Tagged 'sustainability'

Hanes humorously goes green, with a nod to fears about the planet’s future

Published by Allison Moore - New York on May 10, 2010 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

One of the many anxieties surrounding the environment is the condition in which we’re leaving the planet for future generations. Hanes taps into this concern with a humorous commercial for its EcoSmart line of T-shirts, briefs and socks. Two guys stroll through a mall in seemingly similar outfits. But the voiceover reveals that James, who’s wearing Hanes EcoSmart items, is “doing his part to help the environment for future generations,” with clothing made from recycled fiber and powered by renewable energy. The less conscientious Pete, on the other hand, gets the stink-eye from various kids.

Hanes has also created an eco-portal, hanesgreen.com, which outlines the company’s recent greenification (a move that ties into our Maximum Disclosure trend). The site details key accomplishments to date and goals for the future.

Hanes appears to be trying to create a stigma around not being a green consumer. This tactic seems to be smart, especially in light of recent research (highlighted by The Guardian) suggesting that peer pressure is a key driver of green lifestyles. And Hanes manages to make the message clear without getting saccharine, alarmist or sappy.

Garnier, ‘Times of India’ seek to engage, empower youth on climate change

Published by Rasika Fernandes - New Delhi on May 5, 2010 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

take-care-take-charge

Indians are waking up to the reality of climate change, partly because of media exposure but mostly because we are seeing and feeling its impact. Extreme climate shifts are affecting agriculture and in turn the lives of farmers and their families—some of whom are even turning to suicide—and the end consumer, who’s seen food prices triple. Couple this with initiatives like Earth Hour and the ban on plastic bags in Delhi, and you’ve got a small but growing population (mainly youth) who understand the urgency of doing their bit for the planet, be it reducing their carbon footprint or starting green groups in schools/colleges.

Brands are slowly getting on the bandwagon and using green causes to engage with their audiences, as well as propel positive change. One example is Garnier, the mass-market brand of French cosmetic company L’Oréal, which has joined hands with India’s leading English daily, The Times of India, to promote green ideas among Indian youth. The “Take Care, Take Charge” initiative, which kicked off on April 22 (World Earth Day), seeks to build a greenhouse of ideas for a greener planet. For every idea received, Garnier and The Times of India will buy 10 kilograms of used paper. On June 5 (World Environment Day), the campaign will culminate with an entirely recycled special edition of The Times of India. The winning ideas will be shared with organizations aligned to the campaign and recommended to government bodies for further development.

I like this initiative because unlike some others (Aircel’s Save Our Tigers and Idea Cellular’s Use Mobile, Save Paper), it seeks to generate long-term sustainable solutions and put them into action with the help of relevant bodies rather than just asking individuals to do their little bit.

Photo Credit: http://takecaretakecharge.in/

Mazuma Mobile addresses twin anxieties with recycling program

Published by Brooke Curtis - London on March 23, 2010 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The impact of our disposable lifestyles on the environment has been a concern to many for some time now. But how many consumers are prepared to pay more for a “green” brand? So often, the anxiety about bank balance is put before anxiety about the environment. Now, being green can actually earn consumers money: A number of companies in the U.K. are encouraging people to recycle old mobile phones in return for cash.



Mazuma Mobile, the most vocal of these, boldly aims to address both concerns at once—recycle your phone for reuse in developing markets (thereby being kinder to the environment and bettering communications in these countries) while earning some cold hard cash in the bargain (reducing concerns about just how to fund one’s lifestyle until the next payday). And with up to £280 for a used phone, Mazuma is likely to have found a successful combination. If only being green could always be this profitable.

mazuma-mobile

Photo Credit: http://www.mazumamobile.com/

The clean diesel movement: Reinventing a ‘dirty word’

Published by Nina Hämmerling Smith on August 19, 2009 in North America. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

For decades, the popular perception of diesel vehicles was decidedly unpopular: They were noisy, smoke-spewing polluters.

But in a new campaign, Audi is championing its TDI “clean diesel” engine, promising cars that are not only sporty and luxurious but also require fewer stops at the pump—a boon to both environmental- and budget-conscious consumers. (Diesel cars use up to 40 percent less fuel than traditional vehicles.)

Audi’s ads are slick but grounded in history; they don’t shirk diesel’s reputation, but rather redefine it. Even the campaign’s slogan, “Diesel: It’s no longer a dirty word,” nods to the fuel’s murky past.

Sales of clean-diesel cars have nearly doubled since 2000, and projections have them increasing threefold by 2015.

As consumers watch day-to-day expenses—but still prioritize cutting-edge technology and environmental conservation—Audi has adeptly tied its brand to a burgeoning movement.

Video credit: MotorCities

Coca-Cola simplifies green for the mainstream in Japan

Published by Jordan Price - Tokyo on August 12, 2009 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , .

With the stifling heat of the Japanese summer in mind, and tapping into growing green consciousness and environmental anxiety in Japan, Coca-Cola launched a new, greener bottled water here in June. Called I LOHAS, it has a twistable bottle that’s touted as the lightest-ever PET bottle, and at 12 grams, uses 40 percent less plastic than the average bottle of the same size. This means lighter delivery loads, recycling shipments with less wasted space, reduced waste-disposal emissions and less overall waste.

