We’re living in a constant state of knowing. Consumers know a lot more than they once did and they are getting smarter every day. I think the Internet and getting information in real time has a lot to do with it. It is the same thing that is feeding the state of panic some consumers feel they are in with the current economy and the media painting a picture of doom and gloom.

Because consumers are smarter, you’ll no longer be able to say something is good for the planet and that will be enough. They’ll want to know why is it good for the planet? What makes it good for the planet?

This means that you’ll need to make sure you’re in the know as well.

• That you know what consumers want from your green and health products and services.

• That you know consumers will make the connection with something being good for them and good for the planet. They’ll want to double whammy.

• That you know what terminology they best respond to and what terminology sways them from purchasing.

• That you know how to engage them from the start and keep them engaged before, during and after you sell them a product or purchase.

I recently attended an event that recognized competitiveness in manufacturing. It was put on by a company that specialized in consulting for the manufacturing industry, MAGNET. The event, held in Cleveland, Ohio, was quite well-attended in the midst of challenging economic conditions and in a city where jobs are not as prevalent.

It wasn’t enough that this event had top notch food and a well-orchestrated event, complete with cheerleaders and a marching band, but also that they were able to pull this off in a challenging economy, and have a packed house.

I was glad to see that the event recognized competitiveness in the green arena. I think it was the first time. Nonetheless, a local and international manufacturer was selected as the winner, Shearer’s Foods. Being a snack food company consistently operating machinery, their goal was to track and reduce overall consumption of electricity, water and natural gas by converting from a manual data tracking process to a real-time electronic monitoring, leading to a 50% reduction in water usage/discharge and a 3% reduction in electricity.

I just conducted a teleseminar on How to Market and Sell Green in a Down Economy. It was a topic that I felt was timely and needed during this tough economy. I was also asked about this subject regularly.

I spent 60 minutes talking about the consumers who are more willing to spend dollars on green products and services even in the midst of a recession. Believe or not, there are consumers still willing to spend 20% more for products and services they believe in. And, they’ll spend this money even if the economy is down. What you need to understand is that they are value-driven, not driven by price. Sure, just like any other consumer, they may have less money so they may buy less, but they will still pay that premium. To whom I am referring?

LOHAS consumers. Consumers with money and a conscience who balance their values on health, the environment and social issues. They are concerned and interested in a company’s environmental and social responsibility record. But the LOHAS consumers are not the only ones you can target for green products and services…green brands. Did you know that 80% of consumers show some green motivation, according to the latest NMI study?

• DRIFTERS (24% of all U.S. adults): Driven by trends, DRIFTERS are currently engaged in sustainability though their behaviors are not deeply rooted. They are price sensitive and are more likely to be eco-concerned if affected personally. DRIFTERS’ behavior has shown some of the most dramatic increases over time.

• CONVENTIONALS (26% of all U.S. adults): This very practical segment does not have green attitudes but does have some “municipal” environmental behaviors such as recycling, energy conservation, and other similar behaviors. This segment’s behavior is driven more by cost savings or a desire to waste less than by environmental consciousness.

Green drinks is a group of which I just became aware in my hometown. From what I understand, this group with international and local chapters are set up in various cities around the world. If you go to the green drinks website, here is what they say:

"Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organizing network.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good and we'd like to help it spread to other cities. Contact your local node to get the latest info about coming along.”

In the midst of a recession it’s especially important to ensure your campaigns are green initiatives are successful…there is little room for error. This is why I am going to devote today’s discussion to why green initiatives don’t work and what you can do about it. I am going to talk about how to quickly and affordably get on the right track to consumer acceptance, sustainable sales and business profits.

So why might your green initiatives not work:

When I was putting together my 5-week webinar series on Creating Authentic Green Value, I learned about a brand about which I want to tell you:

Eric Daly was a new gardener about 7 years ago with the Inn by the Sea in Maine. He indicated that he thought it was crazy to spray exotic plants with chemicals. He also thought that they should use plants that are indigenous to the area and make it look more like Maine. Without realizing it, he basically transformed the Inn. From that point forward, they started using the landscape to create food sources for wildlife and a natural habitat. People came to see the grounds as they starting planting blooming gardens and holding classes on how to plant local plants and create a natural habitat. At this time, they were not aware of the green movement.

They developed a program for kids – 5 years ago. Kids created bug customers and learned about the ecosystem from the bugs’ point of view. People would come to the inn to stay and see the wildlife. They engaged people, then the profit came later.

Have you ever heard of the Universal Design Living Laboratory? I hadn’t until I was introduced to the concept by a business associate of mine in the retail industry.

It was quite amazing what two people are setting out to accomplish through the help of businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring them. Here is how their website describes what they are setting out to accomplish:

“This national demonstration home and Universal Design Living Laboratory will serve to help people better understand how to create a more comfortable living environment that will enhance their quality of life. This Universal Design Living Laboratory will serve as a resource for others to learn from – today and tomorrow.”

