If you have the word green in your name, do whatever it takes to remove it. Unless you’re Greenpeace, of course. They’ve got the cajones to back it up.
Derrick Mains invited me on his his Triple Bottom Line radio show today, and we had a gas (Not the carbon kind) exploring ways to tell your organization’s story around its sustainability. Green marketing and selling your sustainability initiatives like a glossy consumer product does not work. Instead, you need to embrace the consumer on their turf and invite them into your story by taking authentic action.
5 Highlights from the show include:
- Create story genres, consistent with your brands, that resonate with everyone from your core customers to your skeptical colleagues to your demanding shareholders
- Stop proclaiming and start educating on and encourage authentic action with celebrated outcomes to advance behavior change
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My photo of a river fractal over, ironically, Northern Arizona
Be funny, interesting, intriguing and outrageous
- Think of ways to transition your “green” story from sustainability to longevity
- Understand the principle of the “Practical Fractal” concept as it relates to the human experience (More on this in my next post)
Derrick asked me what 2013 holds for green marketing? I don’t think it holds a lot. We need to change our stories to ignite authentic action with our brands, celebrate the measurable outcomes, and share these individual journeys with the world. We need to evolve from green marketing, through stories of sustainability, to journeys of longevity.
What’s your story for 2013?
at 11:49 am
Not sure I agree that “Green is dead”, Park.
Although the answer depends largely on how one defines “Green” or “Sustainability”. I don’t know many people who look down on environmentally conscientious actions or decisions provided they are done for the right reasons, economically and so that they make sense to their target market. To this extent, I think there is still great opportunity for marketing green.
We traded messages long ago about people and companies trying to sell the myth that their “green-ness” or overt sustainability regardless of cost was going to change the weather, climate, reverse global warming, etc. Far too much hype over the past few years selling the doom and gloom of rising tides because someone decided to drive their truck over the mountains to go hunting.
at 9:31 am
[…] A recent post of his reminded me that the use of the word “green” may be getting a bit green aro…. What’s needed, he argues, are not mere catch-phrases, but “genuine stories of sustainability.” True enough, I think, for every industry, including law. […]
at 7:33 am
[…] you Roel Welsing, head of marketing at Triodos Bank, for responding to my article about the dying brand of green marketing with a brand story about a financial institution with a […]
at 1:25 pm
very thoughtful. thank you.