But rather than talking about these more abstract green benefits, communication is focused on what’s easiest to understand and closest to home for consumers: It revolves around the idea of “1. Select… 2. Drink… 3. Twist….” While promoting recycling, the advertising demonstrates how this bottle innovation makes it simple for anyone to make a difference.
While being truly green probably means staying away from bottled water altogether—and there’s likely to be some “greenwashing” backlash—bottled water is unlikely to go away anytime soon. An excellent example of how to make green as mainstream as possible, I LOHAS has the makings of a big success.

In Thailand, Au Bon Pain rewards a green gesture

Published by Shanaree Laohapongphan - Bangkok on August 11, 2009 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , .

cash-voucherAu Bon Pain has launched an offer that appeals to customers’ environmental consciousness as well as their money consciousness. When you order any size of take-away coffee cup without the plastic lid, you get a discount voucher of 10 baht (30 cents) toward your next purchase of a cold beverage. It seems to be a hit, with many people choosing to go lid-free.

Rewarding customers for taking small, easy steps to help the environment is a smart move for any brand, especially in light of recent JWT research that shows the recession has not eroded consumers’ environmental concerns.

Green brands that cost more must explain why

Published by Mollie Hill - Sydney on August 6, 2009 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

JWT’s study on “The Recession and Its Impact on the Environment” found that people are conflicted when asked to weigh a theoretical tradeoff between environmentally friendly and lower price: While Australians accept that greener products may come at a higher cost, most are prepared to trade off on green for a reduced cost.

What does this mean for brands? Green brands that cost more should clearly explain to customers what incremental environmental benefit they are getting. OMO laundry detergent, for example, is clearly quantifying the green benefits of its new packaging. Above the typical value/efficacy story, OMO claims the product “uses half the packaging and half the trucks. Mighty results for the environment.”

Simplicity, sustainability and the LOHAS lifestyle are big in Japan

Published by Jordan Price - Tokyo on July 31, 2009 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

avedapurecafeimagesJapan is the most anxious market among the 10 we have studied in the course of our AnxietyIndex research. The country has become an increasingly fast-paced and complex place in the last few decades, but as anxiety grows, many are seeking a simpler life and reassessing what really matters to them.

So rather than providing ever more options and functions, or pushing the “have it all” aspirations of the ’80s and ’90s, brands would do well to strip down their offering and focus on simplicity, sustainability and the truly important things in life. Already many businesses are taking advantage of the fact that Japan is one of the fastest-growing markets in terms of LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability).

Aveda Japan, for example, has had great success with its LOHAS-lifestyle salon, spa and vegan restaurant, Pure Café. Radish Boya, a company that delivers organic vegetables and additive-free foods to its members, has seen dramatic growth since 2003; it now has roughly 100,000 members, and annual sales revenue of 22.8 billion yen (US$244 million). And Mujirushi, the clothing and lifestyle retail pioneer also known as MUJI, has succeeded with its core philosophy of simplicity, sustainability and stripping away the unnecessary. Annual turnover is around 145.5 billion yen (US$1.5 billion), and its success in Japan has allowed for rapid expansion—there are now 98 stores around the globe.

For more on the recession and its impact on the environment in Japan,  download the presentation from the Trends and Research section of this site.

NYC quantifies savings from going green

Published by Mark Truss and Ann Mack - New York on July 16, 2009 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

enviroJust as temperatures started to rise after a rain-soaked June, New York City launched a campaign to encourage people to “Be Cool & Smart” by reducing air conditioning-related electricity consumption. This is a part of an aggressive plan to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

One ad reads “Clean your air conditioner filters to save money. Dirty air filters make your A/C work harder & use more electricity.” Another tells subway riders to “Turn up your thermostat to save money. Each degree higher can cut your energy bill by 3% or more.”

Rather than emphasize the bigger, long-term “greener, greater New York” vision—which may be a bit abstract for some, especially during the sweltering summer months—the ads focus on the immediate monetary benefit. This is a much easier argument to make, especially at a time when people are trying to save money wherever they can.

As we found in “The Recession and Its Impact on the Environment,” consumers have adopted a number of behaviors over the past year that could be considered environmentally friendly—turning off lights/appliances when not in use, waiting to replace things until absolutely necessary, reusing things, etc. But as might be expected, the recession is a more dominant motivator for these behaviors than the environment.

For green brands benefitting from the recession, get in with the pockets and keep them with the planet. Leverage people’s concern over money to stimulate environmentally friendly behaviors and then work on changing attitudes (e.g., the impression that going green is more expensive) to help ensure people maintain these habits well past the recession. As the recession abates, brands will need to reinforce that these behaviors benefit the environment, not just the pocketbook.

(Click here to download the U.S. report on “The Recession and Its Impact on the Environment.” Please sign up for our subscriber alerts to be notified when the Australia, Canada, Japan and U.K. versions of the presentation are available.)

Social PR 2.0 and viral marketing in a new form

Published by Said Seihoub - Vienna on June 30, 2009 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , .

untitledz2In economic downturns, people are less willing to donate to charity. But then, they are likely more willing to spend their time—the new currency—or other resources to support a good project. The new Austrian platform SOS Mother Nature, initiated by the Austrian environmental organization Global 2000, works with this assumption: It gives people an opportunity to support the fight against global warming simply by creating a profile and spreading the word by providing a new-media channel like a personal Web site, an online banner, a screen saver, wallpaper, e-mail, mobile or SMS. SOS Mother Nature platform gets an enormous below-the-line push for free, while participants get a quieter conscience and little bit of publicity too.