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“Survival of the fittest” is often attributed to Darwinism. More accurately, however, Darwin was describing “survival of the flexible” as those species most rewarded with longevity. In the midst of an economic crisis stacked on top of an environmental crisis, it is this agility that is quickly defining the business and community leaders of tomorrow.
Consumer Expectations
Understanding current financial limitations while remaining focused on the critical triple bottom line is the fundamental challenge for today’s organizations. The current confluence of an environmental and economic crisis is the greatest opportunity for culture change of our times. Companies and organizations that both understand and react to the latest in consumer expectations are well positioned to offer beneficial goods/services to customers and financial stability to their stakeholders.
These new consumer expectations include:
Transparency over spectacle.– Thanks to speed of accessing information, modern consumers are willing and able to research the companies and organizations they support. Much like Consumer Reports provides insight to product performance, blogs and NGOs eagerly provide more and more information regarding a company’s social and environmental performance. In an era where everyone has a voice, most Google search returns are user generated content, rather than corporate sponsored communication. This is your advantage.
According to the Reputation Institute, using its innovative reputation-modeling, a 10 percent increase in corporate reputation translates into a 1.3 percent increase in bottom line corporate value. Reputation is a trust issue. Trust is achieved through transparency.
Strive for Transparency over Spectacle. Report on it in your marketing and through standardized transparency reports (i.e. GRI).
Dialogue over monologue. – Social Networking sites have created the marketplace of the conversation. Consumers are using online conversation, status notifications and group affiliations (neo-tribes) in their social life. This is transcending the social and is becoming a business requirement as well. “What is Company XYZ doing right now?” Shell has launched Shell Dialogues to “explore the energy debate.” At the site, stakeholders can engage with Shell experts on a variety of topics. This can be viewed as a hijack of the strategy in question, but they are hijacking it for a reason.
Old school marketing of broadcasting a single, unreturned message is a failed strategy. Today’s consumer wants to engage with the brands they support. They want to shape them in their own image, not the other way around.
Whenever possible, ask questions of your customers. Then, of course, listen, engage, react, and say “thank you.”
“Fans” not customers. – In the Green Space, there is still quite a bit of “badge wearing.” The modern consumer is looking for unique opportunities to walk their own talk. When they find a brand that supports their mission and furthers their own brand of environmentalism or social justice, they talk about that brand, service or idea to their social networks. Old research demonstrated that the LOHAS consumer disliked being “marketed to.” This is likely true of all consumer segments. However, beneficial goods and services that reinforce personal brands have an amazing opportunity to create a fan-base out of their customers. Method and Dansko are great examples of this.
Treat your customers like fans, rather than customers. Create moments and stories they can share with their friends.
Cultural value AND immediate gratification. – Your new fan-base is hungry to support corporations that support their own cultural values. But they also want the perceptions of a fair price. They want transparency. They want value. And they want it now.
“Green” as a product attribute can be a powerful motivator, but it is rarely the only motivator. It is a new feature – in some cases it’s that new car smell. Don’t be confused into thinking that your product or service can live on green attributes alone. Make sure your fans know both your cultural value and economic value.
Play on the same field as your non-green competitors, and then spike the ball with extraordinary cultural value.
New Opportunities
As disposable income decreases, consumers will naturally be more fiscally conservative. But, the smart ones with a little more expendable income will choose banks they are culturally aligned with. They will choose wisely where they can get the most economic and cultural bang for their buck. They will deposit their money with companies they trust and share values with. Build a brand to reinforce this. There are two strategies for building brands:
1. Earn them
2. Buy them
Both strategies work. One takes money. One takes time. Immediate return is what got us into this mess. So let’s choose enduring value over immediate return.
Cut your media buy, but engage your fan-base in new ways.
• Invest in social media
• Invest in public relations and blogger relationships
• Create public events that do MORE than just promote your business.
• Promote those events.
• Build a heroic brand.
• Develop deep economic and social relationships with mission-aligned non-profits.
