Jacquie Ottman's
Green marketing Blog
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...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 16.
Posted on March 01, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 16:
Green consumers don’t expect perfection.Just like there’s no more whitest whites, there’s no greenest of the green. Consumers expect that you’ll set high goals (i.e., perform beyond mere compliance), keep improving, and report on progress.
GE’s Ecomagination sustainability marketing campaign averted accusations of greenwash despite a history of environmental transgressions. The company treats the effort as a serious business initiative, complete with detailed metrics on revenues and environmental savings in easily understandable form.
—-Excerpted from The New Rules of Green …Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 15.
Posted on February 28, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 15:
Green consumers trust brands that tell all.BP, ExxonMobil, and SIGG learned this lesson the hard way. It’s no longer enough to have a well-known name. Today’s brands become trusted by practicing “radical transparency,” disclosing the good - and the bad.
Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles microsite lets visitors trace the environmental impacts of ten products and it not afraid to critique itself. For example, it is not afraid to reveal that is still uses (only) 36% virgin polyester in its Capilene Midweight …Read more...
Taking the Green Marketplace to the Next Level
Posted on February 25, 2011 by Guest Blogger, Gwynne Rogers
Of all of the amazing examples, facts, figures, and case studies in Jacquie Ottman’s new book, The New Rules of Green Marketing, the one I find most encouraging comes early in the book, on page 12: More than 300,000 applications for green-related brand names, logos, and tag lines were applied for in 2007, and Datamonitor reports a tripling of sustainable product launches. What a tidal wave of innovation! And, just in time! As green mainstreams, and we all adjust to new marketplaces, new consumers, and new economics, breakthrough innovations in …Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 14.
Posted on February 25, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 14:
Green consumers are strongly influenced by the recommen-dations of friends and family, and trusted third parties. With rampant cynicism about traditional forms of advertising and a backlash in place against perceived greenwashing, savvy marketers leverage purchase influencers and third parties like NGOs and especially eco-labelers.
But one must choose an ecolabel wisely. According to the Natural Marketing Institute, only a handful of ecolabels have significant levels of consumer awareness—Energy Star (93%), USDA Certified Organic (75%), Fair Trade Certified (44%) and Rainforest …Read more...
20 New Rules. 20 Free Books. 20 Chances to Win: New Rule of Green Marketing Number 13.
Posted on February 24, 2011 by Jacquelyn Ottman
Jacquie Ottman’s New Rule of Green Marketing Number 13:
The brands consumers buy and trust engage them in meaningful conversation through a variety of media, especially online.
Talking “at” consumers through traditional media and paid advertising can’t build loyalty among empowered consumers in a connected world.
Method’s “People Against Dirty” campaign has over 5300 “advocates” united in a common passion for Method and its cleaning mission. A blog keeps members updated on issues of concern, and a “humanifesto” that extols values such as “ingredients that come from plants, not …Read more...