So what is universal design you might ask? They describe it as “human-centered design accommodating people of all sizes, ages and abilities. The reason that this 3500 square foot home will incorporate universal design is because one of the primary residents is a wheelchair user, Rosemarie Rosetti, Ph.D. The home will also be LEED-certified.

What is even more amazing is that they plan to have the entire house sponsored through in-kind products, services and cash donations. They’ve already received an overwhelming amount of support and hope to be able to secure additional sponsors to the tune of $700,000+. They plan to give these sponsors exposure in their marketing efforts. They are planning a documentary to document the building process from start to finish.

If you look around you’ll notice the whole world (or so it seems) has gone green. If you believe everything you read, you’ll think that everyone is buying green. This is not necessarily the case as I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts entitled, “Why Green Initiatives Don’t Work.”

The key to getting consumers to want to buy your green product or service lies in the value you create. Not just any kind of value, but the “authentic green value. Sure, you’ve all heard about creating value for your brands. What you may not be familiar with is what value really means to the consumers who care most about your green and/or LOHAS brand.

Why do they choose to buy it? Convenience? Price? Environmental features and benefits? Each reason they choose to buy dictates which consumer you are targeting. Make sense? It needs to because the value you create as a brand is not necessarily the value some consumers consider as valuable. Additionally, they may not even believe the value proposition you lay forth. Consumers driven by convenience may not consider it a value that you have more environmental attributes than your competitors. If the product is more convenient for them to use, they’ll buy it for that reason first, then everything else is a bonus—if it is believable. That is where authenticity comes into play.

Think outside-the-green-box. It should be a bumper sticker on every car (maybe not..it might be too tacky) reminding people that it’s time to think outside the green box. Consumers are thinking outside that green box and asking for more green attributes and benefits. Green products of the past are not today’s green products.

So the question is…if consumers are thinking outside that green box, why aren’t companies?

To me it lies in the idea that no one wants to innovate, especially in a down economy. It’s too risky. But is there a way to think outside that green box without too much risky innovation? I am convinced there is.

Throw aside your old green thinking and bring in some new thoughts on how you can make it through this next 1-2 year recessionary period. And even be profitable. Believe it or not, there are companies who are increasing sales—despite all of the hardships we read about in the paper or in online journals.

It appears that the health and green connection is taking more shape, especially in Japan. The hot water bottle is more popular than ever—it came back in fashion this past month. Interestingly enough, it is being used as a way for families in Japan to save on their energy costs. The hot water bottles are becoming quite a fashion statement though, with a slew of handmade covers being made available some even being targeted at children.

President-elect, Barack Obama has already indicated one of things he will be focusing on is creating more green jobs. It is no surprise that this is a focus for other companies throughout the nation. Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world, is working with its suppliers to create a green-jobs incubation program in the U.S. The company has formed a Green Jobs Council and more than 30 of its suppliers are participating in it—Bp Solar and General Electric to name a couple.

In the meetings, it was discussed that the catalysts for the creation of these jobs was increased customer demand as well as the need for leadership in sustainability programs. It was also recognized that barriers might hinder the process due to the present economic climate. Additional capital would be needed as well as people needing to be trained in these new green jobs.

As I write this post, it was reported that 14 U.S. companies have formed a coalition to make a new battery for electric cars. The group is seeking $1 billion in federal funds to help this idea come to fruition.

Industry giants such as 3M Corp. and Johns Controls Inc. are two of the 14 who are calling themselves the National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture. It is reported that the group is setting itself up similar to Sematech, a government and industry funded group where its members make up 50% of the world computer chip market. This consortium received close to one billion in funding in the ‘80s to help the U.S. compete against its international rivals in the chip industry.

Apparently, the market for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for cars is too small to support the building of a plant by any one company, according to an article in Information Week. As a coalition, these companies would have a better chance of competing with Asian manufacturers who currently supply the majority of the batteries used for both electric and hybrid cars. The funding the coalition receives would be used to build the first large-scale plant in the U.S. to build lithium-ion batteries.

The automobile makers in the U.S. are expected to play a role in the alliance in the future. So, I wonder, will this be a way to help the auto industry regain momentum? It’s not the first time industry giants have formed coalitions to help bring a new technology/concept to market and it won’t be the last.

Would the formation of this new coalition be a means to push the production and availability of more electric cars?

Consumers are continuing to shop, despite the necessary cut bucks they have had to endure, and they are putting their conscience into it as well.

A recent annual study by Deloitte indicates nearly half of the 13,000 consumers polled said they’d be willing to pay more for green gifts. This was up from 17 percent last year.

This really is no surprise considering general consumers are becoming more aware of how their decisions have an impact on the environment and something as simple as forgoing a bag is something they can do to make a difference. The study also indicates a significant number of people are willing to pay more for green gifts and supplies.

