Ecopreneurist

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Green Marketing, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

Placing a company or organizational logo on a timepiece has been a cornerstone in the promotional products industry for many years.

Placing your logo on the face of a watch allows your brand to be seen again and again by the wearer of the timepiece. However it is the type of timepiece on which that logo is placed that tells the wearer the most about the organization from which the watch was given.

The mission of Sprout Eco-Friendly Timepieces is to simply “make the most eco-friendly watch we possibly can” and coming from a company that has been in the business of making timepieces for over 50 years, the company has an impressive list of claims supporting that mission statement.

By weight, the small size Sprout™ watch is 80% eco-friendly and the large size Sprout™ watch is 86% eco-friendly. What does that mean? It means making watches from sustainable and eco-friendly materials, for example their manufacture includes 99% biodegradable corn resin instead of traditional plastics, organic cotton and bamboo used in bands and faces, mineral crystal for lenses instead of plexiglass (so it can technically be recycled as all glass can be recycled), and using only mercury free batteries.

On top of that Sprout™ packaging is made from at least 80% post consumer fibers, and all Sprout™ watches are in compliance with the CPSIA and are lead and phthalate free.  The corn resin used in  Sprout™ watches is also in full compliance with the American ASTM D6400 as well as the European EN13432 standards for compostable material.

So all in all a rather bold eco statement from a very nice looking wristwatch. And happy, they look happy don’t they?

Of course this column is about eco-friendly promotional items, so it was very fascinating to recently learn that Castle Merchandising, Inc. (ASI 44315) is currently offering branded Sprout™ watches for an EQP price of around $37.00 per unit.

As well as being a great watch, I think Ecopreneurists should look at these timepieces as a great teaching tool. They are proof that a hip and functional timepiece - or indeed an common article – can be made from sustainable materials. I think these would be a great marketing idea for branding at the high school and college level, as well as for organizations working in the environmental space.

For more information on the retail Sprout sales please visit their website. If you are ASI, John Costelli is the contact at Castle Merchandising to speak with. If you are interested in the Sprout line to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Green Marketing, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

Looking to get the most design for your money on Earth Day shirts this year? Well once again Vantage Apparel is offering their Name Drop Graphics program for Earth Day apparel items. And new for 2010 Vantage is offering not only screen-printed designs but also Digital Print, Embroidery, Laser etching and Laser Applique.

Vantage Apparel is one of the leaders in the industry for eco-friendly apparel, with a special focus on organic cotton t-shirts, sustainable fleece, and eco printing. With the introduction of these new imprinting methods the program has been expanded beyond just t-shirts, to jackets, fleece, bags, caps, pretty much any item the Vantage Apparel offers.

Why use the Name Drop Graphics program? A lot of organizations want to make a big splash around Earth Day but may not have a budget for a big time design when it comes to organic cotton t-shirts and other apparel items.  The Name Drop Graphics program makes getting a great design at a great price simple. In a move I can only say is very ecopreneurial, Vantage is teaming up with distributors like Proforma to offer 22 Earth Day designs ready for the addition of your organization name or company logo. Just pick your design, your color, and your apparel item, and you are done.

Runs start at as few as 12 units via digital printing methods and domestic runs can go as high as 10,000 units. Organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials are available as well as traditional fabrics. The plan is very practical in terms of matching the needs and budgets of all participants by finding the right mix of apparel options.

Schools, clubs, city departments, charities, businesses, etc., for any and all this is a great way for an Ecopreneurist to make a big splash without having to fill the entire swimming pool out of their own pocket.

If you are interested in viewing all the Earth Day pre-graphics in the Name Drop Graphics program you can download the .pdf here. For more information on Vantage visit their website.

Please note that Name Drop Graphics program for Earth Day is not mentioned on the Vantage website, so if you want more information on the program, including pricing, please email info@proformagreen.com. Or if you are in the promotional items business you can contact Julia Macdonald at Vantage.

I was listening to a report recently that determined that, rather than trying to save the planet by purchasing green cleaners, organic food and other green products, consumers generally are motivated by health- theirs and their children’s.  This is, of course, a bit of a “duh’ for me, since I and most of my marketing colleagues came up with this conclusion awhile ago. But it is a boon to green brands trying to go mainstream.

Seventh Generation’s new ad campaign reflects this new marketing philosophy as it targets moms of young children. Organic baby food manufacturers find their business booming and major brands are extending their brands to include green offerings.

This of course leaves the deep green demographic in a quandary. What to do when your favorite green “hippie” brand goes mainstream? While this seems to be a question that marketers are pondering with great concern, I think it is perhaps overblown. There is a history of niche brands going mainstream. That’s more or less how this economy works. Smaller companies come up with great ideas. The idea gains traction. Big companies buy smaller companies in niche or start their own competition brand or small niche company hits the jackpot on their own and goes mainstream.

This is of course leaves a new niche to fill. Smaller companies can then spring up to meet the needs of the recently abandoned niche.That is, if you were thinking of starting a company marketing a product to the deep green consumer…now if the time. Read the rest of this entry »

Part 2 in a series where Krates Ng (co-founder of Mokugift environmental rewards) interviews fellow ecopreneurs.  Today, Krates interviews Linda Lannon of PeopleTowels.

