tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:42:00 +0000sweepstakessweepstfacebookofficial rulespodcasteco-tailersdealsfree shippingcontestsgreenwashingtwitterwebinargiveawaysEcobunga! is a comprehensive directory of green giveaways and deals. Our site links green shoppers to hundreds of great bargains and prizes while helping green businesses spread the word about their eco-friendly goods. The Ecobunga! Biz Blog shares lessons learned about green marketing -- especially when it comes to promotions.http://blog.ecobunga.com/noreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)Blogger38125EcobungaBizBloghttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-2297255266427291129Tue, 17 May 2011 00:44:00 +00002011-05-16T17:44:02.660-07:00giveawayssweepstakesgreenwashingcontestsThere's a green giveaway format that I commonly run across.  It goes something like this: "Take the 'Go Green Pledge' and you'll automatically be entered in a sweepstakes for a great green prize." That's the gist of it.  Simple stuff. And the pledge?  It's usually fairly simple, too, like promising to replace all your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, set your washer to cold water instead ofhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/MZHZijVnjMQ/green-pledge-giveaways-does-pledge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/MZHZijVnjMQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/05/green-pledge-giveaways-does-pledge.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-2293429723752439957Thu, 05 May 2011 23:19:00 +00002011-05-05T16:26:23.563-07:00giveawayssweepstakescontestsofficial rulesAs the chief Ecobunga! deal hunter, I've reviewed thousands of green giveaways.  Most of them are structured along similar lines:  an online entry, a random drawing, and a grand prize and runner-up prizes awarded to a few lucky winners.  So when a company runs a promotion that deviates from this basic formula, it catches my eye. Seventh Generation, maker of non-toxic household cleaners, is http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/b3LeapaW78k/communal-green-prizes-offer-win-win.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/b3LeapaW78k" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/05/communal-green-prizes-offer-win-win.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-4936213102775802022Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:17:00 +00002011-04-28T13:50:08.487-07:00eco-tailersfree shippingThere's a new trend rippling through the online retail world and that is free shipping.  Not just any old free shipping.  Your basic free shipping deal has been around for ages, typically through limited-time offers or with restrictions, like minimum purchases. We're talking about a no-strings attached deal. Just recently, long-time catalog retailer L.L. Bean announced that it would offer free http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/8-9szs25TCc/how-green-retailers-can-boost-sales.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/8-9szs25TCc" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/04/how-green-retailers-can-boost-sales.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-2928991066488083005Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:27:00 +00002011-04-21T14:17:39.053-07:00greenwashingeco-tailersWhenever we find a great green giveaway to share with our Facebook Fans, we throw our hands in the air and yell, "Ecobunga!".  Well, "Ecobunga!" -- I was lucky enough to win the recently released "New Rules of Green Marketing:  Strategies, Tool, and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding" in a daily giveaway hosted by the author, noted green marketing expert Jacquelyn Ottman.  Having just http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/kRSEfS24oB8/new-rules-of-green-marketing-for-eco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/kRSEfS24oB8" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/04/new-rules-of-green-marketing-for-eco.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-8091117168930967705Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:35:00 +00002011-04-15T10:53:35.193-07:00sweepstgiveawayssweepstakescontestsofficial rulesWhen it comes to promotional contests, green or otherwise, the K-I-S-S principle always applies:  Keep It Simple, Stupid. But, particularly for contests seeking to reward environmentally friendly behavior, the key to success is to make the "entry action" (what the person has to do to enter the contest) and the prize very simple.  The more complicated or hazy these two elements, the fewer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/BCd9PvPMOH8/running-green-contest-be-sure-to-k-i-s.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/BCd9PvPMOH8" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/04/running-green-contest-be-sure-to-k-i-s.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-1505624543378563317Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:20:00 +00002011-04-06T10:29:30.071-07:00giveawayssweepstakeseco-tailerscontestsEcoMom is an online retailer of green goods for moms and babies.  This is an extremely competitive space -- countless number of well-meaning folks, primarily mothers, have started online stores that carry compostable diapers, non-toxic baby shampoo, organic cotton maternity dresses, and the like.  But EcoMom has managed to break through the pack and garner more traffic than their competitors.  http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/r9C2EB51jmk/virtual-scavenger-hunts-smart-promotion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/r9C2EB51jmk" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/04/virtual-scavenger-hunts-smart-promotion.