Recently in Sales Promotion of Green Products and Services Category
UL Environment, or U.L.E., new subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories that is launching global environmental-standards, has awarded its first product certification to EcoRock, a recycled drywall.
UL Environment
gave Serious Materials in Sunnyvale, Calif., an environmental
certification that will help the company sell EcoRock panels for
building projects aiming for LEED certification from the USGBC.
The company will soon test a number of other products in line for environmental certification, including sunglasses, wind turbines, dishwashers and televisions, said the vice president and general manager of U.L.E., Marcello Manca.
RESOURCE: UL Environment
UL Environment's Database of Environmentally Sustainable Products
Manufacturers may submit their products for UL testing and environmental claims validation.
AdReady promises to ease the headaches and guesswork
and to lower the costs associated with buying display ads. A Ford
dealership in California can pick from a pool of templates and
customize an image of a revolving Ford car with the dealership logo and
contact information. Then, the dealer can buy ad space through AdReady
on major Web sites targeted to reach only Web surfers in California.
The AdReady system suggests tweaks, such as changing the ad background color, that have proven to draw more people to click on
ads.
Advertisers can spend as little as $20, and AdReady is paid a cut of the ad buy.
AdReady and other services also give advertisers the ability to tie ad spending to response results that show how many people viewed a specific ad and how many people clicked on it. The car dealer could then decide it wants to turn off the ads that received the fewest clicks and run more of the ads that were more effective.
By drawing in new ad buyers, the self-service options also aim to address one of the nagging problems with the display-ad market: cheap prices.
As a flood of new Web sites compete for consumers'
eyeballs, sites such as Facebook are having difficulty raising prices
for ads. The cost for reaching a thousand Web visitors can be as little
as a few cents on Facebook or MySpace.
Reaching the same number of viewers of a prime-time TV show can cost $30.
SOURCE: New York Times May, 2007
Recent data shows podcasting is actually making a considerably large mainstream impact and that the business model is well underway towards profitability. Nope we are not completely there yet (think banner ads five years into public adoption of the internet) but these recent activities and new data suggest you might want to take a second look at this space.
The members of our trade group, comprised of RSS media host providers , big and growing content publishers (who are making money now, including my music discovery network IndieFeed, as well as shows that have significantly lower audience counts but with great loyal audiences), ad intermediaries, interactive agencies, and big brands including Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, Real Networks, Discovery Networks, Turner Broadcasting, MTV, Arbitron, Neilsen, NPR, PBS, PRI, Comcast, and in total well over 200 members, believe we can help address the clear hurdles to translate to effective, wide-scale ad-supported monetization.
If you take IAB and ad banner development as an example, we believe best practice guidelines have developed far quicker than other technology adoptions in the past. They are the first public step in a coordinated effort to create cross-system apples-to-apples and low friction commerce between publishers and advertisers. We are moving forward to secure funding for primary research to help bear out the power and immediacy of subscribable and downloadable media at the niche level.
Second, The Arbitron Edison Research Internet and Multimedia Survey of 2008 just came out, showing a roughly 39% growth in audio and 45% growth in video podcast consumption from last year. Nearly 54 million Americans have consumed podcasts (more than one in 5), predominantly 25-54 age bracket, 53% male 47% female, consumption occurring predominantly at the desktop. I encourage you to speak to Tom Webster at Edison Media Research for more details, he can be reached at twebster at edisonresearch dawt calm.
TWITTER
We all love Twitter but podcasts dwarf Twitter usage, in substance,
unit production, and most importantly, reach. I'm not clear why this
comparison needs to be made. Sure they are two emerging user-generated
social technologies. Where Twitter is a growing, vibrant micro-blogging
medium, primarily link and text based, how it delivers direct revenue
generation for twitter publishers remains to be seen. It sure is a
great amplification device to an extremely small group of 2.0
influencers.
BLOGGERS
As for commercial viability, the stratification of
bloggers to commercially viable bloggers is likely the same as
podcasters to commercially viable podcasters. You've seen the graphs,
it looks a lot like an iceberg with the sea-level defining the
monetization line. Today the focus is on the group above the line.
Podcasting is not failing as a monetization model. Some publishers may never make money if they fail to deliver an opportunity to the advertiser, and vice versa. But many are and will fulfill this objective. It is not that RSS media enclosures are somehow a broken technology, it's tremendously powerful and monetizable. But systems will need to be adopted to accommodate scale and that is what our group is up to.
These recent indicators strongly suggest to our group that podcasting and episodic audio and video media is not only viable but a vibrant and exciting space for advertisers to reach loyal audiences drifting from traditional media.
Chris MacDonald
Chairman
Association for Downloadable Media
Wizzard Media
downloadablemedia.org
Shipping Services
"On May 12 the USPS will adjust prices for our shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, and International Mail. For the first time our pricing includes commercial volume and contract prices, rebates, online price reductions, and other new incentives."Mailing Services
First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢.
For more information, visit the US Postal Service Price Increase
In visiting with a green manufacturer recently, he hopefully asked, "How much more will people pay for green products?"
My answer, "Not much. They pay for additional VALUE, not GREEN."
