In "An Introduction To Green Marketing" it says: "Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising." But, all these things will fail if people's attitudes haven't changed since 1994 when the EPA released the chart above (as shown at the bottom of that same report). Motivation to change attitudes of any kind can be positive or negative ("carrot" or "stick").
The movie about Global Warming, "An Inconvenient Truth" uses fear to motivate. In my blog post entitled "BUY WAR (NO, "GREEN") BONDS!" uses patriotism to motivate. However, I must admit that as a marketer, and someone who knows that while fear and patriotism are a big motivators, it would be best if the emphasis be on what empowers the consumer or industrial buyer to buy non-green products and services. Does it do well what it is supposed to do (quality), does it save me money, and is it cost effective for what I can afford to pay (value). Intangible attributes that improve one's self-image also help (ego).
"Green" is now trendy, but what will it take to make it popular?
This question was recently asked on an 8/11/06 Q&A article on Grist Magazine entitled "Supermarketer - Brian Keane, renewable-energy marketer, answers readers' questions". Here is his response: "I think much of your concern is based on the message. We have found that words such as "green" and "alternative" do not resonate with a majority of Americans." In my opinion what will resonate is "making an offer they can't refuse". I mean theoretically threatening them by raising their awareness with "An Inconvenient Truth", and also making the many quality, cost effective, money saving benefits add up to so much value that there is no reason not to buy "green".
There is a major challenge, though, for consumer advocate, wise and informed shoppers of green products. That is, which ones do you know to trust in the B2C and B2B markets? Relying on major brands is good, but not always the best way to go. The principles of "Concurrence Marketing" say that buyers of all kinds want sellers to be more precise and relevant to their needs, while giving the buyers more power and reciprocity.
If you couple that marketing paradigm shift with the Cluetrain Manifesto's belief in "Online Markets": "Networked markets are beginning to self-organize faster than the companies that have traditionally served them. Thanks to the web, markets are becoming better informed, smarter, and more demanding of qualities missing from most business organizations.", you get an increasing popularity that spreads by natural word of mouth. This is the best means of spreading marketing motivation, since that overall great value is communicated in a Cluetrain Manifesto way: "Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived."
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