A recent survey revealed that American consumers believe that a natural product is a better indicator of an eco-friendly product than “organic”.

This makes me shake my head and stomp my feet.  The truth is there are absolutely no regulations in place when it comes to using the word “natural”. You can have a mere 1% of your ingredients as “natural” and still say that your product is natural.  Sad but true.

As for organic food, there are strict government standards in place in order to place “certified organic” on your label. Unfortunately, when it comes to other product categories such as personal care products, the word “organic” is misused because HABA (Health and Beauty Aids) is a self regulated industry.  No wonder the American public is confused. And no wonder nearly two-thirds of the consumers in this study answered “don’t know/not sure” when asked, “How do you know a product is green?”

What’s worse is that some companies out there that are so called “committed” to organic food are capitalizing on consumer cluelessness. Horizon Dairy, the largest organic milk brand in America, just announced its intention to launch a line of natural (not organic) yogurts and milk products aimed at toddlers and their confused mommies. These products will be produced “conventionally” (code for: with pesticides and herbicides) but according to the company “without added growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup.”

So yeah, the product will be cheaper because you cannot find organic anything on factory farms. But Mom, don’t confuse this natural claim with the healthier, safer, more nutritious food you get with organics. Because it’s not.        

 – Carolyn

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photo credit: ellievanhoutte

A recent study by the Food Action Group found that 70% of consumers polled would be more inclined to visit green or organic restaurants regardless of price, up from 37 percent in 2007. And while the search engine Google returned 1,467 results for the phrase “green restaurant” in 2006, today a search on that phrase returned nearly 79 million results.  That proves the growing appetite America is developing for better, safer and healthier food.

For any out there who think that green is a passing fad it’s time to put that old thinking to bed. Green is growing in leaps and bounds. And it’s not just to save the planet. One more e-coli scare, one more hamburger meat recall, one more peanut butter fiasco, one more incident where even that staple of American food happiness, the Toll House cookie, becomes suspect, and you can see why consumers are turning green every chance they get.

Help accelerate that shift by telling your customers the benefits of green cuisine. It’s not a hard story to tell if you think about it a bit. Doesn’t a tomato raised on a family farm have more appetite appeal than one grown on a factory farm?  Don’t eggs laid by free range organic chickens sound more appetizing than eggs laid by an imprisoned chicken juiced up on chemicals and hormones? Doesn’t broccoli that comes from  your neighborhood Farmers Market sound way more delicious than broccoli trucked in from 1,600 miles away (that’s how far the  average store-bought veggie travels to your plate)? Marketers, those are gems waiting for you to uncover.

When you strip everything aside, marketing and advertising are really a sound foundation of facts and information waiting to be told well. More than anything, remember that people do not eat pizza to save the planet. They eat it to enjoy it, because they love the taste of it and because it’s a sensory delight. And a story of better, tastier and healthier ingredients should net out as a story of better taste and more enjoyment. 

We really are at critical mass right now. The thought of conventional and industrial grown food and all the little surprises that can come along with it are enough to turn America’s stomachs and turn their purchase patterns to a better way of eating and living. And that’s a very appetizing fact and marketing tidbit for all of us to chew on. 

Got a tasty tidbit you want to share?

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Take heart green-preneurs, there’s a green light ahead.  According to a recent Advertising Age headline, “Green-Marketing Revolution Defies Economic Downturn: Sustainable-Product Sales Rise as Eco-friendliness Goes Mainstream and Value Players Join the Trend.”  That’s proof that even in a harsh economy; healthier, smarter and safer products have meaning to consumers.  That’s not just because consumers have more planet consciousness, that’s because they have more personal involvement.  They want products that are better for themselves and their families — and the planet too.

That’s the true green message that wants to be told. Organic food equals better food, tastier food, fresher food.  Eco- cleaning products are safer for your kids and home.  Zero VOC paints are not only beautiful to look at but beautiful to live with. They don’t off-gas toxins into your inner environment.  In the time of Swine flu, e-coli hamburgers and scary peanut butter, green products need to make the case that they’re better products. 

For instance, for a solar client we recommended as their company tag line, “We Bring Solar Down To Earth.”  That said two things.  Number one, they harnessed the sun.  Number two and even more important, they have made solar practical, economical, every day and something for everyone, not just off-the-gridders.

What does that mean to you?  Simple. Get relevant.  Communicate your reason for being. What you do and what you do better. Make your case personal and close-in. When you’ve educated all of us in simple, down-to-earth terms, than you create a relationship not just a customer.  You’ve done something for them, instead of just selling something to them.

What are you doing to get relevant?  We want to know.  Really.

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