3
eventually put out the same level of brightness as a nightlight
(Fortunately, things have vastly improved here. If you haven’t already, switch over to the ice-cream-swirlCFLs, they’re the real deal.)
. Or did you or any of your friends try out some of those unflattering organic fashionwearables circa 1992
?
Not exactly runway ready.Okay, we could go on and on here, but the point is,the product examples above unfortunately stunted theconsumer’s desire to go sustainable. They left a bad tastein the shopper’s mouth, and as you know, once you getfood poisoning, it makes it awfully hard to try that samedish again. But things have turned the corner in recent years, as the products have dramatically improved infunctionality, quality, and style. And now that we havesome inventory with mainstream appeal, how do wemake the consumer feel firsthand the eco-benefit theproduct provides
?
See No Evil,
Hear No Evil, Feel No Evil
?
One of the key drivers of changing consumer behavior has always been making the product or service connecton an emotional level. Make it personal. Make itrelatable. You know, talk with your consumer, notat them. A giant obstacle purposeful brands need toovercome is their inability to connect with a mainstreamaudience that simply cannot see, feel, or even imaginethe benefits that sustainable products deliver.There’s no denying issues such as Global Warmingare complex and often difficult for most consumers tograsp. Because the majority of them can’t see or feel theimmediate good their purchases are delivering (i.e. likereducing greenhouse gas emissions), it’s hard to get themto switch from their favorite products to a sustainablealternative (and we haven’t even mentioned price,quality, and availability).So while the sustainability issues we face on thisplanet are extremely pressing, they still remain incrediblyfuturistic to the mainstream consumer. Largely in partbecause of the, “if it’s so important, why haven’t Inoticed anything yet” attitude. It probably comes as littlesurprise that the products that have made the biggeststrides thus far are those in which consumers can reap animmediate benefit; whether that’s better gas mileage witha hybrid vehicle or a reduced electric bill because of making the switch to energy-efficient light bulbs.However, there are thousands of other remarkable,eco-friendly product offerings on the shelf, it’s just thattheir effects cannot be felt or noticed so instantaneously.So how do we sell futuristic benefits
?
Perhaps we shouldtake a look ‘outside of category’ for inspiration on howto effectively communicate to the masses. Take the dietindustry for example. Do you think if we spent 1/10thof the time we spend marketing diets and nutritionalsupplements aimed at reducing our consumption of fattyfoods as we did with reducing the consumption of our precious resources (oil, coal, water), could we make moremeaningful progress
?
Or will it take even higher gasolineprices, more rising temperatures, more droughts, andmore frequent black outs before the green categorybecomes more personal and more relatable
?
Remember the heart smart icon that slowly foundits way onto every chain restaurant menu
?
You knowthe one, order this dish and it will reduce your risk atgetting heart disease. Are we heading towards a futurewhere we will strategically place earth icons next tothe most eco-friendly options on every menu and pricelist across every industry
?
Perhaps we can elicit our desired behavioral change by dumbing it down for theeveryday consumer
?
You know, use those marketingtactics that have successfully driven awareness for
Cont’d
E For Effort,
N For No Thanks
Mainstreaming Green:
9 Rules For Popularizing Purpose With Today's Consumer.
© 2007 North Venture Partners, LLC
www.northvp.com www.northangels.com
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