This is the same challenge conscientious, conservation business people are facing: how do we translate the green benefits into VALUE propositions that people can get instant gratification from?
Some are taking the tact of "glamor". Others, prestige and innovator status with bragging rights among the in-crowd. Others are selling the concept of savings from energy use.
Others are waiting.
Waiting for what? For compliance to kick in. For carbon trading to kick in. For carbon tariffs. For carbon taxes. For prices of oil to rise.
Watching and planning and waiting is what constitutes a "chasm".
This marketing term was coined by Geoffrey Moore who wrote the book "Crossing the Chasm" in 1999 to illustrate how high technology's early bell-curve product life cycle was broken with hesitancy at a predictable point.
2007-2008 is that "Chasm" for many green business-to-business applications.
The Chasm |
The early adopters have been corporations who have bought "test" units and they are testing them. They are communities who have instant savings from long term energy glut applications such as street lights or potential litigation from health impacts such as schoolbuses.
They bought. They're testing and sharing the results with the rest of us. We're waiting for the rules of the game to become clear before we buy more.
But some things are different between the green revolution and the technology revolution in the desktop computer era. We ARE living in challenging times.
Early Market |
Consumers Are Ahead of Business
Recent research showed that consumers are ahead of business in adapting green solutions. They are recycling. Changing light bulbs. Buying organic. Walking and biking. Buying hybrid vehicles. Buying Energy Star applicances.Businesses aren't putting systems into place for purchasing greener products. They aren't collecting used paper. They aren't replacing paper plates with permanent servicewater. They aren't buying hybrid cars. They aren't retrofitting HVAC systems.
Businesses are waiting for legislation that will affect their tax credits and their compliance behaviors.
Businesses are going to seminars and searching for case studies and testing demo equipment. And waiting.
That's the chasm.
The questions that must be answered is "Then what happens...?"
After the Chasm
Employees are learning about green solutions at home. They are replacing faucets, recyling their trash, measuring their electrical usage, locating biofuel fueling stations.These innovators will be the leaders in the workplace when it breaks loose...and then, Katie bar the door!
They will be ready. Will you be ready?
The Bowling Alley
The Bowling Alley |
The specific solutions in the green market include hybrid vehicles, PV solar energy and organic food, among others. Very specific solutions that are well defined with immediate results that can be demonstrated.
Other green and sustainable solutions, such as water conservation, zero waste, and green retrofits for buildings are harder, provide longer term or less obvious results -- and they will thrive in later stages of the technology life cycle.
Knowing which of your products can be attached to SPECIFIC market applications can help you tailor your marketing and your message to these "bowling alley" buyers.
The Tornado
The Tornado |
Green building and development (NEW buildings) is a good example of one segment of the green space that has reached The Tornado stage.
Supported by the USGBC and other green certification and training programs, new green building technology has
- An infrastructure with deployable methods
- Is supported by architects and builders who provide third party endorsement and services
- Is supported by governments who mandate and will buy into the marketplace
New green building has crossed the chasm, has been applied to specific applications such as schools and colleges and state office buildings... and is now an accepted part of the architectural field with training, employment opportunities and materials suppliers all lined up for the ride back up to the bell curve apex.
Cities are strengthening the mandates across the entire development sector that all new buildings must meet tighter building codes that meet green building and sustainable community goals.
Translating "Computer Tech" into "Green Tech"
Times have changed. The challenge is different. Compliance issues are different. And the economic mix has changed. But the chasm concept is partly an observation about how people and how groups work when faced with new technology and CHANGE. And that doesn't change a lot over a few short years.We will be bringing you more information about how green marketing fits this product lifecycle timeline in future articles and learning platforms.
Resources
The Chasm Companion by Paul Wiefels with a Foreward by Geoffrey A. Moore provides implementation guidance to "Crossing the Chasm" and "Inside the Tornado".Ecolutionary Selling
She guides you through reducing the confusion in the sustainable furniture market and turn GREEN into GR$$N.
Environmental claims are regulated by the FTC -- and it is the manufacturer's and retailer's responsibility to provide credible information. This book about furniture can help you identify those credible claims so you’ll never be accused of "greenwashing" your product(s) when you know the rules.
And, since no one wants to go into new territory blind, Hunt has also included a sample of a Sustainable Standard application, plus a glossary of all the terms you’ll need to know.
Ebook Primer for Designers, Retail Sales, Buyers, Distributors and Manufacturers of Sustainable Furniture.
Most importantly you have the backbone of what makes up a Sustainable Marketing Data Sheet, and how to create your own.The "Ecolutionary Selling" ebook includes:
- A snap shot of Sustainable Furniture Trends
- An overview of Life Cycle Assessment and why it’s central in a credible standard.
- 24 Criteria that goes into Standards
- Who’s doing what and why?
- A two page comparison checklist of standards you need to know about.
SOURCE
Mary Clare Huntwww.EcoLutionarySelling.com
Comparing marketing channels helps farmers determine how to use each channel, as well as which channel can be most profitable for their specific kinds of produce and time commitment.