My hunch and educated guess would be the availability is up. It’s easier to find green gifts in the main stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, etc. When we conducted our study in 2005, the first in the Midwest, main consumer groups indicated that lack of availability was one of the reasons they did not purchase greener products.

In my last post, I looked at the latest study by Deloitte indicating holiday shopping is becoming a little greener. There are some other aspects of the recent study I’d like to comment on.

The study did indicate that thirty-eight percent of those polled said they will use fewer bags this year compared to 27 percent last year.

I’ve noticed many retailers trying to get clients to forgo a bag altogether, one such retailer is Substance for Fashion Conscience People. The owner, Christina Getachew, feels that providing yet another reusable shopping bag is wasteful and asking people to forgo a bag is very effective. And I have to agree. Although I think it is great to provide reusable bags, I now find I have an over abundance of them which could be deemed as wasteful as well. Every time I speak at a trade show or attend a conference, I receive not just one, but numerous ones.

Retailers such as Substance can follow the lead that Getachew has taken and so can other businesses. By merely not having to go to the expense to purchase a multitude of bags, you can cut money off your bottom line and put it to good use as Getachew does. When consumers decide to forgo a bag, she makes a donation on their behalf to education-focused non, profit, Donors Choice.

In my last two posts, I talked about holiday shopping becoming a little greener. I’d like to continue that discussion relating it back to current research and studies. If you did not read my last two posts, you may want to read them before reading this one to help you better understand the premise of this ongoing thread I am posting.

In this Deloitte study, twenty percent of the respondents said they will purchase more eco-friendly gifts this year. And, 14 percent are expecting to buy more organic products. Although the study did not segment out which consumer groups are responding in what way, I’d suspect that the 20% percent of the respondents would fall into the LOHAS category or at least one of the other greener consumer segments. That 20% is pretty close to what percentage of LOHAS consumers are in the nation and since we know they are the prime purchasers of green products and services for themselves and for family and friends, they would most likely be the target indicating they will purchase more eco-friendly gifts this year. One thing the study did not indicate is the definition they provided to the respondents for the term “eco-friendly.” Did they even provide one at all? The term is so misunderstood that using it freely might create potential confusion from the get go.

Historically, in the past, major retailers such as Macy’s, Kohl’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc. were known for couponing and sales. Consumers often realized they did not need to pay full price for many things and waited for the sale. It wasn’t too often you noticed a specialty shop couponing or offering many sales, if any at all.

Green or LOHAS-oriented retailers are no different, few couponed and offered much on sale. Many because of the small-scale of their shops and others just to keep their value intact. And, it is known, that LOHAS consumers will spend 20% more for products and services that meet their value system. Other consumer segments such as Naturalites also have a tendency to shop based on values as opposed to many mainstream consumer groups driven by price.

Of course, a recession changes things a bit. Even the consumers willing to spend more, will spend it, but they may not have as much to spend so they’ll choose wisely where they spend those dollars. Sustainlane has started to address this with a couponing approach. Sustainlane, known for its Green Ad Network, Angie’s List of sorts for green products and services, created a way for smaller, greener, LOHAS-oriented stores to get in front of new consumers by offering them a way to save. They call it their GreenSaver, an online source for green deals.

Stevia natural plant-based sweetener, is getting a line extension of sorts into Rebaudioside A, known as Reb-A. the food and drug administration approved it as the first all-natural zero calorie sweetener, to be adopted as a key ingredient in mainstream food and beverage production. And the industry has not wasted any time. Coca-cola and Pepsico are rolling out products this month that will feature the sweetener as a more natural version of their existing one. Their plans are to extend it into their existing brands as line extensions to include Sprite, Odwalla, SoBe and Tropicana. It is yet to determine how they will be marketing these new products.

A recent article in Advertising Age indicates that there is some speculation that the addition of this sweetener could make it confusing for the beverage industry to market the product. Some of the products such as Sprite’s Green product will be marketed as having “50% fewer calories than regular sodas.” Others will have no calories at all.

The Green Brigade, a public radio website, reviewed and selected the 2008 greenwashers of the year. I’d like to recap it with my comments, of course.

Fiji, the bottled water company, was listed at the top, although, there is no rhyme or reason for this according to the review. Here is why Fiji is on their list, according to the website. Fiji’s numbers in one year:

5,500 miles per trip from Fiji to Los Angeles (the closest Fiji Water destination point in the US)

• 46 million gallons of fossil fuel

• 1.3 billion gallons of water

• 216,000,000 lbs of greenhouse gases

Their bottles are made from PET plastic with a 12% recycling rate in the US. These water bottles are often refilled by consumers releasing the chemical DEHA, considered to be a carcinogen.

Keeping all of this in mind, Fiji just release its green campagin and launched its fijigreen.com website indicating “every last drop is green.” This is a pretty bold and far reaching claim. The company has made a significant effort toward reducing their carbon footprint and is committed to become carbon negative by 2010 by:

• Reducing its packaging by 20% and increasing recycled content—keep-in-mind that PET can only be recycled in limited areas.

