Growing Greener Everyday The increasing environmental consciousness of consumers

The Consumer LabColleen GradyJune 20, 2007

What People are Talking AboutIssues

• Global Warming

• Energy Efficiency

• Carbon Offsets

• Eating Locally

• Green Building

A Growing Concern

32% of Americans report heightened interest in the environment than they

did a year ago.

Why has awareness in environmentalism grown so dramatically?

*Source: 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey

Media Buzz

Internet

TV

Film

Print

Retailer and Brand Efforts

• Retailers– Energy efficient stores & transportation– Organic & locally grown foods, fair trade– Pushing manufacturers to become more eco-friendly– Reusable bags– Opening new stores

• Brands– Brands are reinventing themselves– Carbon offset purchases– Minimal packaging– Using environmental consultants– Using sustainable POS & displays– Cruelty free– Supporting Environmental Causes

Meet the Consumers

Carbon What?

• Conserve Water• Recycle• Turn off the Lights

Greener Every Day

• Conserve Water• Recycle• Turn The Lights Off• Label Reader• Package Scrutinizer• Energy Star Appliances• No Chemicals• Environmental Educator

Environmentalist

• Conserve Water• Recycle• Turn The Lights Off• Label Reader• Package Scrutinizer• Energy Star Appliances• No Chemicals• Environmental Educator• Purchase Carbon Offsets• Write Letters to Congressman• CSA• Share the Hybrid• Certified Organic Cotton

Growing Up Green

• The Most Environmentally Aware

• Government is Responsible• Corporate Environmental

Responsibility • I Will Help Save The

Environment

Responsibility

Who is Responsible?

93% of Americans believe companies have a responsibility to help preserve

the environment.

Consumers are beginning to ask questions…How was this made?How did it get here?

*Source: 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey

Consumers Want Companies to Take Action

Meaningful actions consumers want companies to take

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Reduce Pollution Minimize Pkging Efficient Transport Donate to Env.Causes

American Consumers

*Source: 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey

Consumer Attitudes View of Corporate Green Practices

• Most consumers have a more positive image of a company when it is environmentally responsible

• Most consumers would consider switching to another company/brand because negative corporate responsibility practices

*Source: 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey

Consumer AttitudesConsumer Loyalty Toward Green Companies

“Knowing a company is mindful of its impact on the environment and society makes me more likely to buy their products and services.”

*Source: Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability Consumer Trends Database

Consumers are Motivated to Pay More

When environmentally friendly products:

– Save money in the long term

– Are available and convenient

– Provide health & welfare of future generations

– Are made by socially responsible companies

*Source: 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey * Source: Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability Consumer Trends Database

What do we do with all this info?

How to Benefit our Clients

• Ask questions of our clients

• Make our clients aware of the benefits of advertising their corporate social responsibility

• Leverage programs of brands and retailers

• Get consumers involved in efforts

• Target the priorities of the consumer that make sense for the brand

• Don’t allow clients to try to “greenwash” their brands

Questions?

Appendix

Additional Trends

• Credit cards are moving to offer consumers “green” rewards from donations to products

• Green weddings• Reusable grocery bags• Nutrition label – environmental/social

nutrition• Going carbon neutral or carbon positive

How To Make it Work

• Make it Simple– Consumers must be able to immediately understand

how your brand is going to help them help the planet

• Take a Long-Term View– Making a difference will not happen over night,

consumers know that and will respond to your long-term commitment

• Ensure Your Efforts Align With Existing Brand Equity– Initiatives need to make sense with the established

perceptions consumers have of your brand

• Make Sure Its Authentic– Disingenuous behavior will be transparent to consumers

*Source: Brand Against Global Warming, Advertising Age, March 5, 2007

• Treehugger.com• Sprig.com• Inhabitat.com• Thegreenguide.co

m• Idealbit.com• Mtvswitch.com• Lime.com• earth911.org• ecorazzi.com• grist.org

• Thedailygreen.com• green.yahoo.com• zerofootprint.net• Greenbiz.com• lowimpactliving.com• sustainablestyle.org• eatwellguide.org• stylewillsaveus.com• Worldchanging.org• 100milediet.org• onepercentforthepla

net.org

Green Websites• 3r Blogging

3R Living sells the world’s highest quality eco-friendly, organic products and gifts.

• About My Planet The name says it all...

• Alternative Energy Blog news, views and strong opinions on alternative energy resources including wind power, solar energy, wave energy, geothermal & other alternate energy sources

• An Inconvenient Truth Official blog of An Inconvenient Truth

• BTC Elements Blog Being the Change -- adventures in responsible consumerism.

• CitizenGreen Thoughts on Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Peak Oil, Energy Policy, and more...

• Cleantech blog Cleantechblog.com, the premier site for commentary on clean technologies, news, and issues relating to next generation energy and the environment.

• Daily Green, the Blog of GreenForGood.com E-commerce site providing alternative products aimed at encouraging a sustainable, healthy, ecologically robust planet.

