USDA defines biobased products as those composed in whole or in significant part of biological ingredients; forestry or renewable agricultural materials - including plant, animal, or marine (e.g. algae) ingredients. USDA identifies more than 4,500 biobased products (products must meet/exceed minimum biobased content) in 42 product categories as “BioPreferred designated” products.

However, are biobased products really ‘greener’? Hint: they may not be any more or less green than any other single attribute-based “green” product (Consider, for example, that organic strawberries can travel thousands of miles to your cereal bowl. Or Energy Star labelled CFLs contain mercury.)

We’ve begun the dialogue on the environmental assessment of biobased products via a public meeting held in Jan 2010 - meeting materials are available on the home page of the program’s website, http://www.biopreferred.gov

And an article by Jennifer Barry, recently published on Earth911.com does a great job of summarizing the issues, too. Check it out and weigh in on the debate!

Jacquie Ottman is president of J. Ottman Consulting, Inc., advisers to industry and government on effective green marketing strategies.

Contact us to learn more.

On the green marketing front, the future of energy consumption in the United States lies in ‘Smart-Grid Enabled Appliances’. Invested players including government, and product and software manufacturers such as Google and Microsoft are digitizing the nation’s power grid, to make delivery more efficient, cost effective and safer for the environment. This is the ‘smart-grid’.

Next comes the ‘smart appliances’. Smart appliances can be controlled remotely by the power company. For example, the power company could lower thermostats, switch to energy-saver mode or shut down the appliance during peak demand. Smart appliances save money- imagine an electric dryer that tumbles without heat and uses only 200 watts of electricity in comparison to a conventional 500 watt dryer on maximum heat. One million such dryers could replace six coal-fired power plants.

Smart appliances are enabled to work effectively on the smart-grid. Leading in this field are General Electric and Whirlpool. GE has developed a smart water heater that is currently being used in a test market, and Whirlpool is optimistic about a smart clothes dryer, predicting one million sold during 2011.

Looking for new green marketing opportunities? Join the race today for Smart-Grid Enabled Appliances and enabling technologies.

J.C. Darne contributed to this post.

This post was excerpted from Jacquie Ottman’s soon to be released book on doing green marketing right. Link here to be notified when the book comes out.

Contact us at J. Ottman Consulting to let us know about your smart-grid related activities.

Dropps, the product of a Philadelphia-based start-up, represents what may be an even greater achievement in source reduction. Eschewing the concept of dispensing with detergent from a bulky plastic jug, 20 dissolvable detergent capsules (“dropps”) come packed in a collapsible plastic pouch. The stand-up packs are so thin, it would take 292 of them to equal the plastic waste produced from one empty jug of Tide. In addition, the detergent formula is six times concentrated to save water. The lighter packaging and detergent means on the one hand, fewer delivery boxes and trucks,  and for consumers, the convenience in transport home, storage and use.

To boot, the Dropps formula is free of chlorine, NPE (a stain-fighting additive to be an endocrine disruptor), and phosphate. And it’s capable of handling all colors, fabrics, washers and temperatures. (I can attest personally for how the product works. -Makes you want to be able to “dropp” a Tide in your washer. ) No wonder its found its way to the shelves of Wal-Mart, Whole Foods and Target.

Chime in on the latest in the detergent wars…let me know what you think.

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Angela Wong contributed to this post.

This post was excerpted from my soon to be released book on doing green marketing right. Link here to be notified when the book comes out.

Contact her by email
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Join me Friday, February 12 and get a sneak preview from my new book, due out later this year about how to court mainstream consumers credibly, impactfully—and without a hint of greenwash.

I’ll specifically be sharing: some of the latest data on LOHAS consumers from the Natural Marketing Institute, my Five Consumer Rules, and Seven Strategies of Green Marketing.   Listen in. Ask some questions. Let me know what you thought—and how you applied the learning to your own green marketing plans.

Find out more at Sustainable Life Media/ Events.

Jacquie Ottman is a consultant, author and speaker on green marketing and eco-innovation.  Email her at info@greenmarketing.com

Ask: To which environmental organizations do members of our target audience belong (The Appalachian Mountain Club or Greenpeace)? Which types of vacations do they take (hiking or the beach)? Which environmental magazines and websites do they read or visit? (Sierra or Animal Fair?) Which types of products do they buy? (green fashions or energy-sipping light bulbs)? Which eco-labels do they seek out (“USDA Organic” or “Energy Star”)?