And then, okay, if there’s money left over, buy an ad. Smart marketing dollars spent during a down economy are far more powerful than money spent during boom years. Consider that each dollar represents a greater percentage of the overall marketing expenditure in your given industry.
We are at a unique place and time. The crossroads of environmental and economic crisis provide agile companies with the ability to capture market share in a down market. Beneficial corporations and start-ups have the advantage in this market. We are the future value chain for products and services. We offer more than product. More than status. We offer solutions to the crises of our time. People need that. Companies with environmental and socially beneficial goods and services will manage through the current economic crisis and build value for the very sector that they helped create. Modern consumers are looking for solutions, perhaps even heroic companies to support.
Given 75 percent of a respectable media budget, innovative marketing and stakeholder engagement can return far more value in the long-run.
In the short-run, however, advertising is just the price you will pay for not being creative.
John Rooks is the President/Founder of The SOAP Group (Sustainable Organization Advocacy Partners) – a communications advocacy company developing sustainability messaging and branding for corporations, start-ups, non-profits, traditional ad agencies and all the crevices in between.
SOURCE: Environmental Leader
Romantic, exotic, glamorous or abstract: this spring’s floral patterns provide an injection of creativity and a love of fashion into your wardrobe. The floral looks are inspired by chlorophyll-green gardens, sundrenched landscapes and even 70s hippie chic flower-power. The romantic garden collection is made using organic and recycled materials. All the garments have been produced using sustainable materials or using recycled PET bottles or textile waste.
This spring’s bright and flowery fashions can update and rejuvenate your wardrobe and offer a modern, sustainable look whatever your personal style. The collection includes a feminine chiffon dress made from recycled polyester with a colourful garden print, a pinafore dress in organic cotton with romantic roses and a smock dress in organic cotton with an ethnic floral pattern. An organic cotton top in a small floral design or a frilly chiffon top made from recycled polyester can be combined with cropped trousers or shorts in organic cotton and/or linen. A beige anorak can be worn over a floral jumpsuit, both of which come in tencel.
Sustainable materials
- Organic cotton is cotton that has been grown without the use of hazardous chemicals.
- Organic linen is linen that has been grown without the use of hazardous chemicals.
- Recycled polyester is polyester made from PET-bottles or textile waste.
- Tencel is silky, renewable material produced with minimal environmental impact.
Source: The Garden Collection by H&M
It is a challenging time for the luxury industry, with the economic downturn threatening sales, and a growing awareness of real social and environmental challenges, such as climate change, wars over resources and increasing consumer expectations of luxury brands. …
Presented by: Dr Jem Bendell
A new survey has revealed that Europeans are 50 percent more likely to buy environmentally-friendly products than Americans, from solar panels to organic foods and sustainable wood to toiletries and household products. The survey also shows that Europeans are 25 percent more likely to recycle and to try to influence their family and friends to buy green goods and be environmentally conscious.
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The results of the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) study, which were released on 29 October, show how far green consciousness has filtered into everyday European life. The study divided the adult population of Europe according to people’s buying patterns, product use and attitudes to various matters, including sustainability, corporate responsibility and the use of environmentally friendly products and services.
The eight countries featured in the survey were Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Insights revealed included what people think about health and environmentalism, as well as how they affect their lives, where they buy environmentally-friendly goods, what motivates their choices, and their attitudes towards issues such as the responsibility of large corporations towards the environment.
The results also showed that Europeans are 32 percent more likely to buy products that have organic or environmental stamps of authenticity on them, despite the fact that the researchers found that Europeans are approximately 25 percent less likely than American shoppers to pay more for environmentally friendly products.
Environmental initiatives carried out by the European Union in the past 20 years, such as the creation of recycling points across Europe, and policies on major environmental issues such as sustainability and cleaner air and water have played a large role in developing a “green consciousness” among European consumers. The enormous rise in popularity of organic food production and natural medicines and therapies, which are publicised frequently in the media, are also contributing to the growing green consciousness.
