about how to do green marketing right.
As I commented this past October, a key issue with the compostable bag-and a …Read more...
Green Marketing Is Alive and Kicking
Posted on May 19, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
It all depends upon how we define green marketing. If we define it as, “Planets, babies and daisies and empty green claims,”, then yes, green marketing is dead. Let’s bury it. No product is truly green—all products use energy and create waste.
However, if we define it as I do, “serving customers needs with products that perform equally well or better, and providing the consumer with transparent information based upon sound science”... If we add to that ” leading our messaging with primary benefits—the money savings, the genuine health benefits, the convenience associated with sharing a car or owning one—(or …Read more...
Green Marketing. Not Dead, Just Misdirected.
Posted on May 19, 2011 by Guest Blogger, Irv Weinberg
Some pundits declare that green marketing is dead. To quote Mark Twain, ” the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” I think the same can be said of green marketing.
Here at Mind Over Markets we’ve been saying for years that green marketing messages have not been communicated correctly right from the start.
The first task of green marketing, like all other marketing, should have been an analysis of benefits. First to the consumer and then to the planet. Too many opted for the first instinct, save the planet, as though you could …Read more...
We Are All Green Consumers — Now And For The Future
Posted on May 18, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Green has gone mainstream. Not too long ago, just a small group of deep green consumers existed. Today, 83% of consumers (Source: Natural Marketing Institute, 2009) - representing four generations, Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen Ys and Gen Zs - are some shade of green. Each in their own way, these generations are quickly transforming what used to be a fringe market that appealed to a faction of eco-hippies is now a bona fide $290 billion industry ranging from organic foods to hybrid cars, ecotourism to green home furnishings. Teen daughters of yesterday’s activist moms search out Burt’s Bees lip balm …Read more...
The New Green Marketing Paradigm
Posted on May 16, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Conventional marketing is out. Green marketing and what is increasingly being called “sustainable branding” is in. According to the new rules of green marketing, effectively addressing the needs of consumers with a heightened environmental and social consciousness cannot be achieved with the same assumptions and formulae that guided consumer marketing since the postwar era. Times have changed. A new paradigm has emerged requiring new strategies with a holistic point of view and eco-innovative product and service offering.
Historically, marketers developed products that met consumers’ needs at affordable prices and then communicated the benefits of their brands in a memorable …Read more...
Give Your Stuff Away Day - May 14
Posted on May 06, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
If you’re like me, you probably have a lot of extra stuff that you no longer want, but would like to see end up in a safe new home.
This year, turn your spring cleaning into an opportunity to clean out your closet and clean up the planet. On Saturday, May 14, 2011, join me by participating in “Give Your Stuff Away Day”. It’s as simple as bringing your stuff to the curb.
“Give Your Stuff Away Day”, which Mike Morone is hoping to establish as a biannual event, is an opportunity to …Read more...
The Value of Authentic Green Branding
Posted on April 28, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
I opened the business section of my New York Times on Earth Day and noted with dismay the lead article, “As Shoppers Cut Back Spending, “Green Products” Lose Allure”. It reported that green brands launched in recent years by mainstream marketers such as Clorox (Green Works) and S.C. Johnson (Nature’s Source), had experienced sharp sales declines during 2009 and that introductions of green brands were off during that period, too.
And then I perked up. The article went on to report that, in stark contrast —even during the recession—brands like Seventh Generation and Method experienced double-digit growth …Read more...
Are You Following The New Rules of Green Marketing?
Posted on April 12, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Upon returning from my recent vacation, I discovered this spectacular review of my new book, The New Rules of Green Marketing on Park Howell’s blog. It was utterly heartwarming to read how eloquently he captured everything that I was trying to achieve with the book, so I am reprinting it here in its entirety to share with you all. Thank you, Park Howell for such a well-written and generous review!
——
Are You Following The New Rules of Green Marketing?
Blog post by Park Howell
April 5, 2011
“She corrected me immediately. I said that the word “Green” was losing …Read more...
“Responsible Consumption” is the Next Frontier in Green Marketing
Posted on April 01, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Is Tom’s of Maine toothpaste really green if consumers leave the water running while they brush their teeth? Is an ENERGY STAR-rated light bulb really green if it remains on after everyone leaves the room?
It is one thing to design a product to be greener, but the negative environmental impact made throughout a product’s life-cycle cannot be minimized unless the consumer uses and disposes of it responsibly. Representing the next frontier in green marketing, this is the definition of responsible consumption (note: some might refer …Read more...
“20 New Rules, 20 Congratulations, 20,000 Thank You’s”.
Posted on March 11, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Twenty thousand thanks to so many of you who dropped, “Hey Jacquie, I want to win a free copy of your book” in a subject line this past month—and showing your support and interest. We wanted to launch my new book with some fun, generate some good will, and to do it in a way that would reward our old friends and help us make some new ones—and you helped us achieve these goals in spades.
Also, thanks to your enthusiasm, The New Rules of Green Marketing made …Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 20.
Posted on March 07, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 20:
Keep it simple.Plato was an environmentalist: “Simplicity is elegance.” Today’s consumers are cutting out the needless purchases and getting rid of the gadgets and gizmos that don’t add value to their lives. That’s why they are migrating to brands that help express these values—Method, Starbucks, Timberland. It’s just that simple.
—-Excerpted fromThe New Rules of Green Marketing, by Jacquie Ottman (Berrett-Koehler - U.S., Greenleaf Publishing - U.K. February 2011, $21.95, 252 pp.). Now available in bookstores and at online booksellers. Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 19.
Posted on March 04, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 19:
Authenticity.It’s not enough to slap on a recycling logo or make a biodegradability claim. Brands viewed as the most genuine integrate relevant sustainability benefits into their products.
That’s why HSBC and Stonyfield Farm aim to reduce the carbon impacts of their operations through innovative green building and methane management initiatives, respectively.
—-Excerpted fromThe New Rules of Green Marketing, by Jacquie Ottman (Berrett-Koehler - U.S., Greenleaf Publishing - U.K. February 2011, $21.95, 252 pp.). Now available in bookstores and at online booksellers. …Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 18.
Posted on March 03, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 18:
Nearly everyone is a corporate stakeholder.No longer confined to just customers, employees, and investors, today publics of all stripes are corporate stakeholders: sustainability advocates, educators, and children—even the unborn.
Forming constructive partnerships with various stakeholders, especially government eco-labelers, environmentalists, and educators, can help cut costs, improve products, bolster credibility, and enhance credibility. Transparent communications are key to stakeholder engagement.
——Excerpted fromThe New Rules of Green Marketingby Jacquie Ottman (Berrett-Koehler - U.S., Greenleaf Publishing - U.K. February 2011, $21.95, 252 pp.). Now …Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 17.
Posted on March 02, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 17:
Environmentalists are no longer the enemy.Recognizing the power of the marketplace to effect change, many sustainability advocates willingly partner with industry, offering useful guidance and expertise.
Sometimes even former environmental foes can turn into allies. In August 2009, Kimberly-Clark teamed up with Greenpeace. Ending their longstanding “Kleercut” campaign, the environmental powerhouse now assists K-C in promoting forest conservation and sourcing sustainably harvested and recycled FSC-certified fibers.
—-Excerpted fromThe New Rules of Green Marketing, by Jacquie Ottman (Berrett-Koehler - U.S., Greenleaf Publishing …Read more...
