EcoAmerica News Blog

Demand drives 'green marketing,' but some see room for ethics

Originally posted Sept. 27, 2007
by Shannon Proudfoot at The Ottawa Citizen

Kermit the Frog famously lamented the difficulties of being green, but now it seems everyone in business is clamouring to be exactly that.

Energy Pulse: Wallets Drive Many Green Purchase Decisions

Originally posted Sept. 26, 2007
on environmentalLEADER.com

Companies that want to sell themselves as “green” and environmentally friendly must address product cost concerns as well as put their own money where their mouth is – or else face rising skepticism with a cost-conscious and more discerning U.S. consumer, according to a national study that evaluates the consumer mindset on energy use and conservation, according to the third annual Shelton Group Energy Pulse study, to be released October 8.

Are You Getting the Most Green From Green Marketing?

Originally posted Sept. 19, 2007
by Marti Barletta on 4Hoteliers.com

The answer is no if you're not targeting women - Green is no longer just the color of money, it's the color of marketing, too.

Magazines, newspapers, TV shows, conferences, Hollywood celebrities and ads are sprouting up all over touting that "green" is the way to go.

That's because green is here to stay, because it means money -- money in, not money out.

Pocket More Green With 'Green' Hype

Originally posted Sept. 24, 2007
by Daniel Gross at Newsweek

Westport Wash & Wax proudly bills itself as the only solar-powered carwash in the state of Connecticut. The proprietors, brothers Craig and Scott Tiefenthaler, have just covered the roof of their business with 18 panels. The total cost: $21,000, with the state's taxpayers footing 60 percent of the bill.

This sort of behavior drives economists and global-warming skeptics to distraction. Even with the massive government subsidy, it'll take seven years for the owners to recoup their investment. And on sunny days, the panels provide only enough juice to run the shop's refrigerators and lights. "To run my main motors, I'd need a city block of solar panels," says Craig.

Study: Gen Y Shoppers Drawn To Greener Marketers

Originally Posted Sept. 21, 2007
by Sarah Mahoney at MarketingDaily

It's not news that retailers are knocking themselves out to appear as green as possible to shoppers: Wal-Mart just announced, for example, that it is introducing private-label CFL bulbs, intensifying its promise to reduce greenhouse emissions. And Tesco, still closely guarding the details about its soon-to-open Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets, recently let it slip that all its stores would be built with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Testing Green Promotional Benefits to Drive Acquisition

Originally posted on Sept. 16th, 2007
by David Wigder at Marketing Green

Promotional benefits are a popular marketing tactic used across almost every industry to acquire new customers. Marketers like offering such benefits as they can greatly increase acquisition rates or drive repeat purchases over time. 

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the use of promotional benefits has been extended to the green space.

What's Behind the Green Consumer Research?

The environmental LEADER wasn't the only one to notice the conflicting information coming out of recent green consumer research (here).   Joel Makower, the author of the blog Two Steps Forward and a frequent commentator on green marketing, delved deeper into the inadequacies of some of the new research, or at least the inadequacies of how they were presented.

Read his recent post after the jump...

47% Of Gen Y Would Pay More For Green Brands

Originally posted Sept. 14, 2007
at environmental LEADER here.

Gen Y is split down the middle on the influence a retailer’s environmental policy and sustainability had on their shopping habits with 50 percent of respondents saying a retailer’s policy did influence their shopping behavior, according to research from Maritz designed to track Gen Y’s brand awareness among several popular clothing retailers (via Sustainable Life Media).

Carbon Reduction Wins Mega Brand Attention at Conference

By Sarah Fister Gale
CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2007

At this week's Carbon Footprint Consumer Products Conference and Expo in Chicago, the companies behind the world's biggest brands made it abundantly clear that they are both dedicated to reducing their carbon footprints and to spreading the word about their efforts.

Global Warming or Climate Change?

ecoAmerica Founder and Chairman, Bob Perkowitz, responds to Plenty Magazine's query...

"Global Warming" or "Climate Change": Which term do you prefer?

Find out Bob's answer after the jump.