Water, water anywhere.

I published a post a while ago about a manufacturer of paint who was supplying additive free paints, but also supplying them in dry powder form so you mix them with water on-site.  This really captured my imagination because it ticked so many boxes – little water used in the manufacture, not spending resources transporting lots of bulky, heavy water in the paint, using less fuel and less pollution – the list goes on.

That started me thinking how much other stuff do we consume that is for the large part water, and if we could use dry ingredients and mix them ourselves would that not be infinitely more sensible? Continuing on the DIY theme, I was in my local B&Q and spotted many ‘ready mixed’ products that were just exploiting our pursuit of convenience – ready-mixed filler (what’s wrong with powder filler), even ready mixed plaster.

Many drinks are over 90% water: I cycle a lot and use isotonic and hi-carb drinks most of which are available in powder form, yet shelves are full of ready mixed sports drinks – mainly water.

There would seem to be a big product development opportunity here. Not only could we make a contribution in not shipping vast quantities of water around, but transport costs could be cut dramatically.

Water will become an increasingly valuable commodity: already water companies are planning for the future and looking to sophisticated demand management schemes.

Let’s start thinking dry technologies… I’ll drink to that!

Read Full Post »

Paint in any colour you want – so long as it is green.

I’m not one to strongly promote commercial products on my blog, but occasionally you come across something that really presses all the right buttons. I was recently running a a workshop where one of the delegates talked about their great, award-winning product – naturepaint (www.naturepaint.com).

Basically this is paint that does all that you would expect of a traditional, off-the-shelf paint – but with all the harmful components removed, and supplied in powder form. All you have to do is to add ordinary tap water. That seemed like a good move to start with, but when you look at little deeper at what this means, it gets even better.

1. No nasty chemicals or solvents.
2. As you are not shipping any water, it used less fuel to ship – less carbon.
3. Safe to ship – it’s the only paint you can send by post in the UK!
4. No need for expensive metal or plastic cans and the environmental costs they incur.

I could go on, but I suggest taking a look at their website and let them tell their own story. Oh, and the company takes sustainability beyond its products, into its whole ethos.

Keep up the good work guys – keep thinking out of the box – or rather out of the can.

Read Full Post »

Can global brands be green brands and vice versa?

I have already posted comments on this report on my branding blog, but make no apologies for posting again here as it is a most valuable insight into global, green brands.

The Green Brands 2009 reports shows some interesting, some encouraging and a few worrying thoughts. Though this is a US Brands survey, it was conducted over seven countries. They UK generally fell in line with the US though some of the responses was more aligned with European data (France  and Germany). Worryingly, we have the smallestproportion of consumers expecting to spend more on green products or services.

But for the good news: “This year’s findings in both developed and developing countries reinforce consumers’ desires to be green by using products that are green,” says Russ Meyer, chief strategy officer of Landor Associates. “However, we’re also beginning to see a strong positive correlation between greenness and more traditional brand attributes like honesty and trustworthiness.”

It is fascinating and enlightening to look at the top 10 green brands for each of the seven countries. The most fascinating data is that there is no evidence of globally common green brands and only one or two brands even appear in more than one country’s top list. This poses an interesting question – does it mean that the high ground is there to be won by globally consolidated brands, or is a global green brand an oxymoron? Perhaps globalisation and green values are unhappy bed-fellows… phrases like ‘camel’ and ‘eye of a needle’ spring to mind.

Read Full Post »

Keeping it close

I’m a great fan of the internet as a tool for sustainable marketing, but its low resource use and the ability to ‘communicate rather than commute’ sometimes results in tunnel vision to other  potential downsides. Let’s just think about procurement – today we can source products on a global basis and compare prices ensuring we get the best possible deals. That ease, however, can often mask other impacts our purchasing habits can generate – economic, environmental and cultural.

I was delivering a workshop a few weeks ago and was very impressed by one of the delegates whose company marketed a quite high-tech product to reduce the amount of chlorine used in swimming pools. As if that was not enough, it was his procurement that impressed me. Everything in his manufacture and marketing was sourced from withing 3 miles of his premises. This included his marketing collateral and packaging.

Sometimes our global vision means we don’t see what is available on our own doorsteps. Perhaps our first choice for supply should be to think local. We can reduce transport miles, support and stimulate local economies and sustain local cultures. Sure, sometimes we may pay a little more but it is usually possible to negotiate prices, especially face to face. But there are other benefits as my delegate pointed out; “If there is a problem, I just go around and see them – saves a lot of hassle dealing with wrong or faulty deliveries and returns”.

Read Full Post »

Actions speak louder than words.. but you can still talk

I spotted a Dilbert cartoon in the press the other day, where Dilbert was asking his boss if switching from Styrofoam to paper coffee cups was really better for the environment. His boss said he didn’t know but the important thing was that they looked like the kind of company who would care about those things.

Funny, cynical and often true: but I’m not against companies’ efforts at sustainability being promoted. We are talking about sustainable marketing after all. I do believe that sustainability makes good business sense – and if it confers a point of differentiation so much the better. Shout about it and others will try to follow… self-interest is a powerful driver.

The important point is to take sound sustainable actions first – then by all means communicate it.

Read Full Post »

The fourth ‘E’

I have discussed before that the essence of sustainable marketing is adding to the four P’s, the three E’s: Ecology: ensuring that the marketing is ecologically and environmentally sustainable. Economy: the project must not be damaging economically to the communities it impacts upon. Ethnology: having regard and support for the cultures of all those involved in the marketing activity from producer to customer.

I realised, however that I have missed another big ‘E’… Ethics. It could be argued that this is the envelope (another ‘e’?) that contains all the others.  But I would suggest that for a company’s marketing to be ethical sustainable goes beyond the other dimensions and reflects upon the organisations attitude to it’s corporate responsibilities and ultimately its brand values.

Read Full Post »