I just ran across a story on a green wedding contest and knew I needed to read further. By the time you read this post, the voting process may have been started (voting starts January 12th), but the premise of this post is important. Clay Hill Farm, an event, lodging and natural wildlife habitat, had a contest to win a $40,000 complete wedding at Clay Hill Farm in York, Maine.

The five semi-finalists need to start campaigning for the wedding of their dreams and encourage the public to vote for them by ballot--an ingenious way to get exposure for Clay Hill Farm, the sponsors and the couples. Since Clay Hill Farm just became certified as a green facility in Maine, I wonder if they used this contest as an opportunity to generate exposure.

Here is a little more information on the giveaway:

We’re in the midst of the New Year and it is time to forget about old, bad behavior and actions and focus on some new ones — some new rules. The rules I am referring to are for the green and LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) marketplace, though they could be easily used for most any marketplace. I covered these and my other 6 rules more in-depth in this month’s newsletter. Click here to sign up and read the entire article

1. Stay true to your claims. Consumers are becoming more and more educated on what it means when green claims are made through articles, the new administration, and regulations. In order to be successful in the green area, you need to stay true to your environmental claim and not spend unnecessary dollars and time trying to convince people that your product, technology or solution is green when you have very little to back it up.

I presented my session on how to effectively sell to green consumers who care and become one of the “in” brands at the National Retail Federation.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that 150-200 attended my session, the room was just about full and the conference was as well attended as last year. From what I heard, there were about 15,000 major retail executives (and those supporting the industry) in attendance and about 585 exhibitors.

This really was good testament to me that retailers are doing everything they can to educate themselves on how to get ahead despite the current economic climate. They were learning about new ways to look at consumers with my session on Holistic Green Retail Strategies and other sessions such as how consumers make unconscious decisions. I’ll talk more about that in my next post.

What was interesting to me was that the majority of the attendees were from outside the U.S. I am not sure why this surprised me as green is more of a global trend being embraced by many countries—some being further ahead that the U.S.

I wrote a white paper for the event on “Creating Authentic Green Value.” If you’d like to receive a copy of it, please email me at cchandler@marketing-insider.com. It is focused on retailers, yet would apply to most any type of industry to justify why being green is not enough and why many green initiatives don’t work.

Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends

Colette Chandler

As I mentioned in one of my last blog posts, I spoke at the National Retail Conference where Office Depot and Best Buy spoke about their results with their greening of their operations. I am asked quite often what type of results companies should expect from going green. I always like to share what others say:

I thought of you as well as your associates when I listened to a presentation from Office Depot, Best Buy, RecycleBank and Terracycle on the ROI on going green. Here is some information I gathered that might help you in your efforts if or your customers decide to go green.

• Best Buy reported

A 101,036,793 utility bill savings

364,000 tons – carbon reduction which as a result of their waste being recycled. This was equivalent to saving 2.7 million trees and removing 247,000 cars from the road

• Office Depot reported

I just read an interesting article about a new type of lift—one that is powered by the sun and takes two people from the base of a mountain to the mountaintop and back again. It’s called the Taiyou: Solar Powered Cable Car. What an interesting concept and way to involve natural in your design. I would think this would help more ski resorts and tourist areas become greener and save on overall operational costs.

This is one of many solar-powered electronic vehicles we are seeing developed. It seems like at least once a week I am hearing about a new solar-device being introduced to the market.

As the demand increases, I am sure more of these solar-powered tools will be available in other markets.

Paying attention to these and other green trends, will allow you to incorporate some greener tools into your toolkit to position your company one step ahead of others trying to break into the green space.

Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends

Colette Chandler

Apple is focused on its green aspects of its new MacBook, the latest notebook from Apple. It boasts that it is “free of bad chemicals like mercury and “uses less than a quarter of the electricity needed to run a light bulb.

Apple was actually fourth from the bottom in the ninth Greepeace guide to green electronics, published in November of 2008. So I would imagine after this latest MacBook, there green rating would rise.

In Greenpeace’s report, they only make three demands for manufacturers of electronic goods:

I just a recent article in a magazine (E-Environmental Magazine) about how employees can help their employers save money while helping out the planet. I immediately thought that was a great idea and a way to prove their value and do something that makes a difference. We know the economy is tough and companies need to save every penny they can—the more they can save, the more opportunity to keep the valuable employees employed.

In this article, it mentions that businesses waste precious resources such as water, energy and paper products. It also suggests what types of things businesses can do to get started down the green path. Here they are:

As I write this blog post, I am traveling to Louisiana for a week long series of speaking engagements. As I have been traveling in airports, it has occurred to me that there has to be a better way to comply with the security regulations of no water or beverages allowed through the security check point and being green.

It is known by many that plastic water bottles have a 12% recycling rate, though, recyclable ones are on the horizon. Yet, we are left to purchase bottled water if we want more than a quick sip when we travel. I keep thinking there has to be another solution out there that we just aren’t seeing.

