Our friend Jacqui Ottman just posted an interesting and astute blog about the SunChips noisy bag brouhaha. Consumers, it seemed, complained so loudly about the noise of the compostable packaging that it’s been all but abandoned. Too bad on at least two levels.

They jumped into the green market with something that they called “environmentally preferable” and  then the moment some voices were raised, they overreacted to undo it all.

I agree with Jacqui that maybe they should have tried explaining it all better but there might have been another tack they could have taken. Use that noisy bag as a way to make a little noise about how they were doing something better for the environment. Maybe a commercial not only about biodegradability, but about the pride you will feel making all that noise and being recognized as someone who is doing things better. I don’t think that bag is going to cause terminal deafness especially to a generation that plays their music so loud that the bass speakers in car next to you can cause your car to rock.

They could have said, “Make some noise for the environment!” and asked us all to sign up. The SunChips bag noise could have been a rally call. And for fun, they could have offered Sun Chip earplugs or earmuffs as premiums when the sound of cheering bags gets too loud.

As a creative guy, I can imagine all sorts of over-the-top executives using the bag as New Years Eve noise-makers or teen age alarm clocks or even as a ring tone for your phone. How about a chorus of SunChips bags crackling to the tune of “America the Beautiful”? That has viral written all over it.

First thing I learned about making communications effective was turning any disadvantage into an advantage. Think of it: A snack bag as a badge of honor.  That seems the perfect marriage for a consumer base that would love to live a little greener, if we could only make it easy for them to do it. It’s like having your chips and eating them too.

Thumbs up or thumbs down for SunChips’ decision. We want to know.

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There are some intelligent choices in the marketplace today, and as green is becoming more and more prevalent, we’re seeing the prices reducing – and efficacy rising. This Women Of Green podcast features MJ Jolda, the Vice President of Marketing at Marcal Paper Products, a leading manufacturer of household paper goods from 100 percent recycled paper. They have introduced an Environmental Facts panel on their “Small Steps” packaging that details information like recycled paper content, how much chlorine bleach was used for whitening, and the use of chemical-based additives like fragrances and dyes.

This whole effort came out of talking with many many consumers, mostly women, on what they want and don’t want in green.

Listen in to her responses to these questions:

Most of your customers are mainstream consumers – what I would call medium to light greens. They would purchase green but it has to really make sense.

What did you learn in your research about what it would take for them to make a green purchase versus a conventional one?

Women buy 80% of the products in our household, that’s tremendous economic power. So how can we rally those women to really have an impact in the marketplace?

How do we educate women, mainstream women, on what’s really happening when they buy that conventional product?

You have said that one of the biggest threats to the environmental consumerism movement is misinformation, or what’s often called greenwashing. How can we really make an impact in the marketplace if so many manufacturers are just spinning a marketing story without the environmental reality behind it?

I love Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles. What is Marcal doing or not doing well that you would like to change or improve?

About MJ Jolda: She is the Senior Vice President for Marcal Paper LLC, the nation’s leading manufacturer of household paper goods from 100 percent recycled paper. An industry pioneer, Marcal has used recycled paper to make paper towels, napkins, facial tissue and bath tissue since 1950. MJ is responsible for the Marketing and R&D efforts for the Marcal Small Steps brand. MJ’s 20-plus-year track record of brand revitalization spans a wide range of consumer products, concentrating in food, household cleansers and OTC/HBA.

MJ’s links:

Profile of MJ Jolda in Advertising Age

Marcal’s Small Steps website

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If you missed our September Green Marketing Masters teleseminar, “Avoiding Meaningless Messaging in Your Green Marketing,” or you just want to hear it again because it was so darn enlightening for you, here it is: Green Marketing Masters Teleseminar – Sept 2010

What is a “meaningless message”?

How do you get to the heart of your message for your brand?

How are green marketers cutting through the green exhaustion syndrome?

How do you develop a green marketing strategy?

At one time, being green was a differentiator. How do meaningfully identify a differentiator when everyone is green? 

From your experiences in advertising for many well known brands, what principal marketing/advertising elements still apply to the Green Campaigns your create at Mind Over Markets, and which do you change?

What is the best marketing message / strategy (conventional/ unconventional) to promote every day consumable items like eco-friendly disposable plates?

How do you talk about the sustainable things you are doing, while keeping the message from being greenwashing? 

Our Green Marketing Masters Teleseminar Series is an opportunity for you to pick the brains of some of the leading green marketing minds in the industry. Each month, we’ll present a specific topic that is highly relevant in the marketplace. Each broadcast includes time for live Q&A brain picking.

October Green Marketing Masters Teleseminar 

“Leveraging Social Media for Sustainable Business.” Social Media principles align with Sustainable Business principles; Transparent, Cooperative, Localized, Networked, Efficient and the list goes on. In this teleseminar, learn an overview of social media, how it is changing the face of media, and how sustainable business is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this disruptive technology.

Presenters: Joey Shepp, Founder and Principal at Earthsite, New Media for Sustainable Brands; with Carolyn Parrs, Principal at Mind Over Markets.

Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Time: 10:00 am Pacific time; 1:00 pm Eastern time (1 hour)

Click Here to Register for October Teleseminar

For more information, call 505-989-4004.

See you on the 27th!

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