A lesson in green business: New Belgium Brewery

just posted a lengthy report from my tour of New Belgium Brewery over at my other blog, WoolardSpeak. check it out.

The Green Marketing Manifesto

John Grant's new book, The Green Marketing Manifesto looks great. I stumbled upon his blog this morning via the Talent Imitates, Genius Steals blog and got interested fast. I'm still digging through John's blog, but one thing caught my eye that I wanted to pass on. It's right in the mission of the Do Better Blog, and called (hilariously) The Nag. Check it out, you'll get it, and it's power to change the world, quickly and simply.

The Green Marketing Manifesto is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Also found on Talent Imitates, a great concept, cleverly called Unpackaged. Check it.

it's truly not easy being green

a number of people have asked me recently to comment on the "green" trend. first, I want to make a statement. though Interwoven Threads is printed on 100% organic cotton and made in America, i don't consider Interwoven Threads to be as green as it could be. I'm still playing with the availability and last of soy inks, that's the first major area for improvement. I work hard to limit the amount of material I use to ship and print. Our envelopes are made from recycled material and our soon-to-be-produced marketing and communication material is all on recycled or reused paper. Bottom line, Interwoven Threads is certainly greener than most T-shirt companies, but there's room for improvement.

"greenwashing" is the issue here. basically, greenwashing occurs when a company that is less than green (or socially responsible for that matter) follows a consumer trend and tries to play in the same sandbox. normally, greenwashing companies are only in it to ride the coattails of a trend, and partake in some new marketshare.

i was doing some research today and came across EcoAmerica's News Blog and found a nice, concise post on consumers' views toward greenwashing. some good tips and overviews too. Via GreenBiz, take a look at this study, which cites green fatigue caused by many indicators. though it is focused on a couple industries, its results can be translated throughout categories.

not only is the green fatigue a cause for concern, but it's a call-to-action for companies to be authentic in their do-better pursuits. consumers met the green movement with gusto, throwing dollars and loyalty behind companies for doing very little. oftentimes, companies, like Patagonia, which were "green" before there was a label for being so, were overlooked by companies throwing marketing dollars at the heightened consumer interest. as consumers get smarter, they ask tougher questions. they look at the companies that claim to be green and dig through their processes and practices.

greenwashing is not just an unethical marketing and business strategy, it's harmful to the environment. sounds corny, but it's true. i don't care how many jump on the rubber bracelet bandwagon, the fallout and fatigue doesn't harm the cause, but when a company claims to be green and tries to take marketshare away from companies that were founded on green and sustainable philosophies, they are harming consumer confidence and the environment.

i'm not saying consumers should scour the depths of annual reports to make sure soy ink is used on the return address envelopes, but consumers should seek authenticity. they should seek signs of effort, which proves a company is moving toward something on a holistic level. that being green is an investment that will evolve. that it isn't as easy as throwing a few solar panels up on the roof and introducing a line of products made from recycling.

it's not easy being green. that's why the rewards are reaped by companies that are authentic and committed. seek those companies. reward them with your loyalty and business.

PSFK calls out Delta

I walk a fine line here at the Do Better Blog. I try to post only info of the purest of heart. We all know there's a ton of "greenwashing" going on with brands right now to be part of the cool, green, kids' table. Boo on that. I'm not suggesting a witch hunt, but I am suggesting we continue to feature and laud honestly good companies compared to companies who've tacked on a green initiative because their competitors just adopted a highway. So far from the point. Anyway, I love reading PSFK (and get a lot of my truly environmental info from this source - so put 'em on your RSS reader) and tonight saw an interesting post calling out Delta's "green" efforts.

First of all, I'm really happy. Why? Because PSFK did something that I am so darn excited to see in the mainstream: a feet-to-the-fire accountability check of companies' "green" efforts. Since forming Interwoven Threads, I've tried to do as much as I can to create a sustainable company. Am I 100 percent good yet? No. But I'm working toward it. And I like the dialogue and the pressure from consumers. I invite it. It's how this green thing will get some gas (and by gas, I mean...).


PSFK questions Delta's "green" in-flight amenity kit (photo credit psfk). You know, they were pretty harsh on Delta, but I'd have started out with even a harsher criticism: When you're an airline, burning god knows how much fuel, a corn-based toothbrush isn't going to offset your carbon footprint. Don't jerk me around with an in-flight kit. I'm going to criticize your marketing dept. Promote the trees you're planting to offset your footprint. Promote your partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Fund. Give me a sapling instead of a toothbrush to, if your website is correct, symbolize the tree you are planting on my your employees' behalf. That's good stuff and it's stuff I, as a consumer, get and can get behind.

What would make me happy (and I imagine Piers, too) would be an honest account of how to do better. Something like this, printed on the in-flight bag: "We're an airline. We burn lots of fuel. But you have to get to L.A. from New York and you need to do it fast. So, we exist to aid travel. To offset the environmental implications of our industry, we're doing X. You'll see that reflected in our in-flight service and our gate experience, where we're working toward a social consciousness we believe is critical to balance our impact on the environment we all seek to preserve."

One great thing that came from the giant Web 2.o movement was transparency. It started as an edict for web behavior and has trickled into all aspects of modern business communications. Nowhere is it more beneficial to a company and appreciated by a consumer than being transparent with your environmental and social efforts. None of us are perfect. Delta, your consumers know what you're putting into the air when they buckle their belts. So face it. Be who you are. Seems like you've got a lot of good offsets going for you, none of which have anything to do with a "green" toothbrush. How do you communicate those better? How do you change the bigger picture, not just the cute kit with some nice copywriting.

It's a good day, folks. We're challenging brands. We're debating authenticity. And that is what grows efforts.