Greening Your Marketing…or Not?
McDonalds is literally painting themselves Green in Europe. Wise move...or not?
Are you starting to get the feeling you’ve entered the Emerald City?
The color green has begun to dominate the packaging, ads and websites of companies proud of their new-found committment to sustainability. Even McDonalds is changing the background of their Golden Arches logo from Red to Green in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
Problem is, it doesn’t always have the desired effect.
Sustainability is a complex and confusing issue. Even those of us who make it our business to learn as much as we can about it often run into surprises and are forced to reevaluate our opinions.
It’s also an issue that hits the passion button for a lot of people - in varying and often unpredictable ways.
Complexity, confusion and raw emotion. It’s a recipe for risk.
Are you ready to go under the magnifying glass?
By default, whenever you call attention to your Green activities, you also invite inspection of your entire operation. And the greener the flag you wave, the closer you’ll be scrutinized.
For some companies, the risk may be worth it. Take McDonalds. Remember back in the 80’s when McDonald’s reputation as nemesis to environmental causes was second only to that of Exxon-Mobil?
The company has put quite a few sustainability initiatives in place since then, according to their 2009 Best of Green Report. Whether or not McDonalds really is as green as they claim is still up for debate, but they’re obviously willing to argue their own case. And they’re betting on the old adage that any publicity is good publicity.
While McDonald’s new color scheme may seem audacious considering the fact that they’re still one of the world’s biggest generators of waste packaging, my guess is that they’re targeting the large “middle sector” of Green consumers who want to go greener, but aren’t ready to give up conveniences such as quick hot food to go. And McDonalds will likely succeed with their approach.
On the other hand, waving the green flag will only be effective for those companies willing to toe the line environmentally ever after. According to market research firm Shelton Group,
If you misrepresent a product’s green-ness — even unwittingly — consumers will clobber you. Our Eco Pulse study revealed that 40% of the population would stop buying a product if it had been advertised as green and the manufacturer was found guilty of environmental infractions. And 36% would not only stop buying the product, they’d also lobby their friends and family to stop buying the product — which is a 31% increase over last year’s answer.
So should you highlight Green in your marketing? That’s up to you to decide.
Consumers want to go green. Many look to companies as leaders to help them along. So if you choose to highlight sustainability as a major part of your marketing, realize that it’s a calculated risk. And do it as any good leader would: consciously and above all, with integrity.
Sarah Palin: Green Spokeswoman???!!
Sarah Palin shows off more than her legs. She's sporting a low-impact natural fiber, eco-friendly jacket from the New Zealand sportswear company Icebreaker.
Who’da thunk it?
The woman Greenpeace cites as having “the most anti-environment records of any governor in the US” appeared on the cover of Newsweek sporting a jacket made by the New Zealand company Icebreaker.
Icebreaker belongs to the category of companies I like to call “Earth-Friendly.” These are companies whose sole purpose is to manufacture or supply Green or sustainable products or services such as organic goods or household energy-saving devices.
Icebreaker’s natural wool active gear provides a low-impact alternative to petroleum-based synthetic sportswear. But more than that – their innovative “Baacode” program is an ideal example of transparency in marketing. Each Icebreaker item comes with a unique code which purchasers can enter into a special search box on the Icebreaker website. The site then traces the garment to the very sheep station that produced the wool, and presents a video, photos and quote from and about the ranchers who raised the wool. (You can try the Baacode out for yourself on Icebreaker’s website, which conveniently includes a demo Baacode generator.)
So has Palin had a change of heart? Is she renouncing her oil-loving, wolf-shooting ways and rushing to become the next sustainability poster child?
More likely she doesn’t have a clue.
But, there’s a lesson to be learned here about marketing Green and sustainable products.
Green is going mainstream.
It’s everywhere. It’s being embraced by major corporations and governments as well as small companies and individuals. And it’s crossing political and socio-economic borders.
According to Holly Helene Jarrell of GfK Customer Research, consumer recessionary spending habits underscore the fact that Green is no longer a fringe or fad phenomenon. “The recession did not submerge Green,” she remarked during her keynote speech at the recent Good & Green marketing conference in Chicago.
Kudos to Icebreaker, by the way, for seizing the opportunity for great free publicity and connection with celebrity status – however dubious. They lost no time in getting the word out about their appearance with Newsweek’s cover girl.
And the controversy surrounding the cover photo itself? All the more exposure for Icebreaker!
Going Good and Green
My dad always used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”
Having to stay home from the copywriting conference a couple weeks ago was disappointing. But I got over it – and promptly registered for the Good and Green marketing conference in Chicago this week. I’ll be driving down tomorrow in my Civic hybrid – and I can’t wait!
There’ll be sessions on how to how to motivate mainstream consumers to choose Green and what consumers really are looking for from companies, as well as new research on the role of women in making sustainable consumer choices, and marketing Green in a down economy. Plus case studies and all sorts of good stuff. And of course it’ll be fun to meet new people. (I’m going there without knowing a soul – which is always an adventure!)