1) Why did you start PeopleTowels?

My business partner, Mary Wallace and I started PeopleTowels, because we believe that every person can have a positive impact on the environment by making small lifestyle changes.  PeopleTowels is one of those small sustainable acts with a big environmental impact.

2) Is there a story about the name?

Actually my son came up with the name.  We liked PeopleTowels because it’s a wake-up call that paper towels are a mindless convenience that are not eco-friendly.  The name also empowers every person to have a sustainable choice rather than be forced to use paper towels or air dryers when they’re out and about.

3) What was the toughest challenge in getting your company started and how you got over that?

Our business is only 3 months old. Our biggest challenge is awareness.  We are a new category in sustainability and we need to get the word out about our product and it’s environmental benefits.  When people realize that by switching from paper towels to PeopleTowels in public restrooms, in one year they will save ¼ of a tree, decrease landfill by 23 lbs and conserve 250 gallons of water, they “get it.”  Almost everyone we meet wants to do the right for the environment – something within their control that doesn’t cost a lot, yet has a positive environmental impact.  Cloth grocery bags, coffee mugs at work, reusable water bottles and now PeopleTowels are part of that eco-friendly lifestyle.  These small changes multiplied by millions really have an impact.

4) Can you describe the moment when you knew that PeopleTowels hit full stride as a business?

After 3 months, we have a ways to go before we hit full stride. However, I believe full stride for PeopleTowels will be similar to reusable water bottles—when PeopleTowels are widely adopted by individuals and businesses and the corresponding environmental benefits of saved trees, reduced landfill and water conservation are realized.

5) If you had to pick one product in your lineup, which one would you showcase and why?

While we’ve had nothing but a positive reaction to all of the eco-chic designs in our inaugural product line, the best-selling PeopleTowel is ‘This Is Not A Tree’.  It says it all- with a funky all-over tree design and the words – This is not a tree.  It’s really fun and our customers love it.

6) How is PeopleTowels going to grow in 2010? And how can other ecopreneurs help?

PeopleTowels will grow in 2010 in several ways.  For the B2C aspect of our business we are using all the social media channels to spread the word about our new product.  We are currently sponsoring our first annual Earth Day design contest.  After the online voting for the best design we’ll manufacture the winner’s design on a PeopleTowel and sell it online. 2010 will be a strong year for the B2B side of the business as we develop and grow relationships with retail partners and businesses.

My fellow ecopreneurs can help in the same way I can help them— by creating awareness through their social media networks; be it blogs, Facebook or Twitter for PeopleTowels.  At PeopleTowels we are constantly looking for eco-solutions, innovations and companies with whom we can partner or write about.  I hope other ecopreneurs  reading this blog will get in touch with me.   I’ve meet some phenomenal ecopreneurs and  though we have different approaches, different ideas;  I believe we all have the same motivation for starting our new businesses—reducing our environmental impact and leaving the planet a better place for future generations.

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

Like other promotional items suppliers, for 2010 All-In-One is both reducing costs on their eco-friendly line while also increasing the number of eco related items in their inventory.

For me this is another sign of the marketplace getting what it wants when it comes to eco-friendly promotional items, namely more choice and lower prices.

A stand out here is the Eco Max Recycled Pen™. Eco Max Recycled Pen™ is a click style pen with a 100% recycled plastic barrel and an EQP price of just $0.36 with one color imprint.

This is nearly a $0.10 reduction on the 2009 price of the Eco Max, but other than price, nothing else has changed, it is still the same sturdy unit. With over 5 billion pens sold a year in the USA, this is a great, basic place to start to green the office.

As a variation on this theme All-in-One line also offers the Eco Grip Recycled Pen™ at EQP $0.46, which has a contour-molded plastic grip section. Again, a good sturdy pen.

The Eco Max Recycled Pen™ and Eco Grip Recycled Pen™ are both samples of the new generation of plastic pens made from recycled content. In that respect they are taking materials out of landfills. However these pens are not themselves recyclable, nor are they biodegradable.

If you are an ASI member Steve Smidt is the contact to talk to at All-in-One. If you are interested in these items to promote your own business, contact your local promotional items vendor or email info@proformagreen.com for information and pricing.

I had the pleasure of being the guest on a (the?) twitter #SmallBizChat last night.  The brain child of up and coming small biz powerhouse Melinda Emerson (a.k.a. @smallbizlady), #SmallBizChat happens every Wednesday night from 8-9PM EST.  Melinda, along with her co-host Cathy Larkin (@CathyWebSavvyPR) run a great event that is worth checking into as a listener/participant but also as a guest.  The whole evening is topped off with a PDF transcript of the event made available within in minutes courtesy of Sonia Schenker (@yourjobmyoffice).