The LOHAS survey was the result of a partnership between the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) and the international public relations firm Porter Novelli. Steve French, managing partner at the NMI, said, ‘As the global eco-momentum in the marketplace continues, the LOHAS movement will accelerate consumer alignment of social beliefs and personal values with those of brands and companies. It is this frame of mind that will drive the LOHAS market and make sustainability the key growth driver of long-term stakeholder and brand equity for decades. We are delighted to partner PN in helping companies to understand this truly sustainable opportunity.
Source: European Commission Research, November 14th 2007
Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, have launched their own socially conscious fashion label
Not long ago, ethical fashion had an image problem. No one wanted to wear baggy-bottomed Thai fisherman’s trousers or an ecru smock top. Unflattering and unappealing, eco-fashion was best left to eco-warriors.
But there has been a definite swing over the past year. Ethical consumerism – from buying products made from recycled or renewable sources to supporting companies that adhere to fair trade principles – is on the rise. It is now cool to care.
So cool in fact, that the latest edition of Vogue has devoted 10 pages to ethical clothing. And London Fashion Week, which starts next week, will include an exhibition space dedicated to 13 ethical labels.
But it’s the celebrities behind the movement who are really making a difference. They’ve made ethical consumerism sexy. One is Bono. Last year, along with his wife, Ali Hewson, and designer Rogan Gregory, he launched Edun, a socially conscious fashion label.
Its clothes are made in locally run factories in Africa, South America and India and the company promotes trade rather than aid. The range is brilliantly designed: this autumn there are beautiful Art Nouveau printed silk dresses, elegant tie-neck chiffon blouses, urban skinny jeans and denim trench coats.
This year Bono also launched Project Red, a collaboration between Armani, Amex, Converse, Motorola and Gap. Each brand markets covetable and ecologically sound products under the Red banner; profits are donated to a fund fighting Aids, malaria and TB in Africa.
Project RED’s unofficial face is Scarlett Johansson, who appears in October’s issue of Vogue wearing Armani’s designs for the charity. The actress told the magazine: “We don’t have to live in a teepee and wear a hemp skirt to be conscious about what’s going on. Maybe somebody thinks, ‘It’s cool that she’s wearing the Red T-shirt, I’ll hop over to Gap and pick one up’.”
Gap, which launched the T-shirts in the spring ( parkas, hoodies and jeans will follow) isn’t the only store turning out fashionable and ethically produced clothes. Last week saw the launch of Adili, a website devoted to the top 25 ethical fashion labels, including Ciel, Patagonia, HUG and People Tree, which has a concession in Topshop, Oxford Circus.
People Tree has given the movement a boost with Trudie Styler as its new face. It has designed T-shirts in conjunction with Action Aid; 10 per cent of profits will go to help raise Fair Trade awareness in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Small, independent fashion labels have also furrowed the green path. Brighton-based Enamore sells everything from pretty hand-made kimono tops to delicate hemp knickers ( far more appealing than they sound).
Chic shoes can be found at ethical boutiques such as Terra Plana, which designs shoes with recycled materials. And rather than squeezing into jeans made from cotton cultivated with pesticides, consumers can now choose brands such as Loomstate, whose eco-friendly designer jeans are sold at Harvey Nichols and Urban Outfitters.
Larger companies are catching on. Timberland, which sells eco-friendly footwear made with vegetable tanned leather and recycled rubber soles, is launching a reforestation project – it will plant one tree for each pair of boots sold.
And Marks & Spencer, which recently commissioned a survey that found that 78 per cent of shoppers wanted to know more about the way products were made, has just launched its own Fair Trade line.
Tesco, meanwhile, is to sell a range of organic clothing designed by Katherine Hamnett, a long-time crusader for ethical fashion.