I’ll keep you posted!
Let’s Kill Kermit the Frog
On a whim, I just typed “It’s Easy Being Green” into Google.
It came up with 91,100,000 results.
Compare that to “horses” at 84,800,000; “Super Bowl” at 36,500,000 and “sexy babes” at 13,300,000. It even outpulled “Barack Obama” (74,700,000.)
Today’s marketing scene is like an overgrown jungle populated by troops of monkeys all parodying Kermit the Frog at the top of their lungs. “We’re Green!” might have cut it 10 years ago, but not today.
Being boring is the cardinal sin of advertising. How many times can you hear references to “It’s Not Easy Being Green” before you want to strangle the monkeys that uttered them? Same goes for insipid statements like “XYZ company cares about the environment.”
Big deal. It’s time to kill Kermit and focus on stuff that really speaks to your customers – or at least entertains them!
Swine Flu and Silver Linings
The swine flu finally hit our household. My 10-year-old daughter Clara and I were just finishing up our Halloween shopping last Friday. We’d managed to find the perfect Alice in Wonderland dress in only the third store we looked. I was just breathing a huge sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to stay up all night making a costume, when a small voice said, “Mom? I’m really tired. I want to go home.”
I looked down. The skin around Clara’s eyes looked bruised and the freckles stood out in her pale face. We hurriedly made our purchase and drove home through the gloom.
By the time trick-or-treating time came around the next day, Clara was down for the count. Needless to say, she was disappointed.
So was I. Disappointed for her sake (especially because I’ve been trying to convince her to be Alice for years – she makes a really good one!) and for my own. That’s because I had been so looking forward to flying to Florida this week for the American Writers and Artists’ Copywriting Bootcamp – a conference just for direct response copywriters! Not only would I get to attend lectures and workshops from some of the country’s top copywriters (including my hero, Dan Kennedy), I’d get to see fellow copywriters I’d met at last year’s Bootcamp, some of whom have grown to be dear friends. But between my sick daughter’s need for Mom and the very mild but not-to-be-ignored muscle aches and fatigue I was experiencing I figured the only responsible thing was to stay at home.
Strangely, though, I’m not as bummed as I thought I would be. Usually when faced with a major change in plans I’d get all riled up and upset inside before coming to terms with it. But this time as soon as I started to feel that achey feeling, I made the decision not to waste energy fighting this. Instead, I began to concentrate on breathing deep, nourishing myself and going with the flow.
I’ve decided to use the unexpected time to catch up on loose ends, and to get a head start on some new copywriting work that recently came my way. The week is going well, and I’m going about my work with a sense of peace and direction I haven’t felt in a long time.
The flu is still hanging around our house (my son and husband both came down withmild cases in the last couple of days), but life goes on. And I think it’ll leave me something precious when it goes: the ability to relax and go on with what needs doing no matter what is going on around me.
Branching out into graphic design
One of the fun things about being a copywriter is getting to know, and network with, other copywriters. I keep in regular touch with about half a dozen gals whom I’ve met through copywriting events and workshops. We cheer each other on, support each other through rough stretches, share resources and generally help each other out.
One day a couple months ago Meryl, one of my copywriting buddies, asked the group if any of us did graphic design or could recommend someone who did. She was getting into writing Yellow Pages ads and wanted to have someone lined up in advance.
I thought about it for about a second or so. I was an art major in college, and have been an active artist most of my life. I’ve been designing ads and other promotions for my own businesses for a couple of years now. Last year I sprung for the Adobe suite professional graphic design software. It had quite a steep learning curve but I’ve gotten the hang of it and have been cranking out pretty decent stuff. Plus – and most importantly for her – I’m a copywriter, so I have an intuitive understanding of how to place copy for maximum impact.
“I do!” I found myself saying. She agreed to give me a call when she needed design work done.
Just a couple weeks ago I got an email from Meryl. She needed an ad done – not a YP ad but a half-page space ad for a natural health journal.
I won’t go into the details, but I will tell you it was a blast. She was working on a tight deadline and we were able to get the ad set up and changes finalized in time to meet the deadline.
I’m looking forward to doing more direct response graphic design in the future!
Copywriting Bootcamp 2009
Oh my, but it’s been a long time since I posted here! Bad practice, I know. I don’t believe in excuses, but the truth is I really have been busy with a ton of projects, both for clients and for my other business, Performance Energy. I suppose every entrepreneur has those times.
Anyway, the purpose of this post is not to get chatty about what I’ve been doing, but to voice my excitement about what’s to come – specifically, American Writers and Artists’ Copywriting Bootcamp!
For those not in the know, Bootcamp is one of THE premier events in the sales writing world. It’s a 4-day conference in FLORIDA!!! (great news for us freezing Northern writers!) But it wouldn’t matter if it were Alaska – I’d still be excited.
