Recently the New York Times ran two disturbing articles on the same day — Earth Day. One headline said “Green Products Lose Their Allure“. The other stated that consumer confidence was at its lowest level in years and economic depression has returned with an amazing 75% thinking our economic environment is bad and getting worse.

Obviously, these two articles have a lot in common. Green sales historically rise in good economic times and can be one of the first to suffer when money is tight. But I think there is another reason just as fundamental. Most green communications, from products to energy efficiency, have been told as an environmental story and not as an economic or health story.

Many mainstream people still think of green as a sacrifice you have to make to be a better citizen of the earth. They see it much like they see contributing to a charity. Something worthwhile — as long as your have the money.

Think energy efficiency. I hear it spoken about in term of carbon offset and alternative fuels instead of its direct correlation to the bottom line. I even hear people saying, “I know it saves me money in the long run, but I’m running for my life right now.” That’s a message all of us in the green world need to hear and understand.

Since this blog began, we have been preaching a gospel of environmental self interest. Urging marketers to tell their green story in human terms. To stop employing polar bears and icebergs to tell the story, but to simply communicate that better products are better for many reasons.

Just one year after the Gulf Oil Spill, a majority is actually in favor of drilling in the gulf again. It’s soon to be $5.00 gas at the pumps that are driving those decisions. And as soon as Japan fades from our short attention span, nuclear reactors will be on the table again.

What’s really sad is that the decline in mainstream green products and disappointing sales will further deteriorate the green world until it’s back to those Deep Green 19% who always were and always will be. That won’t help change the world or the marketplace.

Too bad something so worthwhile was not given the true intelligence and understanding it needed to succeed. Too bad marketers understood so little about presenting value propositions alongside values propositions. Too bad they didn’t employ green aware people to craft a message that would create sustainable motivation. Maybe then we could have made the green world about making sense, and dollars at the same time.

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Our teleseminar “How Market Research Becomes Market Results: Turning Data into Dynamic Creative in Green Communications” was one of our best yet. Linda Gilbert, CEO of EcoFocus Worldwide, is a market research whiz and many golden nuggets of whizdom were shared between she and Irv. If you want to know the latest consumer attitudes toward green and how to take those findings and create dynamic messaging across all your communications, listen to this.

Presenters

Linda Gilbert is the CEO of EcoFocus Worldwide. She has more than 25 years experience working tracking consumer trends and applying the learnings to brand and communication strategies. EcoFocus conducts ground-breaking consumer research and provides marketing consulting specializing in consumer perspectives on green and sustainable goods and services as well as insights into the health and wellness marketplace.

Their clients include businesses with products and services that touch consumers in their homes and daily lives: foods and beverages; personal care and cosmetics; household cleaning and home improvements; gardening and pest control; school and home office supplies; transportation; restaurants; packaging and recycling, and other consumer and B2B goods and services.

Irv Weinberg is a Co-founder and Principal at Mind Over Markets, a dedicated green marketing communications company, specializes in creating effective messaging in the maturing green market for over 10 years.

He brings with him more than 30 years of senior-level advertising and marketing experience. He has worked for some of the world’s top advertising agencies including Young & Rubicam; Wells, Rich and Greene; LINTAS and Grey Advertising in New York City. Irv has been responsible for heading up the advertising and marketing efforts of Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, IBM, Club Med, Continental Airlines and General Foods, as well as non-profit organizations and small to medium-sized businesses nationwide.

Inquiry: What marketing topics do you want us to feature in our Green Marketing Masters Teleseminars?

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According to a new study from Cone, Americans continue to misunderstand phrases commonly used in environmental marketing and advertising to give products a greener image than they may deserve. Back in my days on Madison Avenue, we copywriters had a name for these “phrases”. We called them weasel words. Weasel words are words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim has been communicated. For instance, the phrase “virtually spotless” for dishwasher detergent might make you think that after washing your dishes with Brand X, you will have practically no spots on your glasses. Ahhh, a classic weasel word at work. The word “virtually” means virtually nothing. It’s vague, it’s meaningless, and it’s used all the time in traditional advertising.

Sorry to say that in most green marketing, not much is different. We have our version of weasel words too. The infamous word “natural” is a classic weasel word. It means nothing, yet just stroll down the aisles of your favorite natural foods store and you will see that term used all the time. The truth is 100% natural means 100% nothing because there is nothing needed to back it up. No certifications. No detailed information in-line with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines. Nothing. No wonder consumers are confused. And marketplace capitalizes on this every day. Not until strict regulations are in place (like “certified organic”) will consumers really begin to trust any claim in green marketing, or any marketing for that matter.

Got a weasel word you’d like to share? Let’s get them out in the light so that consumers can see the light and make better choices.

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