Sure, bottled water is a huge money maker for many restaurants knowing you have to buy it if you are thirsty before or after your flight. I used to remember seeing drinking fountains in airports, but I am noticing this has gone by the wayside—at least they are not as prevalent. So what is the answer?

In my last blog post I talked about the Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference. I thought it was fitting to talk about how to green your next meeting. Keep in mind these are 8 simple tips to help you think and act in the same direction:

1. Do your homework. If you’ve never organized a green meeting, read up on it or attend an event such as the Greening the Hospitality Conference I mentioned in my last blog post. The Environmental Protection Agency and Green Meeting Industry Council has a lot of information available on their websites.

2. Find out about your clients’ mission and values and how a “green” meeting might help them drive their message home. Sometimes, the person involved on the client side doesn’t even know it’s an option or even something to consider.

3. Use it as a marketing tool. If you really want to differentiate yourself from other meeting planners, offering something they don’t will definitely set you apart, especially if you are more knowledgeable.

CNNMoney.com published an article on some of the top companies hiring despite the economic recession. Some of the companies mentioned included:

Google Inc – 350 jobs
Wegmans Food Marketing Inc. – 2,000 jobs
KPMG LLP - Thousands
Publix Super Markets, Inc. – 900 jobs
T-Mobile USA, Inc. – 2,163 jobs

As soon as I read this article I wondered if any of these companies were environmentally friendly or going in this direction. I knew some of the green consumer food product companies who were green grew despite a down economy. So I dug a little deeper to find out that I was correct. Quite a few of these companies had strong green initiatives and many were green before it became hip or “in.” Is this coincidental? My thought it isn’t. It supports the fact that people want to feel good about their purchase from a company that is socially responsible. They want to know that the company is making a difference within their company and in the community. Many of these companies are. They are looking at their triple bottom line impact.

I hurt my shoulder so I couldn’t post for a week or so. Sorry you haven’t heard from me.

I recently spoke with a company promoting a destination. They indicated to me that they were not spending money and focused on a message about the economy—of course, none of us have heard any messages like that, have we?

I asked them why they were just focused on the economy. Why wasn’t it green AND the economy? Green is part of the solution to get the economy back on track, why not make it a part of the solution to get travelers to their area? The company responded favorability and asked me what I meant. After explaining, she asked me to write a paragraph of my thoughts and send it to her. She wanted to discuss it at their meeting with the other executives.

I was not planning on writing about this until a business associate of mine said, “can you please write a blog post on this topic so I can share it with my clients?” So here it goes...

Why are we making everything about just the economy and not finding a way to incorporate our green solutions?

Aren’t we in essence creating green jobs when we are developing a new green process or product that requires a certain skill? Aren’t more travelers traveling to more historical and naturalistic areas? Are there any in your backyard that you can focus on to local travelers looking for green staycations?

I’ll talk more about this in my next blog post. Talk to you soon.

Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends

Colette Chandler

As I am writing this blog post, Seventh Generation just unveiled three new natural cleaning products— Natural Fabric Softener Sheets, Auto Dish Pacs and Rinse Aid Seventh Generation Unveils Three New Natural Cleaning Products to Detoxify, Green Spring Cleaning.

In a market of economic uncertainty, they are introducing three new products that are not really a necessity for consumers. Let’s face it, we can live without dryer sheets. Sure, you’d walk around shocking everyone and looking like the bride of Frankenstein, but you don’t have to have them. Yet, here is their great way of telling you WHY you need them:

Did you know?

The European Parliament recently officially endorsed extending the EU's eco-label plan to new products, including processed food. They are one of the few to create these type of standards.

The EU assembly backed the Commission's July 2008 proposal to revise the voluntary eco-label plan with an overwhelming majority . The revised legislation aims to widen the number of products covered by the plan and reduce costs by cutting administrative red tape.

Under its eco-label plan, the Commission sets individual criteria for each product group before awarding the Community flower label.

Currently, over 3,000 products including detergents, paper and shoes have received the recognition.
Food products will not only be assessed according to their production processes, but also a lifecycle approach, including the environmental impact of transport, the agreement states. Moreover, the Commission will consider only awarding the eco-label to organic products, to make it easier for consumers to navigate the label jungle.

The Parliament refused to budge on excluding products that contain substances that are toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or otherwise hazardous to the environment.

It’s really about time we’ve seen this type of labeling happen. Hopefully, this continues to plant seeds for other countries to follow suit, especially the U.S. I agree that the more regulations we have, actually the easier it will be to market green products to consumers. You’ll spend less time proving your product is green and be able to spend more time educating and selling the consumer on why your green solution makes the most sense. I applaud the EU for creating these new standards for their eco-label.

Here is a list of other eco-labels that exist:

Although research on whether or not eco-labels effect consumer behavior is a little dated, its relevance is not. As a matter-of-fact, it is even more relevant today than it ever was considering the economic climate and the need to spend less dollars and make a green product valuable enough that customers purchase again and again.