Many of the country’s premier copywriters will be there – it’s a great place to make connections and more importantly, boost one’s writing skills up a notch or two. Last year (my first year there) I swear the energy was palpable. (Imagine hundreds of super creative, sociable people all gathered together for intensive study of a topic they’re all fascinated by and you can see why.) I was buzzing for a week afterward. And for sure my writing made a quantum leap forward because of the experience. (Even my husband noticed!)
This year is shaping up to be, if anything, better. Why? Because my favorite marketing hero, Dan Kennedy, is scheduled to present two sessions! (I’ll try to stop short of screaming like a crazed Beatle fan, I promise!)
I’ll do my best to post about the experience as it happens, so stay tuned…
Solar goes Star Trek?
Beam down the kilowatts, Scotty!
Everyone seems to be trying to one-up each other on investing in renewable energy infrastructure. But Japan takes home the prize as far as I’m concerned. They’ve started a project to build a humongous space-based solar generator that will beam electricity down to Earth. The 1-gigawatt station should produce enough electricity to power 294,000 average Tokyo households.
We’ll see. So far the projected project cost is 2 trillion yen ($21 billion.) They figure they have to get expenses down to one hundredth of projected costs.
“Humankind will some day need this technology, but it will take a long time before we use it,” says Hiroshi Yoshida, Chief Executive Officer of space and defense-policy consulting company Excalibur KK.
Hmmm.
Seems to me what we really need is effective solutions to the climate and energy crisis that will allow us to reap the benefits NOW.
But never mind – someone’s sure to be making money from this deal. And that seems to be the deciding factor.
A Rational Argument for Emotion-based Sales Copy
Baby monkey clings to the soft "mother" even while it nurses from the wire one
If you took psychology in college you might remember the experiment conducted by Dr. Harry Harlow at the University of Wisconsin.
Harlow took baby rhesus monkeys and raised them in isolation. Instead of a mother, they were given access to surrogate dummies – one made only of wire, the other wrapped in soft cloth.
It will come as no surprise to the parents among us that the baby monkeys preferred the soft, cuddly mothers – even when only the wire one offered food.
But what’s even more telling is what happened to the monkeys once they grew up.
Not a single one of the monkeys raised in isolation was able to function in a normal monkey social environment. They exhibited abnormal behavior ranging from clutching themselves and rocking to “excessive and misdirected aggresion.”
They couldn’t even figure out how to have sex. The females just sat there, unmoved by the amorous advances of socially normal males. And the males – well, let’s just say they couldn’t figure out which end was up.
As adults, the mother monkeys who had been raised motherless were unable to nurture their young. They either completely ignored their infants or became monkey abusers, biting and otherwise abusing them so violently that many of them died.
Rationally, the baby monkeys had everything they needed. Food, shelter, a warm cuddly “mother.” But without the warm touch and emotional response of other monkeys, they never really made it to monkeyhood.
So what does this have to do with copywriting?
Only this: that you and I – and our customers – are not much different from those baby monkeys. After all, we share something like 93% of our genes in common.
And like them, our inner well-being is shaped and supported not by reason, but by our emotional interaction with the world.
It’s tempting to try to base your sales arguments on reason. Emotional arguments often don’t even make sense. Until you realize that the very survival of our species is dependent on emotional give and take.
When you look at it that way, focusing on the emotions first becomes the most reasonable persuasive approach.
Thankfully, we won’t have to torture any more baby monkeys to prove it. The proof is in the superior response emotion-driven copy almost always pulls.
Sorting Through the Kaleidoscope of Green Consumers
I’m a painter as well as a writer, and it’s always seemed to me there are more shades of green than any other color. Not only that, but shades of green vary more in their psychological impact than other colors. Think about how you react to a deep forest green versus olive, grass green, sage, mint or shocking lime.
So when I read the recent blog post by Jane Tabachnick on the incredible diversity of Green consumers, I found myself nodding my head. She compares them to shades of green paint – an apt description indeed.
“Green” has become such a trendy hot button it’s hard to put your finger on it. While it seems everyone says they’re interested in going green, the word means widely different things to different people – or sometimes different things to the same person in different situations.
For example, my hybrid Honda Civic gets 50 miles per gallon. So when I’m comparing my gas consumption to my friends’ I feel pretty good about it. But after all, I’m still burning fossil fuel when I drive it. And if I ever find myself driving when I could have ridden my bike, it really gets the guilt gears grinding in my head.
Same product. Same consumer. Different situation = different conclusion.
It all depends on the context. And that’s what copywriters need to be aware of when writing copy for green products.
You’ve got to figure out what shade of green your particular prospect is wearing, and tint your copy to complement it. If you’re writing to hard core Greenies like myself, be sure you’re not saying something that’ll trip the guilt line in their heads. Or worse, anything that sets off the humbug alarm.
But for a more mainstream audience just beginning to think green, you’ll want to make sure your product doesn’t come off as too far out. (Honda knew this back in the early 2000’s when they first came out with their hybrid. Their tagline was, “You don’t plug it in.” Kept it within the realm of the known.)
Bottom line: do your research, and know your prospect!