Of course, it can be argued that eco-fashion is an oxymoron. How can eco-friendliness fit with so ephemeral an industry? The most significant progress should perhaps come from consumers: buying less, and more ethically, could be the most ecologically sound way to shop.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk, Author: Clare Coulson
We’ve seen Kate Moss knock off her own designer wardrobe for Topshop, had M, Madonna’s money-saving ranges for H&M, and “Lily [Allen] Loves” a bargain at New Look. But cheap-as-chips celebrity collaborations are looking old hat compared with a new wave of tie-ups that have more than just self-promotion and the retailer’s bottom line in mind.
Natalie Portman, the star of films such as Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and the Star Wars prequels, is going one step further by designing her own vegan-friendly shoes for a New York boutique. The collection, for the Manhattan shoe emporium T Casan, goes on sale next month although keen shoppers can place pre-orders from 15 January. The vegetarian actor’s designs will sell for about $200 (100), making them a cheaper alternative to Stella McCartney’s leather-eschewing shoes which sell for at least 295.
So far eco-minded celebrity alliances have been few and far between, but retail experts predict that Portman’s shoes are the future of high street fashion for 2008. Leona Lewis, the X Factor winner turned pop diva and a fellow vegetarian, last week said she would “love” to create her own range of affordable non-leather bags and shoes.
Meanwhile, Debenhams has allied itself with Sir Steve Redgrave, the Olympic oarsman, who has put his name to a clothing range made with Fairtrade cotton that will go on sale for Fairtrade fortnight next month. 
And Katharine Hamnett, the fashion designer, is searching for a new high street partner after axing her nascent alliance with Tesco for her range of T-shirts made from organic cotton. Even Pamela Anderson, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has done her bit with a cruelty-free clothing line.
Richard Hyman, who runs Verdict Consulting, a retail consultancy, said shops ploughing the well-trodden celebrity endorsement route would not be enough of a draw for saturated shoppers. “This year shops will have to find the right endorsement that is sympathetic to their marketplace,” he said, adding that tapping into the consumers’ blossoming ethical consciousness with targeted tie-ups was one option retailers would choose. “Retailing today needs to be about offering a genuine point of difference,” he added.
Lauretta Roberts, editor of the trade fashion magazine Drapers, said eco-fashion was the “number one cause at the moment”, predicting more collaborations. “I don’t think we’ve had Lily Loves Organic Cotton. Not yet, anyway.” But she cautioned: “Whoever does it, both in terms of the celebrity and the fashion brand, would have to think very carefully. It would need to be a credible pairing on both sides, as you’re just asking for people to scrutinise your behaviour and business practices if you style yourself as an eco-warrior.”
Anya Hindmarch, the luxury handbag designer, knows this only too well. Despite being for an ethical cause, her limited-edition “I’m not a plastic bag” cloth bag, sold by Sainsbury’s, hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after it emerged it was made in China using cheap labour even though the supermarket said the factory pays double the minimum wage.
And although McCartney makes vegetarian-friendly shoes and clothes, Ethical Consumer magazine, which advises consumers where to shop on ethical grounds, points out that the designer’s eponymous label is owned by PPR, the luxury fashion giant behind several other lines that use furs such as fox, badger and mink.
Portman’s shoes will be made without animal ingredients: leather, fur and feathers are all off-limits. T Casan has said it will donate 5 per cent of the range’s profits to charity.
Natalie Portman
The most glamorous of the new wave of ethical fashion champions, the actress has designed a collection of red-carpet-ready shoes that are fit for vegetarians such as herself. Now all she needs is an Oscar nomination
Sir Steve Redgrave
An unlikely eco-fashion warrior, perhaps, but the multiple Olympic gold medallist rower clearly has principles to protect. A range of Fairtrade cotton clothing bearing his name goes into Debenhams stores next month
Katharine Hamnett
The organic cotton pioneer may have terminated her contract with Tesco to produce environmentally friendly T-shirts, but her sentiment remains. Expect to see more of the same from the designer soon
Anya Hindmarch
The handbag designer sought to do her bit for the planet with a highly covetable reusable carrier bag. How many of the limited edition run ever made contact with the weekly shop, however, is another matter altogether
Pamela Anderson
The ex-‘Baywatch’ star, an ardent vegetarian, has turned fashion designer with a range of “cruelty-free” clothing, which debuted in 2004. A percentage of the profits went to Peta, the anti-fur animal charity
Too often corporations disappoint us with their lack of environmental concern or disingenuous green washing. In my recent research, however, I have found one global retailer standing tall above the corporate crowd. For the record, I’m not trying to sell you anything . . . simply, I like this company’s look, discovered they are environmentally conscious, and think you should know about it.