Comparing Farmers Markets, CSAs and Wholesale Profits
Where's the core of farm produce profits?While farmers' markets have become increasingly popular with consumers, farmers themselves are beginning to ask how profitable selling at a farmers market actually is.
UC Small Farm Program director Shermain Hardesty is finalizing a case study of three farms that each market their products three ways: farmers markets, wholesale and through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in which subscribers regularly receive boxes of food from the farm.
Net Revenue for Farm Produce
Preliminary results of research found that- Farmers markets generated the lowest net revenue return for all three growers
- Wholesale provided the highest net revenue return.
- The net rate of return for CSA revenues was in the middle.
Farmers markets can also provide an outlet for produce unmarketable to wholesale channels and can support new farmers developing new businesses.
To help growers determine the cost and return of their different marketing options, Hardesty and student researcher Penny Leff offered use of their formulaic spreadsheets to workshop participants and walked them through tabulation of their costs and returns. "We want to show farmers how they can determine their actual marketing costs themselves," Hardesty said.
For more information, contact Shermain Hardesty at (530) 752-7774, sfpdirector@ucdavis.edu.
RESOURCE: UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Who would think, after watching all of the high-glamor television and
Internet ads for new cars that safety matters more than paint color!Maybe the sustainability message is getting through -- quality matters! Value matters -- and that's not just price. Performance matter. All those features are part of sustainable product design and service.
As the Federal Trade Commission looks at environmental claims in more depth, it's time to take a look at what truly is wanted in the marketplace -- and it looks like the safety and quality messages are gaining on the label of the day...like glamor or sexy style that's out of date in nine months.
A 2008 survey also revealed that car buyers consider safety and quality as the most important consideration, followed by value, performance, environmental friendliness, design, and technical innovation.
Source: Consumer Reports' 2008 Car Brand Perception Survey
Complying with Environmental Marketing Guides:
FTC Publication
Environmental Marketing Claims.
This article provides excellent details on legal approaches to environmental claims: Lawpublish.com
The FTC looks at all advertising from the ... standards for environmental performance or prescribe testing protocols.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks to prevent deception and unfairness in the marketplace. The FTC Act gives the Commission the power to bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading marketing claims, including environmental or "green" marketing claims. The FTC issued its Environmental Guides, often referred to as the "Green Guides," in 1992, and revised them most recently in 1998. The Guides indicate how the Commission will apply Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, to environmental marketing claims.
Claims must provide
- Substantiation
- Specificity
Eco-Seals, Seals-of-Approval and Certifications
Environmental seals-of-approval, eco-seals and certifications from third-party organizations imply that a product is environmentally superior to other products. Because such broad claims are difficult to substantiate, seals-of-approval should be accompanied by information that explains the basis for the award. If the seal-of-approval implies that a third party has certified the product, the certifying party must be truly independent from the advertiser and must have professional expertise in the area that is being certified.Symbols
Many consumers are confused about what they can recycle in their communities because so many products display the universal recycling symbol. Often called the "three-chasing-arrows" or "Mobius loop," this image is likely to convey that the packaging is both "recyclable" and "recycled." Unless both messages can be substantiated, the claim should make clear whether the reference is to the package's recyclability or its recycled content.National Center for Environmental Economics
NCEE analyzes relationships between the economy, environmental health, and environmental pollution control. This includes:- Economic benefits and costs
- Economic incentives
- Size, composition, and effects of the pollution control industry
- Risk assessment data used in economic analyses
SOURCE: EPA Natinal Center for Environmental Economics
Association of Environmental and Resource Economists
AERE provides many forums for exchanging ideas relevant to the allocation and management of natural and environmental resources.AERE Business Office
Marilyn M. Voigt
AERE Business Office
1616 P Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202-328-5125
Facsimile: 202-939-3460
voigt@rff.org
http://www.aere.org
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U.S. co-ops serve some 120 million members, or 4 in 10 Americans.Cooperatives operate in every industry including agriculture, childcare, energy, financial services, food retailing and distribution, health care, insurance, housing, purchasing and shared services, telecommunications, and others.
With the increasing trend of family and friends sharing resources, cooperatives provide a natural marketing strategy. Cooperatives depend on word of mouth to spread the word about good solutions, good providers, and they buy from one another, as well.
Joining a cooperative can be a great boost for small and new business people who need to network and get those crucial "first users" for endorsements and recommendations...as well as ongoing market niche sales.
Cooperative business is a rural tradition that has spread
through many urban industry niches, as well. Some of the successful
cooperative niches include:
- Agriculture
- Food retailing
- Childcare
- Professional organizations
- Banks and credit unions
- Development funds
- Economic development
- Energy
- Health
- Housing
- Purchasing
SOURCES:
California is home of thriving cooperatives, especially in agriculture and food sectors. The California Farmers Markets are just one example of cooperative organization. There's also the Farm Credit Council, Rural Business, Rural Electric Cooperatives and even Rural Telecommunications.
But urban cooperatives are also thriving -- whether they are formal or informal. Some city cooperatives include babysitting coops, daycare and preschool facilities, garage sale and flea markets, dog walking, carpooling...and even Friday night datenight card parties!
Cooperatives are the epitome of word of mouth referral sales!
National Cooperative Business Association
