Archive for August, 2007

Remember this… 

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
German novelist, poet, & scientist (1749 - 1832)

Yeah, I know, you’ve been waiting on that last tip for green marketing. Just sitting on the edge of your seat in silent mouth-watering anticipation. And, believe me, I recognize the fact you probably feel like you’ve been waiting…

and waiting…and waiting…

And then, maybe wondering if I dropped off the face of the planet.

Luckily, no, that did not happen. However, as you probably know, life is strange and things happen. Mixing being completely swamped (work, kids, school, sports, more work, etc) with a lack of ‘green’ inspiration makes for very lackluster blog posts. So, I decided to wait for that light bulb moment when inspiration strikes. And guess, what? Today, it happened.

It didn’t come in the form of marketing information, it came via a personal conversation I had early this morning with a family friend. The topic wasn’t really surprising – relationships between the sexes.

Um, yeah, I know. That topic can be a veritable quagmire especially when two friends (one male, one female) are trying to express their own personal opinions.

And it was a quagmire I found myself in at the close of our conversation. I wasn’t happy with the outcome. I didn’t feel like I expressed myself in a way that he really understood and then I found myself wondering (not aloud, thank goodness) why I was even expressing my opinion about this particular topic because how could I expect him to understand, he is a MAN, after all.

I know all you women out there are probably chuckling and nodding your heads right about now and all you men, please just indulge for a few more minutes because I am making a point.

I ended up in that quagmire because of stereotypes and skewed perceptions. His idea of the particular topic did not match my idea of the particular topic. I believe it’s healthy to throw around ideas and express opinions but as we got further into the conversation we both ended up expressing opinions based on our own stereotypes of deadbeat dads, divorced women, the perfect marriage and stupid men.

It was a deep pit with a lot of mud, doubly so because not only were we reverting to stereotypes (which drives me nuts, by the way, even though I am as guilty as the next person for making blanket stereotypical statements), but there was the whole man – woman thing going on where it was a lot like being in a foreign country and not being 100% fluent in the native language.

I consider myself to be very open-minded. But today, I threw my hands up in exasperation and to be honest was kind of ready to run for the door. Leave him to his thoughts and opinions and stereotypes. That’s when the light bulb moment hit. It didn’t just get very bright, it started blinking very loudly in neon.

I kept thinking you can never know who a person is, truly, until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes - experienced a similar joy, heartache, anxiety and love. Until you throw away your stereotypes, have a commonality and empathy you won’t know them in a way that counts and really means something.

It’s a big step. Most people can’t get there. They can’t put aside their stereotypes and perceived ideas about what should and shouldn’t be.

Which leads me to my point.

Green marketing tip # 10 is a whopper because if ever there was a group that had stereotype written all over it, it’s the ‘green’ market demographic. If ever there was a group that needed to not only be understood but empathized with it’s that same group. If you want to speak to this market demographic and have them listen and trust, you have to step out of your conventional comfort zone and step up to building an authentic relationship with them.

So, there you go. Finally, green marketing tip #10. My advice? Throw away your stereotypes. Walk your talk. Step out of your conventional comfort zone. Be real.

Ok, I'm stumped. Totally at a loss for the next tip and I really…want…to…get…to…number…10…

A little help please? Inspiration? Creativity?

Anyone?

Hang in and hang on. I'll be back with more, shortly - looking like tomorrow! Promise.

There are many products that are not geared to an online environment. However, with the growth of the web and online purchasing by consumers there’s an increasing need to speak to the senses. Seeing, smelling, touching a product are all important but don’t lend themselves, obviously, to an online shopping environment.

So, what do you do?

This product has just been selected to be THE product luxurious enough and exclusive enough to grace the hands of Hollywood stars at the Emmys in September. Yes, it will be featured in restroom lounges for both men and women.

Gasp! I know, I know…B-I-G.

There will be buzz around this particular product as Hollywood continues down the ‘green’ pathway of enlightenment.  Plus, I mean, look here, these are STARS. Not just any product can make the cut. As it just so happens, these products are all natural, luxurious, sophisticated and exclusive. In fact, “The purity and quality of each product defies the imagination with transporting fragrances and nourishing formulas for the skin.”Wow. I want some.The descriptive words alone have created a desire.

But wait! There’s more…

All those famous people get to experience these products? Well, why not me? I may not be famous but I have a discretionary income and I like luxury just as much as the next girl.

Now, I REALLY want some.

I just found out that Susan Sarandon, Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman and Alexis Bledel use these products. You know, I think that Nicole Kidman is kind of cool. If she uses it, it must be pretty good.

Now, I REALLY, REALLY want some. But do I need it?

Not only do these Hollywood ladies like this product, they’ve TALKED about how great these particular products are and how they’ve improved their lives. Plus editors of illustrious publications like Vanity Fair, Lucky and More have picked this as a winner and explained the health benefits.  Ahhhhhh, the power of testimonials!

Now, I REALLY, REALLY want it and I’m sure I NEED it.

I’m gonna buy it. Then, I’m gonna tell my friends about it.

I hope you get this little scenario. It’s about building perceptions of a product so that the customer doesn’t necessarily NEED to actually get their hands on it before making the decision to purchase.

There you go…green marketing tip #9. Stay tuned. Still more to come!

Okay, this tip applies to you if you are selling a product or service. Once you know who your market segment is and hopefully pinpointed WHAT they are looking for product-wise. You can further establish your positioning and branding by being a resource.

Providing resource information to your customers is extremely important. It legitimizes who you are, builds trust and furthers the relationship you are creating with your customers. Ideally, you want a long-term relationship with each and every customer. By giving them more than what they ever thought they needed, you are taking steps beyond what is expected and moving into the realm of good friend and partner.

So, how do you go about becoming a resource? First off, think about the whole ‘green’ market area. It’s rather new and while it’s a growing trend there are still a lot of terms being thrown around and concepts that are crying out to be clarified.

Recommendation #1
Get a good list of working definitions going. I mean, what does photovoltaic REALLY mean? How about hydro-electric? Sustainable? Fair Trade? Organic?
Get your terminology down and publish it on your site or blog.

Recommendation #2
You’ve got the catch-phrases and words defined that apply to the ‘green market.’ Now, how do you use it? Create articles and content and guides for your customer that tell them HOW to APPLY these concepts to their lives. Be sure to include how it impacts THEM, not you. This information is unbiased (or should be), helpful and succinct. It can be in the form of daily tips or a full blown article or both. Yes, it might take research, yes, you might have to hire a free-lance writer or two but yes, it will be sooooooo worth it.

Recommendation #3
Tools and calculators are just plain fun. They can be turned into widgets that keep customers connected to you in various ways from their desktops, their newsletters or blogs they read regularly. If you aren’t sure what widgets are, I’ll be talking about them more but for a real quick working definition look here.

Here are a few of my favorite fun tools.

• Earth 911 – to find a recycling center for all sorts of household items from oil to glass to printer cartridges
• Conservation International - Check your carbon footprint and figure out how to offset it
• See Green Now - Check your own green knowledgebase and see how green you really are.

Ok, there you go – Tip #8. Use the recommendations. Do your research. Create your content. Become a resource. It might not happen overnight but with a little hard work and dedication, you can do it. You’ll thank me for it later…I promise!