Unlike most corporations trying–just now–to hitch a free ride on the “green bandwagon,” The Timberland Company maintains a long history of environmental stewardship that began by partnering with the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) in 1993. Today, 240 of Timberland’s global retail stores are completely carbon neutral; the company’s Ontario, California distribution center receives approximately 60% of its energy from solar power, while employees receive $3,000 toward the purchase of a hybrid. The list goes on to include 170 earth-day service projects, 40 hours paid-employee community-service, and the company’s, “Plant One On Us” promotion that plants a tree for every $150 in sales revenue.
Most notable of all is Timberland devotion to customer and industry education. Whether through public facility reports, labels outlining the impact of specific products, or national conferences held to educate the retail community, Timberland is committed to sharing their initiatives with consumers and competitors alike.
Case in point, Timberland produces a publicly available facility-level sustainability report that details baseline performance information in the areas of global human rights, environmental stewardship and community involvement. The report is available in English and Spanish on the company’s website.
If looking up the data is too tedious, consumers can read information printed on the company’s recycled-paper shoeboxes and soy-based hangtags. Shoeboxes sport a simple label (matching “Nutrition Facts” found on food packaging) that provides corporate-specific information such as the average number of kilowatt-hours and percentage of renewable energy used by Timberland.
Similarly, some Timberland outdoor performance products include a “Green Index” hangtag, which measures and reports on the product’s environmental impact in three key areas:
o Climate impact: measures emissions produced from raw material extraction through manufacturing.
o Chemicals used: based on the presence of PVC and solvent adhesives.
o Materials used: measures the use of organic, recycled or renewable.
With the “Green Index,” the lower the rating, the lower the environmental impact. Zero (0) indicates the smallest environmental footprint; while ten (10) means there’s work to be done. The rating is partially determined by the GaBi software program’s analysis of raw materials used and energy dispelled during production. The company plans to have a Green Index for every product across the brand by 2009/2010 and is currently working with other retail chains to create a universal measurement system.
This effort to share information with customers and competing retail conglomerates is what makes Timberland a true environmental leader and corporate exemplar. In 2007 Timberland won Backpacker Magazine’s Editors’ Choice Green Award. Upon receipt of the award, Timberland humbly responded, “our hope is that other like-minded companies will join us in developing an industry-wide index for comparing the environmental impacts of our design choices and we also hope to inspire consumers to ask questions, and make informed decisions about their purchases.” With this goal in mind, Timberland is currently working with Levi’s Strauss, to share information, conduct joint assessments and communicate remediation. According to Betsy Blaisdell, leader of Timerland’s environmental stewardship program, “the goal behind all of this cross-brand effort is to spend less time policing and more time encouraging improved environmental performance and workplace conditions.”
Going forward, Timberland has devised an ambitious plan to maintain their environmental leadership. Their goal: “all Timberland owned and operated facilities and employee travel is carbon neutral by 2010.” Audacious and unrealistic? I don’t think so! As seen from the examples above, they are well on their way.
Source: Huffington Post, Author: Follow Olivia Zaleski on Twitter: www.twitter.com/oliviazaleski
Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of the celebrity touch. From Jay-Z making Cristal cool (and then taking it all back) to Bob Dole making it OK to talk about “problems down there,” a strong celebrity endorsement is often what it takes to bring a brand into the limelight. I still remember drinking Gatorade with my Wheaties thanks to number #23. While my palette has since advanced; I must admit, I still want to be like Mike.