• DesignNiche NICHE is a modern design firm focused on creating beautiful contemporary interiors and furniture with an emphasis on sustainability.

• Dropping Knowledge Ask, answer, and discuss questions, download media, and use the searchable database to find social topics that matter most to you.

• EQUITY GREEN I would like to explore everything green as it relates to real estate.

• Earth Friendly Gardening Sustainable Gardening for a Healthy Planet

• Eco-Chick Because Mother Nature is a Woman.

• EcoGeek EcoGeek - Bridging the Gap between Technology and Nature.

• EcoSherpa Realistic, Responsible Living.

• EcoToolBox.com There are many things each and everyone of us can do on a daily basis.

• Environment Blog For the environmentalist in you.

• Environmental Economics Economists on Environmental and Natural Resources: News, Opinion, and Analysis

• Great Green Goods A shopping site for the earth friendly consumer.

Green Websites• Green Home Building and Sustainable Architect

ure Sustainable architecture is an exciting and important field.

• Green-Links Green-Links is a community driven online resource for all things 'green' in New York City.

• Green.tv green.tv is a United Nations Environment Programme supported IPTV channel for environmental films.

• GreenBiz A comprehensive free information resource for large and small companies seeking to align environmental business practices with business success.

• GreenCounsel Using the Law to Promote Renewable Energy, Environmental Business and Sustainability.

• GreenDrinks Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

• GreenMap Green Map System is a global eco-cultural movement, energized by local knowledge, action and responsibility.

• GreenThinkers Welcome to the New Greenthinkers!

• Greener Magazine The green solutions magazine for American homes, gardens and families

• Groovy Green Giving you the groove on green sustainable living in Ithaca, NY and beyond.

• Groovy Mind Organic, Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly Goods.

• HAUTE*NATURE Sustainable, renewable, recycled, repurposed, organic & childrens products--with an extra emphasis on creative D.I.Y. projects and art.

• How to Save the World Dave Pollard's environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays.

• Hugg Hugg is a new project by TreeHugger - asource for user-generated green news.

• Ideal Bite Irreverent thoughts on being green.

• Inhabitat Future-forward design for the world you inhabit - your daily source for innovations in sustainable architecture and green design for the home.

• It’s Getting Hot In Here Dispatches from the Global Youth Climate Movement

• Joel Makower Sustainable Business. Clean Technology. Green Marketplace.

• Gristmill Continuous news and commentary on matters earth-related.

Green Websites• Lazy Environmentalist

cutting-edge environmental trends and innovation in fashion, design, architecture, interiors, travel, transportation, and more.

• Life Begins at 30 A weblog focusing on the importance of locally and sustainably grown food.

• Lime The latest news and how-to videos

• M O B J E C T I V I S T re: Facts on the inevitable world-wide energy transition

• Maria Energia Highlighting companies of all shapes and sizes that are leading the world toward more efficient, reliable, and secure energy in the 21st century.

• Marketing Green Blog about Green Marketing.

• One Degree at Weather.com Throughout the world, people are confused about climate change and global warming. For this reason, The Weather Channel created One Degree.

• Organic Researcher A blog about the leading edge of social science research into organic food and farming.

• Our Tomorrow Another world is possible.

• Practical Environmentalist Practical steps to improving the environment.

• Renewable Energy Generation Searching for Sustainable Energy Sources. (Renewable Energy News from the Philippines.)

• Resource Insights Independent Comment on Environmental and Natural Resource News

• SRB Marketing | CONSCIOUS CLICKS - The Blog Blog News & Tips for environmental, social, organic & green organizations

• Sierra Club Compass Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.

• SlowLab A laboratory for the advancement of slow design thinking and practice, envisioning environmental sustainability, social harmony, and individual well-being as processes and products of good design.

• Small Failures This blog sets out to prove that living sustainably and living well are not mutually exclusive.

• Sustainability Blog Exploring sustainability from personal to global, using ecological footprint, green building, and transformative experience

• Peak Oil Premonitions For those that believe mankind needs to re-evaluate and change the role one plays in our ecosystem of finite resources and our impact on future generations and their way of life.

Green Websites• Sustainable Steps

This blog was created to promote a sustainable lifestyle for all.

• Sustainable Style look fabulous, live well, do good

• Sustainablog News, information and personal meanderings related to environmental and economic sustainability, green and sustainable business, and environmental politics.

• TerraBlog from TerraPass TerraPass helps individuals easily and affordably balance their environmental impact

• The Conscious Earth Earth-centered news for the health of air, water and habitat, and the fight against global warming.

• The Eco Street Blog raising green consciousness since 2005

• The Energy Blog The Energy Revolution has begun and will change your lifestyle!

• The Future is Green Thoughts the looming peak in world oil production, green alternatives, and the least painful paths to a sustainable society.

• The Green Giraffe A corporate guide to being & marketing green

• The Green Room - LIME More green celebrities... from Lime.com.

