When I read the June 16th news that Sony’s new 32” Bravia LCD TV uses up to 30% less energy, I was thrilled with the idea of saving the planet while sitting on the couch. In one demonstration, a press release stated, a watt-counter attached to the new 32-inch Bravia showed ...
The Sustainable Hot-Rod
Walking through the idyllic seaside burg of Capitola, California, my green sensibilities were assaulted by the flashing colours, gleaming steel, and deafening V-8 roar of the Capitola Hot Rod Show. These were muscle cars in their element, under a California sun, each the offspring of countless hours of hard work, ...
Hybrid Karma
In order to travel for a meeting in Capitola (near Santa Cruz) I was forced to rent a car. For the first hour and a half, I was ensnared in a ‘we’ll pick you up’ runaround fiasco (before you loose the legal pit-bulls, Enterprise Rent-A-car, let me sure you it ...
The Good, The Swag, and The Ugly.
The Sustainable Brands 2008 show was, like the industry it represents, sometimes a contradiction. Here, in no particular order, are my Top-10 observations on both ends of the green scale: 1. Coffee with all the right adjectives. It was nice to see a departure from the ubiquitous generic hotel swill. ...
Design for the other 90%
Paul Polak, Founder, D-REV In 2005, The luxury goods market was worth $455 billion. $7 billion was spent on haircare products alone. Corporations spent $140 Billion on advertising in the US alone. Yet, median household net worth rose only 2% in 2 years. Ours is the very pinnacle of expenditure ...
Method. ‘Dark Green’ on the inside, ‘Bright Green’ on the outside.
Eric Ryan – Method This presenter reminded me of the dot-com junior CEO’s of the 90’s. Young, hip, dressed down with hair to match. And a company success story that makes one jealous. A lot. Method started with 2 guys in a flat somewhere around 2001. (Young eco-entrepreneurs take note: ...
Advercacy – Branding meets sustainable activism over a beer.
New Belgium Brewery Greg Owsley, Chief Branding Officer. On my first night in Monterey, I stopped by a local liquor deli to stock my mini fridge. Not seeing anything ‘natural’, or ‘organic’, I settled on Fat Tire Ale, a character beer I had tried and liked once in Colorado. Little ...
Culture as Brand
Jeffrey Hollander, President 7th Generation For me, this presentation was one of this show’s most powerful, yet I will have a challenge communicating it to you, Dear Readers, second-hand. If you’re not familiar with the Seventh Generation line of cleaning and household products, it is a paragon of environmental business. ...
KEEN Footwear: Going from $0 to $150 million in 5 years
Inside a marketing campaign that raised web traffic 58% and e-mail sign up 85% Bobbie Parisi, VP of Marketing The whole Keen Footwear line started withn one simple design question: Can a sandal protect toes? From there, they have exploded on to the scene, with a brand that is hip, ...
Current Consumer Brand Perception – Who’s falling off this year’s Green Brands List
Annie Longsworth, Managing Director, Cohn & Wolfe Russ Meyer, Landor Associates Jay Leveton, Penn, Schoen & Berland This presentation was largely statistical, so here are the numbers. Research geeks, enjoy: The study was done in the US and U.K. with 3000 adults 2007: 3600+ new green products 45,000+ green/sustainable articles Economic ...