In the above examples an individual product or brand is being promoted, but the same effect can be had for an entire cause or movement. From Brad Pitt freeing Tibet to Pamela Anderson baring it all for PETA, celebrity endorsements are often what it takes to rally the masses. Now it is the environments turn. Celebs are now seen everywhere from the red carpet to the red clay roads of Georgia (Ludacris’ new hybrid) displaying an eco friendly message. Green has gone chic.
Actresses such as Natalie Portman are ditching the Louis Vuitton in favor of eco bags. Why spend so much in this economy when for under a $1.00 you can be just as stylish, and convey a positive message, with a custom reusable bag? Eco friendly bags have endless options and designers at Factory Direct Promos, found at www.factorydirectpromos.com, are ready to assist in making your creative vision a reality. A good nonwoven bag should last up to two years of regular use. When you are done with it, the recyclable raw materials mean that it can return to the Earth, not sit in a landfill. If a stylish eco bag is good enough for Natalie Portman or Gwyneth Paltrow, it should suffice just fine for the rest of us as well.
Quality reusable bags are just the start, eco friendliness is starting to pop up in celebrity driveways as well. Next time you see Ludacris cruising down the road know there is a lot more to his ride then just a set of chrome wheels and a thundering sound system. Under the hood you’ll find a hybrid engine that uses methods such as regenerative braking to increase his MPG, decreasing harmful emissions in the process. Perhaps he is going back to his mansion, where he has solar panels on the roof. Brad Pitt is another convert. He recently traded in his fleet of convertibles for the new Lexus RX 400h luxury SUV hybrid. Once the new Tesla electric sports car goes into mass production, look out for motorists cruising past you in eco friendly style.
These celebrities didn’t do anything dramatic or life altering. Ms. Portman simply opted to use reusable bags, while Ludacris and Brad bought a few new cars. This is exactly the point; there is no longer a reason not to use eco friendly products. They are cool and chic, display a positive message about your brand or self, and are quite affordable. The trendsetters are going the eco friendly route, so why shouldn’t you?
The impact is even more felt for business owners and marketing managers. No longer is it acceptable in the public’s eye to be wasteful or a polluter. Opting to use eco-friendly products, such as polypropylene bags in place of plastics, means that you are sending a message to your potential customers that you care about this Earth of ours. The little decisions we make really do add up. Next time you are in need of custom manufacturing, do the right thing, choose Factory Direct Promos.
May 26th, 2009 – Posted in Eco Smart Solutions
Some commentary about the impact of an economic downturn on ethical and environmental consumption would suggest that it was as ephemeral as a candle, ready to be blown out. Let’s consider the facts.
Take the car industry. Although it has not always got it right, look at the changes it is starting to make. These are not flash-in-the-pan initiatives. They are huge, long-term investment decisions. Entire new technologies are being developed, whole new brands and product lines launched. But you won’t see the real impact for another two to three years.
To suggest that this will all be jettisoned because the average consumer now thinks twice about a dearer eco-option is an absurdity.
Even on the consumer side, environmental concern collides with numerous other powerful drivers of behaviour.
Yes, I want to reduce my impact. I have a certain eco-status concern and I’m not sure I want to drive a Chelsea tractor any more. But I’m also worried about the cost of fuel. What am I going to do? Should I buy a fuel-efficient car (see the current US car sales for proof of that)? I’m tired of traffic so I think I’ll get a smaller car and use it less (figures today show a large-scale reduction of car use over the past year). In fact, I might as well just sign up to a convenient car-sharing scheme and do away with it all together. Now factor in regulation that is EU imposed, both nationally and locally. Then take in higher taxes, charges and entry points for high-CO2 cars and the picture becomes even clearer.
Environmental commerce and consumption, just like climate change, isn’t going anywhere. There will be fads and trends and companies that venture superficially and make no change.
The main story here is one of a cultural shift, equal if not greater than the ups and downs of any economic wind.
Source: The Times, June 2008, by Giles Gibbons managing director of Good Business www.goodbusiness.co.uk
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