In observing green consumers over the past twenty years my colleagues and I have found that asking questions like these allows companies to distinguish between four subsegments, which we’ve dubbed “Resource Conservers”, “Health Fanatics”, “Animal Lovers” and “Outdoor Enthusiasts.” Of course, there are some overlaps among these groups, but discovering which subsegment your customers mainly fall into can sharpen your marketing. The following descriptions are generalizations, but they capture the spirit of each type of consumer.

Resource Conservers hate waste. (I should know. I am one.) Spot them wearing classically styled clothing, toting cloth shopping bags and sipping from reusable water bottles. Avid recyclers of milk jugs and Tide bottles, they drop off old electronics at Best Buy. They read news on-line to save trees, and are quick to re-use their Reynolds wrap. Ever watchful of saving their “drops” and “watts,” they install low-flow showerheads and compact fluorescent bulbs branded with EPA’s Energy Star and WaterSense labels. Shunning over-packaged products, they only turn on the lights when they have to, and they plug their appliances into power strips for easy shut-off when they leave for work.

Some ways to appeal to resource conservers:

1. Highlight the economical, long-lasting and reusability benefits of products.
2. Offer services that enable them to recycle, compost and save energy.

Health Fanatics worry about overexposure to the sun, fear pesticide residues on produce, and fret over contaminants in children’s toys. They apply sunscreen, scout out natural-food stores for the latest in organic foods, buy only natural cosmetics and pet care, and have switched out the toxic cleaning products for the non-toxic ones under the sink. They look for products marked with the “USDA Organic” seal of approval or EPA’s Design for Environment logo.They scrutinize websites like Michigan-based Ecology Center’s HealthyStuff.org and HealthyToys.org to get the skinny on toxic substances on products from school supplies to automobiles. Find them on the memberships rolls of Beyond Pesticides, Organic Consumers Association and to be regular readers of Natural Life Magazine.

Some ways to appeal to health fanatics:

1. Focus on organic aspects, health benefits, trust, transparency and natural ingredients.
2. Cross-promote with organic foods companies or a non-toxic cleaning product or sponsor a website like OrganicConsumers.org, or advertise in Natural Life Magazine.

Animal Lovers are likely to be vegetarian or vegan, belong to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and boycott tuna and products with real fur. They look for products labeled as “cruelty-free”, Salmon Safe, or Dolphin-safe. They seek out synthetic handbags and faux fur jackets, and favor the faux-meat options at restaurants. They perk up to news stories featuring animals in need, from manatees and polar bears to strays in their neighborhood, and are likely to volunteer at the local animal shelter. Out of concern for marine life, they eschew plastic bags. Catch them reading Animal Fair Magazine and Veg News Magazine.

Some ways to appeal to animal lovers:

1. Conduct a cause-related marketing campaign through PETA’s Business Friends program or partner with the ASPCA.
2. Advertise in Animal Fair Magazine and PAWS magazine or online on WWF.org.

Outdoor Enthusiasts spend their free time camping, rock climbing, skiing, and hiking. They vacation in national parks and plan their next adventure using tips from Outdoors Magazine. Whether they’re purchasing Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap to reduce the impact of washing dishes while camping, or toting reusable bottles like Kleen Kanteen to avoid littering the trail, they seek to minimize the impact of their recreational activities. When shopping, they look for FSC (sustainably harvested) labels on their products, are also likely to purchase outdoor gear made from recycled materials, such as Synchilla PCR (post-consumer recycled polyester) from Patagonia.

Some ways to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts:

1. Conduct a joint promotion with national parks or manufacturers of boots, reusable bottles, and trail mix snacks.
2. Advertise in Sierra Club magazine or online at Backpackers.com.

How do you segment your green customers? And how does that affect your marketing strategy?

Jacquelyn Ottman is president of J. Ottman Consulting, Inc., a New York-based marketing consulting firm that specializes in helping consumer businesses derive competitive advantage from eco-innovation and green marketing.

This blog was originally published by Harvard Business Press.org. It was excerpted from her latest book on green marketing, due out in 2010. Learn more about it by linking here.

Contact Us to learn more about J. Ottman’s green marketing services.

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Nike’s Considered line of reduced toxic shoes

Nike aims to eliminate noxious adhesives with its Considered line which is targeted towards “deep green” consumers with innovative design that eliminates the need for excess lining and reinforcement.  Compared to Nike’s established lines, the manufacturing process reduces solvent use by 80%.  To strengthen corporate responsibility, Nike is now incorporating the principles of the Considered line into other products, such as Air Jordan XX3.

