EcoAmerica News Blog

Majority Tells Mayors' Poll Going Green Makes Economic Sense

Originally posted Jan. 23, 2008
Environment News Service

The majority of 32,000 Americans surveyed in a new public opinion poll believe local efforts to be environmentally sensitive by "going green" will pay off for their communities by attracting new businesses and development, creating "green collar jobs," and boosting the local economy.

Are you targeting the correct green consumers?

Originally posted Jan. 25, 2008
by Danny Bradbury, BusinessGreen; vnunet.com

Why do you market your company as ethical? Do you do it because you have to, or because you want to?

Make it green and keep them keen

Originally posted Jan. 21, 2008
Caitlin Fitzsimmons, GuardianUnlimited

When the term "carbon footprint" is used on Coronation Street, you know environmental issues have hit the mainstream. Roy Cropper spent most of this summer trying to lower his footprint in his café, Roy's Rolls - looking at everything from sourcing food locally to the fact that his plates had been shipped from Taiwan.

Turning Greenwashing Around - Marketing After the Green Color Glasses Come Off

Originally posted Jan 21, 2008
the lohasian

Lately with all the greenwashing and a plethora of research projects all trying to quantify the psychography, size and scope of the green marketplace, I’ve been thinking about the basic principles of sales and marketing. Mostly, I look at how, today, these principles contradict logic. Corporations are clamoring for this attractive market share and are willing to promise the moon to get it.

Green Marketing Shakeout in 2008

2007 was a breakout year for green marketing.  High visibility marketing efforts from giants like GE and Wal-Mart moved into full steam and buzz around green marketing jumped dramatically. 

David Wigder writes:

…interest in green marketing continued to trend upward in 2007. In fact, according to Technorati Charts, the average number of daily references to “green marketing” in the blogosphere doubled from about 150 per day in 2006 to more than 300 per day during the second half of 2007.

How many times have we seen “It’s easy being green” as a headline?  That may be about to change.

News Flash: 110% of Consumers Shop Green

Originally posted Jan. 10, 2007
Joel Makower , Two Steps Forward

This just in: pretty much every consumer is concerned about the environment and is thinking conscientiously about what they buy — how it's made, under what conditions, and by whom. All you have to do is make good, green stuff and they'll buy it! We've reached the tipping point!

Going green a boon to business

Originally posted Jan. 10, 2008
by Don Butler, Ottawa Citizen

Businesses, governments and NGOs are laying the foundations for the world's first sustainable global ec onomy, the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute says in an uncommonly upbeat State of the World report for 2008.

FTC Holds First Workshop on Green Advertising

Originally posted Jan. 9, 2008
Environmental Leader

Last year, corporations and shoppers in the U.S. spent more than $54 million on carbon offset credits, but in its first workshop in a series on the issue of green marketing, the FTC, which regulates advertising claims, raised the issue of where that money is going, according to this piece in the New York Times. With the rapid growth of green programs like carbon offsets, “there’s a heightened potential for deception,” said Deborah Platt Majoras, chairwoman of the commission.

Gary Hirshberg: Changing the Culture and 'Stirring It Up'

Originally posted Jan. 6, 2008
by Joel Makower, Two Steps Forward

I've long been an admirer of Gary Hirshberg, the idealistic and iconoclastic "CE-Yo" of organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm, which he co-founded in 1983. I first met Hirshberg a decade later, in 1993, when researching my book about corporate social responsibility, Beyond the Bottom Line. I recall being impressed at the time by his passion and commitment, but also his humbleness and honesty.

Marketing – When green claims backfire

Orginally posted Jan. 7, 2008
Ethical Corporation

Stretching a product’s green merits turns consumers off, says Mallen Baker

At an event for marketing directors a while ago, I heard one executive comment that in his business the marketers referred to the CSR team as the “sales prevention team”. Ouch.