Last night’s topic was, obviously, greening your small business.  I had prepared a dozen questions and answers and was expecting to field additional questions. But what happened, and here’s the beauty of Twitter and why this kind of event is Twitter at its best, is that a real dialogue occurred.  I didn’t have much chance to interject, mostly because several people had perfectly good answers that came from their day to day operations. For example, when question #2 was posted:

I, as planned, posted my 140 character response:

Its a perfectly fine answer, but the chat took off and many other terrific “definitions” kept popping up. Read the rest of this entry »

All this talk about going green, do we really know what exactly it means?  Companies invest millions in trying to segment the green market. There’s the BBMG Conscious Consumer Report.  The Roper Green Gauge. The Landor ImagePower Green Brands Survey.  And on and on..(..so many segments, so little time!) Maybe more importantly: When we talk about green are we talking about the same thing?  Apparently not.

This week I spoke with Jamie Wimberly whose firm, EcoAlign, just came out with a report called “Green Gap Redux: Green Words Gone Wrong”. Wimberly is CEO of Distributed Energy Financial Group (DEFG), a company in the clean tech space that includes EcoAlign. Jamie has nearly 20 years of experience in the energy and environment space, previously having served as the Vice President of the Consumer Energy Council of America (CECA), the President of the Center for the Advancement of Energy Markets (CAEM) and a Director on Boards of technology companies. He is a published author, frequent speaker and the Executive Producer of the award-winning Day In The Life Of (DILO) video.

Q: Hi Jamie.  Before we talk about the “Green Gap Redux” report, can you talk about how your focus on energy makes EcoAlign different from other green marketing agencies?
A. I was attracted to the energy sector because it impacts so many of the big issues of our day, including the environment, and is integral to modern society in all aspects.  The relationship between energy and environment is a symbiotic one, meaning that we won’t be able to clean up our environment and manage climate change without a transformation on how we produce, deliver and consume energy.  Our deep expertise in energy (the partners alone have over 50 years of collective experience in the sector) means that we can go beyond your usual agency engagement and truly discuss all aspects of strategy – operational, financial, marketing, etc.  As such, we are able to elevate the discussion of such things as messaging/ communications, product development, customer engagement, campaign design, channels and metrics, and other marketing-related activities to the C-level suite of our clients.  Finally, I would note that “sustainability” is evolving into a complete management model.  For that transition to be effective, you need to have a lot of skill sets and a strategic perspective that only comes from a deep understanding of all the moving pieces of a company. The end goal is for sustainability to become a business and economic driver to enhance profitably. Read the rest of this entry »

When you need to urgently need to blow your nose in Germany and don’t have a tissue on hand, you might ask a friend “Hast du ein Tempo?” (Do you have a Tempo?)

Tempo, it turns out, is a brand of tissue, not the German word for tissue.

Substituting a brand name for a general product description is relatively common across a number of languages. How many times have you heard someone say “Just Google that” or “Can I have a COKE please”? Over the years, powerful brands have impacted our culture and slipped into our language. For a brand, this is the ultimate compliment and a big awareness driver. In fact, Coke and Google (the 2 examples above) are now the #1 and #2 brands respectively on Interbrands latest list of powerful brands. Tempo continues to be a very powerful brand in Germany.

Read the rest of this entry »

Walking the green walk, isn’t always easy, and the holidays present special challenges. Its not always easy to mess with traditions. Last Thanksgiving I hosted a 100-mile Thanksgiving (I chronicled it in two blog posts on the OrganicMania blog). My attempt to convince my mother-in-law in Tampa that buying condensed milk at my local supermarket for her traditional key lime pie wasn’t really in the spirit of the plan, did not go over so well. That said, I can see a 100-mile Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or even a 100-mile gift rule.

Tip #1: Source locally. Use local and sustainable produce, flowers, beverages, décor and rentals for holiday parties and meals.

Beyond that, there are two primary categories of activities involved in greening holiday parties and events: Finding ways to minimize the impact of the consumption occurring at the event itself, including food, flowers, beverages, décor, gifts, ect… Finding ways to mitigate the carbon footprint resulting from the airplane travel, car travel and lodging consumed for the event.

The good news is that there are a number of greening strategies that can deal with some or all of these factors that that are sexy and require little to no extra costs.

1. Make sure you have a recycling plan in place. Make recycling easy by having a sufficient number of well-marked recycling bins near where people need them.
2. If you are exchanging gifts (…think Secret Santa), make them green. There are a host of environmentally friendly gifts items ranging from aluminum water bottles to solar powered messenger bags to fair trade chocolates to locally made crafts that could fit the bill. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been asked this year to judge the Goddard/Eco Childsplay 2009 Best Green Toy Contest. Sponsored by Goddard Child Development Centers and Green Options own Ecochildsplay, it is both a great opportunity and one that has me thinking.

How does a small company compete against the big guys in the toy industry? In particular as pointed out by Wendy Johnson, with Birchtree designs writing on the contest Facebook page:

Hey, how about doing a contest of eco-friendly, local handmade items? There is no way we can compete with large corporate manufacturers. Also, not sure how eco-friendly a product it can be if the materials are coming from all four corners of the earth, is being made in another country, and then shipped to the US?

That’s a good point! And so I thought about and found that, hey- this IS just that kind of contest! Read the rest of this entry »