In 2004, a Danish study analyzed the effect of the Nordic swan eco-label on Danish consumers' decision. It drew the following conclusions:

• Consumers were willing to pay 10-17% more for eco-labeled toilet paper and detergents;

• The market share for the Nordic swan labeled products is estimated to 6-7%;

• When there are more sustainable alternatives on the market, as e.g. reusable dishcloths instead of kitchen paper, consumers will not pay extra for eco-labeled products;

• Consumers have confidence in the label.

Compare this to the U.S. study by NMI in 2007:

I just read an interesting article talking about lead poisoning threatening adults. We hear more about lead poisoning related to children, but this is one of the few articles mentioning its link toward adults. It does make sense, though, that anyone subjected to it at higher levels could have negative impacts on the body. What I found even more interesting, though, was this lead poisoning prevention diet.

Has anyone heard of this?

The article indicated that diets rich in calcium and iron help resist the damage from lead.

Apparently, a child (I would think an adult as well) with an iron deficiency can absorb up to 50% more lead than one with adequate iron in the diet. Good sources of iron include fortified cereals, meat, legumes, prunes, raisins and green leafy vegetables, and iron is best absorbed by the body if consumed with foods high in vitamin C.

Similarly, as calcium intake increases, the body absorbs less lead, so diets high in calcium are important for children exposed to lead.

I just learned about a timely grant, the EILEEN FISHER Business Grant for Women Entreprenuers. Apparently, this grant evaluates applicants on the social consciousness, sustainability, innovation, environmental impact of their business, intended use of grant money, and alignment with the mission of EILEEN FISHER.

During the 2008 grant cycle, more than 125 business women from across the US, including start-ups, applied for the grants via the company's web site. Grant applications were reviewed by 13 members of EILEEN FISHER's volunteer Business Grant committee, which is comprised of employees from various departments across the company, including wholesale and retail.

Manufacturers are increasingly faced with new environmental regulations and push from consumers to become more sustainable. In fact, one of the fastest growing consumer segments, LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers demand it before they will buy a green/environmental product. Yet, it is challenging for companies to know where to start in this challenging green arena.

How green is really green?

What can they say about being environmentally friendly and a conscious business?

What advantage will this allow them in the marketplace?

BusinessWeek recently wrote about the 25 most innovative companies in the world. If you didn’t happen to read this article, here is what they did:

Boston Consulting Group conducted a survey that was sent to senior executives around the globe asking them to name corporations that consistently offered inventive products, customer experiences, business models, or processes. No executive could choose their own company for obvious reasons.

As I read the list of the top 25 most innovative companies, I looked for something they did not, if the companies who were the most innovative were green. Guess what I found? Most were in some way or another.

In fact, a handful were deemed innovative because of some green product, service or initiative. Both Toyota and Honda were on the list due to their hybrids, Wal-Mart for its energy-efficient stores, among other things, and IBM for its focus on the “Smart Planet”-how sensors, data analysis, computers, and networks could be joined to improve the performance of everything from transportation systems to electric grids, according to this Business Week article.

As I write this post, I am in a plane returning from the WBEC conference in Mississippi, where I keynoted. I’m in a plane full of people with no vacant seats, probably due to the reduction in flights. I attended this conference that still managed to attract and draw a crowd of $200+. How?

Not being satisfied with the number of registrations that were coming in on their own, they were proactive and called everyone personally to invite them to the conference. And I have to tell you this was one of the best conferences I ever attended. What I saw and heard was refreshing.

The Obama administration is allocating billions to subsidize the purchases of new technologies by utilities. In a BusinessWeek article, he is quoted as saying, “make our energy bills lower, making outages less likely, and making it easier to use clean energy.”

How it would work would be that smart meters would be installed on people’s homes in place of the older models. This would relay information about electricity use and price to consumers and let utilities collect usage data wirelessly without trucks or meter readers. The debate is whether or not real-time pricing will work. Will consumers be willing to pay more as others blast their air conditioning with the idea that demand would be low on a cool night and prices would be lower? Pricing could literally change per minute. Are we ready for this change?

The idea is that overall energy costs would come down even if only 20% of customers take part in the pricing and efficiency program, under PepsiCo Holdings Inc’s plan. Will it work?

There is much debate, yet my question is how will you get consumers to buy-in?

In the midst of this recession, we’re seeing a lot of trends one of them being consumers investing more than ever in their own gardens for produce to save money.

It makes sense as this is a way for consumers to save dollars and do something for the environment, especially if their garden is grown without pesticides.

Many companies are prospering because of this. Companies such as Scotts who makes gardening products and seed companies are able to capitalize and so are others. Anyone who makes a product that would contribute to building a produce garden and a green one would prosper in the economy.

Who else would?

When I was keynoting at an event recently, I learned about a company that distributes insoles that help people who stand for long periods of time relieve their back pain or any other pain for that matter. The company that distributes the insoles, Happy Feet, LLC, positions the insoles as “personal mats” for the feet.