Nike knows that consumers are focused on maximum performance, so they smartly focus communications on increased performance rather than on health. However, communications targetted to employees, investors and other important stakeholders do discuss reduced toxicity, and as such enhance their brand and corporate reputation. So the value is captured more indirectly, but captured nevertheless!

Note: This blog post is excerpted from my soon-to-be-published book on doing green marketing right. Learn more and sign up to be notified of its release by linking here.

Ashley Blakemun contributed to this post.

As I have said numerous times over the years, the number one reason why consumers buy greener products is not to “save the planet” but to save their own health. AFM understands this well—and puts their understanding of this green marketing fundamental to work in two ads that do a great job of underscoring the health benefits of their line of Safecoat paint.

One ad features 16 buckets of paint lined up in a row. Fifteen of the buckets are painted red and sport descriptive labels touting benefits including “long lasting”, “high quality”, “sustainable.” The sixteenth bucket stands out in green and announces, “The only paint that is doctor recommended.”

The second ad uses the headline, “It’s not paint. It’s phytochemistry”, and goes on to say that “Safecoat naturals, like the bark on a tree…sheathes your home’s interior—emitting no toxins and leaving no trace.”  By focusing on the health benefits of its product, AFM succeeds in communicating their paint as a smart consumer choice that is good for the environment, too.

Key Green Marketing Lesson: Appeal to Green Consumers’ Self Interest 

To appeal to the mainstream, green products must appeal to more than just a consumer’s eco-conscience. It must appeal in some way to their self-interest. As AFM has discovered, health is an especially potent benefit. Others include cost savings (the reason why energy-saving light bulbs and applicances are so popular), and self-actualization (a key reason why Prius owners buy their cars.)

Note: This blog post is excerpted from Jacquie Ottman’s soon-to-be- published book on doing green marketing right. Learn more and sign up to be notified of its release by linking here.

Folllow Jacquie on Twitter

Brianna Rogers of J. Ottman Consulting helped to prepare this post.

As I discuss at more length in my soon-to-be-published book, “Consumers buy products to meet basic needs, not (primarily) to save the planet.” Said another way, consumers walk into the store with their, well, consumer caps on, not citizen ones.

Commercials for Bosch’s super-energy efficient appliances focus on how quiet they are, with secondary emphasis on their environmentally preferable attributes. In one ad that I discussed in the book, a gentle deer walking through a forest meanders upon an operating Bosch Nexxt washer and dryer tandem and never notices the appliance. A second ad shows an owl swooping through an orange canyon to rest upon the (quiet) Bosch Evolution dishwasher.

So to do green marketing right: Appeal to consumers’ self interest. Focus too heavily on environmental benefits at the expense of primary ones and doom your product to the green graveyard!

To learn more about my new book, link here.

Brianna Rogers of J. Ottman Consulting, Inc. assisted with this post.

Please join me on February 4, 2010 (in New York City) for Opportunities to Market to the Green Consumer.  Network with members of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club and other senior marketing professionals from New York.  Listen to green marketing practitioners from HSBC, Ozocar and Sundance Channel talk about opportunities to build green brands, innovate new products and services, and contribute to the bottomline. I’ll be moderating the panel and kicking things off with a presentation on “Doing Green Marketing Right”.

This event is part of a Sustainable Business Certificate Series. Attend this event and five more in the series and receive a certificate from the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of NY. 

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Link here to learn more and to Register.

Questions! Email: sustainablebusiness@cbsacny.org

To help smooth the way for our clients and other green marketers, I’ll be moderating a special virtual conference on Thursdday, Jan 14, 2010.  It’s called: Building Credibility, Avoiding Greenwash.

Join us online for a look at unfolding strategies and best practices for establishing credibility for your sustainable brand.

This jam-packed, full-day, online conference will teach you…How to make sense of the multiplicity of eco-labels in the US and worldwide….Whether an independent eco-label is right for you…Alternatives to eco-labels and evaluating their cost/benefits…How sustainable packaging lends credibility to your brand….Game changing initiatives coming from Office Depot, GoodGuide.com and others.

I’ll be presenting a session on “Alternatives to Eco-Labels” Link here to learn more.

I hope to see you online.   For more information and to register link here .