Going Green to Make Green

Let’s be honest: saving the environment is totally hip these days.

Between celebrities proudly driving hybrid cars and boasting off-setting their carbon footprints, being green is trendy. And we as a star-crazed public care about that sort of thing…though did anyone watch that Live Earth concert? And those aforementioned celebrities are only green when it’s convenient, it seems.

Which makes me wonder: is “going green” a fad?

Before getting too far, let me qualify that I am going to ramble from an American standpoint here – no offense, Kazakhstan. And yes, I know the US is still behind the times – what happened to bidets in America? – to our European and Asian counterparts in particular.

And keep in mind the benefits of being a merit-badge earning environmentalist are not the focus here, either. I just want to know what this green trend means for my clients – how it impacts their image, products, and services. That being said…

First and foremost, we know being eco-friendly drives price points up dramatically. Yes, organic items are harder to develop and there is generally less yield, but the organic food market in particular has been capitalizing on this customer knowledge for years. Lots of products claim to be organic, charging more for less, and not all customers do their homework. Supermarkets are exponentially increasing their organic offerings each year, in not just this country, and it’s not all truly eco-friendly stuff.

Second, it doesn’t matter if people want to seem like they do (or actually do, novel thought!) care, as long as they open their wallets. And more than half of Americans (if they had to choose) think environmental issues are more important than economic growth. Yeah…I was surprised, too.

Third, the web presence for environmental issues has become significant. According to Nielson, up 169% since last year. Not exactly an afterthought. Sure, it was inflated by certain environmental events (Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and the water bottle bans being among them), but that just means that people are paying attention.

Some don’t believe you can sell a product on being green alone, but I’m not so convinced. Green marketing has been on the rise for some years, and it is not showing signs of fatigue. Think about products that use a full-on marketing message onslaught to push how being eco-friendly will ultimately SAVE the consumer money: think dishwashers, washing machines, etc.

So fad or not, if what you are selling fits (or can be made to), show your tree-hugging side! There are countless possibilities for capitalization, and this is not limited by consumer sphere: Eco-friendly fashion. Realistically green video games. Even the chance to be environmentally active once you’re dead!

Oh, and saving the planet is an added bonus.