I really thought this was an ingenious way to allow corporations to see the benefit of using these personal mats over the large mats they need to use in their factories.

If you didn’t have a chance to read my last blog post, click here. I’m continuing my discussion on Happy Feet, LLC, the company who is manufacturing one of the first “green mats” for your feet.

This owner really understood that green positioning could be used to her advantage not just from a marketing and selling standpoint, but also as a way to operate. Her company was built on more of a virtual platform as her 20 sales reps were spread out throughout the nation and worked from their homes. Once she realized more about sustainability as a platform for her business, she realized that her mindset and own beliefs really fit in well. She was already operating with a philosophy of good intentions by generously paying her people and going above and beyond for her customers. It was no wonder her business in 3 years time was on a fast track.

Upstate North Carolina has one of its first totally green homebuilders. This is new in itself, but what I found more interesting was that builder indicated the homes will not cost you more. In this economy, that is what many consumers want to hear.

These green neighborhood near downtown Greenville, called the Elements, is for multi-families something you do not see as often as single-family, green communities. Here are some of the features of these new homes:

• All the trim on the walls comes from trees that were cut down on site.

• Increased insulation resulting in a savings between 30 and 50 percent to code built homes

I often run across new companies that do not really understand the concept of sustainability and green, yet understand enough that they know it is important. They know that they want to embrace it, yet they do not really understand what it means to be green. I ran across one such company the other day who had the best intentions, but needs to better understand the concept of green before they are accused of greenwashing.

I learned of a new doctors office that was more holistically-minded and green. They were marketing these two positioning lines on their website. It was quite attractive to many consumers in a state that did not have many holistically-minded doctors and really no green medical offices such as this. When I checked out the practice, I noticed that although they had a handful of green features, there were many other things they did not embrace. They mentioned being holistic and having green furniture and carpeting, plus no VOC paint, yet when you went into the bathroom, the soap, sprays, etc. were all chemicals. There was definitely a disconnect of what being green really meant. They went so far as to invest in some green furniture and carpeting, etc., yet the simple things such as soap and cleaners were forgotten and not understood, yet they professed being totally green.

This particular business had the best intentions just as anyone else does, they just didn’t understand the concept of what green meant. They didn’t understand that eliminating chemicals was a huge component of the equation.

Could they be greenwashed?

In my last blog post, we talked about Shell being put on trial for in New York accused of playing a role in the killing of Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. If you missed our discussion, see my two prior posts below this one.

In the past month, since we’ve rolled out some new green marketing assessment tools, I’ve been asked what makes companies and corporations successful in marketing green products, services or green initiatives.

The reason my company originally developed green marketing assessment tools was to help organizations, corporations and companies determine if their roll outs would be successful in the green arena. I realized quickly that everyone needed more education and then rolled out my Creating Authentic Green Value Webinar series, http://www.marketing-insider.com/secrets_of_green_brands_webinar/

There is so much to learn in this ever changing green and sustainability marketplace. One thing is for sure, though, certain rules still apply.

• Education is paramount to make customers aware of what you mean when you indicate a product, service or brand is green/sustainable. The more education, the better in my opinion.

• Knowing your customer and that not all green consumers and business think and act the same

• Knowing how to effectively position your message, when to say what, what to say in general

• Determining where you can position your company in the over-crowded green marketplace to allow it to rise above the clutter and not be one of the “me too” generations

• Knowing what else you need to work on internally to be successful in launching a green campaign and how your message should follow your greening process

• Knowing what the trends are in the marketplace, which are here to stay

What doesn’t work:

I just returned from 4 days in San Francisco. I love the west coast, but with the reduced number of flights, it seems to take a while these days. I spoke at the WBENC Conference for certified women business owners.

The conference was well-attended, in fact, they ended up with so many late registrations that they ran out of food! I guess it is a good problem to have. Although there numbers were down, they still ended up with close to 2000 attendees from all industries and an exhibit floor packed with corporate vendors. This is another conference that had me wondering if we were really in the midst of a recession. There was an event at every corner — Luncheons, breakfasts, dinners and receptions. From Wine Country receptions to senior executive receptions, food, drinks and deserts were aplenty.

When I was checking out, I spoke with the front desk person at the Hilton San Fran who indicated he had a hard time believing it was a recession as their hotel had been sold out for 3 weeks straight — 2000 rooms.

I spoke on creating authentic green value and received some great questions from the audience members on how to create it and how to get around costs when selling higher priced green projects.

Has the FTC had it with greenwashing? You might think so since they recently charged Kmart Corp., Tender Corp., and Dyna-E International with making false and unsubstantiated claims that their paper products were “biodegradable.”

If you read some of my previous blog posts, I indicated that I thought we were getting closer to fining companies for false green claims as they do in Europe.