• The Hip and Zen Pen Celebrating the ethos and aesthetic of Hip & Zen, modern lifestyle products that nurture body and soul.

• The Weekly Green Planet Eco Celebrity news, gossip and commentary ~ "Spotlighting Celebrities Who Shine Their Light Back On Our Planet"

• Today's News ENN provides comprehensive environmental marketing and communication solutions for both business and non-profit organizations.

• Triple Pundit Serving people, planet and profit: An 'integrated bottom-line' approach to looking at business from the next generation of MBAs

• Unplugged Living Helping You to Freeload Off of Mother Nature.

• WorldChanging An online publication covering tools, models, and ideas for building a better future. Another world is here.

• Zerofootprint Zerofootprint’s goal is to connect people who care about the environment for the purpose of reducing ecological footprint.

• ecorazzi.com Celebrities caught green-handed: Ecorazzi is dedicated to rounding up all the best 'green' news on celebrities and notables making waves in support of the environment and humanitarian causes.

Green Websites

• gDiapers: the early years... Official blog of gDiapers.

• greenbuildingsnyc.com Green Design, Construction, and Real Estate in NYC and Beyond: I'm a former New York City construction professional now practicing construction and real estate law in Manhattan. I'm interested in both LEED and the green building movement from engineering, urban planning, and legal perspectives.

• sustenance A place to explore the connections between community and sustainability.

• the greener side the perks and quirks of sustainable tech

• theWatt Daily Energy News and Discussion

Media

Discovery Communications

Planet Green – a TV channel debuting in spring 2008 - completely

dedicated to various aspects of environmental living

News Corporation

Announced an initiative for all business units to be carbon neutral

by 2010

Rolling Stone

Will use carbon neutral paper

NBC Universal“Get on Board” – company wide commitment to environmentally

conscious film and TV production

“Evan Almighty” A “carbon-zero” production

www.Getonboardnow.com – launched by NBC in conjunction with the film – tips on being green,

make a donation to plant trees, green makeover sweeps

MTV Networks International

MTV Switch - Youth-centric, worldwide, multi-platform initiative, designed to inform viewers about

issues of global warming and ways in which they can make choices that result carbon emission reduction. 

(http://www.mtvswitch.org ).

Retailers

64% of retailers claim they will be creating more energy-efficient

stores when building or remodeling

(Food Marketing Institute’s 2005-06 Annual Financial Review)

Home Depot

Eco Options Labeling

Wal-Mart

18seconds.org

Packaging design contest – Wal-Mart challenged its electronic manufacturers to design new packaging using minimal

and sustainable packaging

Considering installing solar power in 340 stores

Trader Joes

You are entered in a sweeps for a $25 gift card every time you bring

your own bag

Publix

Opening Publix GreenWise Markets later this year to will directly compete with whole Foods

(POP Times, May 2007)

Brands

L’Oreal

Going cruelty free - replacing animal testing with tests done on engineered human tissue

GE

Ecomagination

Purchased a Canadian hydroelectric plant and invested in two wind farms

PepsiCo

Purchased $2 million of Renewable Energy Credits in April

Pledged a $20 million commitment to conserve, reduce and recycle water

Stopped financing research that uses animal testing

P&G

Reduce size of packaging for liquid detergent

Introduced Crest tubes that can be shipped without boxes

Coca-Cola

Plans to reduce packaging size of Dasani by 7% over the next 5 years

Partnership with World Wildlife Federation to reduce water use, recycle more water used in manufacturing, and work to conserve freshwater resources

worldwide. $20 million commitment

Stopped financing research that uses animal testing

Kraft

Working with the Rainforest Alliance to reach conservation standards for

cocoa & coffee farming

Increased natural and organic options

- Back to Nature- Yuban

Philips

Supporting Relight NY – a non-profit developed by a NYC high school freshman to supply low-income

families with CFLs to save energy

Apple

Developed a plan to become more environmentally friendly in response

to public demand

Enterprise

Will introduce a fleet of fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles, as well as a commitment to fund research

into alternative fuels

General Motors

Plans to accelerate production of electric cars

Dell

Zero Carbon Initiative - programs aimed at all steps on the supply

chain, from suppliers to manufacturing to operations to

consumers http://ideastorm.com/

Nike

Goals include: improved labor conditions at all its factories

worldwide, be a climate-neutral company, and reduced the waste

from its products by 17 percent by 2011

HP

Partnership with World Wildlife FundEpicenter for Climate Conservation - which is focused on advancing climate adaptation and

resiliency strategies and projects around the globe

Climate Witness - an online forum that serves to raise global awareness of the tangible

consequences of climate change "Information and Communication Technology

Innovation as a Driver of Climate Change Solutions" - program to identify 1 billion tons of

carbon reductions through the use of information

and communication technology.

Clif Bar

Converted field marketing trucks to biodiesel

Timberland

Green Index Tags – products are given scores based on issues such as

greenhouse gas emissions, solvents and organic materials

Plans to be carbon neutral by 2010