Kmart and Tender have agreed to settle the cases against them; the case against Dyna-E will be litigated. The testimony states that with the recent growth in “green” advertising and product lines, the agency will continue its efforts to ensure that environmental marketing is truthful, substantiated, and not confusing to consumers.

This basically means, get your facts straight and make sure you are truly green before you put it out there for the world to see.

Here is the story on the above retailers and why they were charged:

We are continuing our discussion on the FTC cracking down on false green claims that Kmart Corp., Tender Corp., and Dyna-E International made claiming their products were biodegradable.

It really was a matter of time before the FTC starting cracking down. I figured it was around the corner. What is important to know is that the FTC publishes Green Guides to help marketers avoid making false or misleading green claims by explaining how consumers understand commonly used terms, such as “biodegradable” and “recyclable,” and by describing the basic elements needed to substantiate those claims.

I travel a good deal and while traveling, especially to new cities, I take the opportunity to explore the city, talk with working people and really get my pulse on this city. My motive is to find out:

1. How green/sustainable is this city?

2. Who is driving the efforts?

3. How are they managing during this recession?

4. Which industries have felt it more and which have felt it less?

Why is this important to me?

Cleveland, Ohio is definitely a hub for manufacturers both large and small. On September 10th, I had the opportunity to interact with these manufacturers while sitting on a panel of other green experts specializing in sustainable operations, facilities and so forth. My area, of course, was on the trends and marketing.

There were about 90 manufacturers in attendance. I thought it was a respectable number considering it was a recession and green may have not been at the top of their business agenda. Nevertheless, they were attendance and asking some good questions of the panel.

In my last post, I talked about the Crain’s ecoSMART manufacturing panel I sat on in Cleveland that was sponsored by MAGNET.

If you missed my last post, click here.

Here is the question I asked at the end of my post. I am sure you are wanting to know the answers I didn’t have time to share, right?

Why pursue sustainability, or Eco-Smart Manufacturing, during a downturn? Is this a nice to have but not a need to have?

a. Trust is at an all-time low. Transparency is the only answer.

b. Consumers are still spending the dollars with greener products more – Deloitte did a retail strategy as well as others.

c. Green consumers will spend 20% more. Targeting them allows you to tap into the $209 billion global marketplace and $545 billion international marketplace of goods and services.

You’ve just rolled out a new natural product; let’s say it’s a lotion. It’s similar to the others using natural scents and no fillers. Prospects are not reacting the way you expected and you wonder why. Some customers are picking up your product, smelling it, then putting it down. You start to wonder if your product is as good as you think it is. You know your customers love it, you have it in stores and have been selling similar products for a while now.

In my last blog post, we discussed trusting yourself and your green and natural products. We’re continuing this discussion. If you missed this article, scroll down below this post to read it.

Other ideas to know if your product is the problem or it is your perception is to:

A. Look at your competition and see what is selling and what isn’t. Just make sure they are targeting the same audience. It should give you a sense of what customers are buying overall.

B. Survey your customers before rolling out a new product. Before you roll out a new product, unless your customers demand it, test it on them first. Ask for a sample customer group, a focus group of sorts, and tell them you will send them one of your products in exchange for providing feedback. This will save you a lot of time and energy from producing something that won’t sell.

My company often gets asked to come in and wave our magic wand to tell someone they are green or sustainable enough to print their brochure talking about it. I say this tongue and cheek because we were asked not that long ago to do this.

A company wanted to produce a brochure stating how green their products were. They wanted my company to come in and do a quick little assessment and tell them they were green enough to produce this brochure. The challenge was that they had never had any type of sustainability platform, no guiding principles, no audit on energy usage, etc., etc. Knowing this, I knew in order to be able to accomplish what they wanted, my assessment had to be even more in-depth than I normally did so that I would prevent the company and really my company (oh yes, consulting firms and agencies can be greenwashed as well) as well from being greenwashed.

I speak to both national and international audiences on topics of creating authentic green value, greenwashing, green marketing, and trends.

I always customize my speeches to my audience leaving them with ideas they can implement right away. I recently decided to include information about ways to know if something is truly green or if it is greenwashing. Considering the U.S. FTC already have charged three companies 4 months ago with false green claims, I figured knowing how to spot greenwashing would be important.

I have included the list below that I have put together and pulled from a couple of sources on the Internet:

-Follow the money and paper trail

Companies donate to political parties, think tanks, etc. Few disclose this in annual report – who donating to. Ask about all donations.

Ask about submissions made by company and lobbying issues you are interested in. Make sure on right side. Most companies and association will make submissions to government and other inquiries on issues of importance. These are often posted to website. Also send letter to politicians and government agencies—accessed by Freedom of Information Act.

-Find out associations to which they belong

Some companies may talk about their environmental policy and performance, but hide their anti-environmentalism behind banner of industry association to which they belong. See which associations they belong to and check and see their policies.

We;ll continue this discussion in my next blog post.

Colette Chandler

Helping You Understand and Profit from Consumer Health and Green Trends