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-324759965970514316Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:24:00 +00002011-03-29T09:24:34.237-07:00I subcribe to many, many e-newsletters from green consumer product companies.  Like everyone else, given email overload, I don't open all of them.  But one subject line caught my eye this week: "What's For Dinner this Week?  We're Here to Help!" Naturally, you would assume that the email was from a food company.  But what made me look twice was that the sender was CleanWell, maker of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/HcEk6cs7JEw/disinfectant-so-green-you-can-eat-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/HcEk6cs7JEw" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/03/disinfectant-so-green-you-can-eat-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-6027878945924390065Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:46:00 +00002011-03-22T13:52:23.646-07:00eco-tailersI am working my way through Jacquelyn Ottman's new book, "The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools, and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding". There are plenty of good insights for anyone looking to effectively communicate their company's green story (which, of course, starts with making sure your products are green, or at least have "greener" features than do your competitor's.) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/v4P0uEGFjhE/why-cant-all-greens-get-along.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/v4P0uEGFjhE" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/03/why-cant-all-greens-get-along.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-5664877356977960770Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:00:00 +00002011-03-15T12:08:41.075-07:00giveawayssweepstakescontestsAs much as we'd like to be, Ecobunga! is not in a position to post every green giveaway out there.  In the case of companies or bloggers who are hosting a giveaway that we can't promote, we always offer a list of alternative sites which will list your giveaway at no cost. Are these sites exclusively green? Not in the least.  But as we've pointed out in an earlier post, "Should Green Retailers http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/AJTrZ46E65U/where-to-promote-your-green-giveaways.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/AJTrZ46E65U" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/03/where-to-promote-your-green-giveaways.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-838859275103553707Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:23:00 +00002011-03-08T09:29:59.220-08:00giveawayssweepstakescontestsofficial rulesIt's a routine we've repeated over and over here at Ecobunga! We find a great green giveaway. We throw our hands up in the air. We shout "Ecobunga!". And then, the hands waft slowly and sadly downward, as we come to realize that the giveaway sponsor did not include any official rules. And, alas, we have no choice but to move on to the next promotion. Case in point: Eucalyptus Magazine, which http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/ywS0ea2FaVA/first-rule-of-giveaways-dont-forget.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/ywS0ea2FaVA" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/03/first-rule-of-giveaways-dont-forget.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-3677967797139722803Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:43:00 +00002011-02-28T10:51:04.989-08:00giveawaysdealseco-tailersCoupons. Coupons that you can print out and bring into the grocery store with you. Coupons for food and eco-friendly cleaners. That's what green shoppers want, at least according to our stats. Here were the most popular listings on Ecobunga! in our "Save Green" section (sales, coupons, rebates, etc.) during 2010: 1. Organic Valley Dairy Coupons 2. Seventh Generation Coupons 3. Stonyfield http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/knRHbdk_rGo/what-kind-of-green-deals-do-shoppers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/knRHbdk_rGo" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/02/what-kind-of-green-deals-do-shoppers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-2153460307509132094Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:23:00 +00002011-02-21T17:25:12.826-08:00giveawaysDear Oprah - Since this is the farewell season of The Oprah Winfrey Show, we figured maybe you'd feel especially generous this coming Earth Day and give away some terrific green prizes to your audience members. You'd not only be helping each of them lead greener lives, but you'd also be using your unmatched power of publicity to shine a spotlight on the latest and greatest eco-friendly http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/Jj_6eDL4WG0/heres-what-oprah-should-give-away-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/Jj_6eDL4WG0" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/02/heres-what-oprah-should-give-away-this.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-9057175267599489664Sun, 13 Feb 2011 23:02:00 +00002011-02-13T15:02:50.982-08:00eco-tailersSince launching in 2008, Ecobunga! has listed thousands of sales and coupons for lots of different types of planet-friendly products: natural cleaners, organic food, organic cotton clothing for kids and adults, toxic-free skin care, and much more. From our traffic and affiliate sales data, we've noticed that there is one type of product that consistently gets plenty of clicks and lots of "likes"http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/-kKwZYTCAFo/what-green-product-attracts-lookie-loos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/-kKwZYTCAFo" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/02/what-green-product-attracts-lookie-loos.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-7165622056315434207Sat, 05 Feb 2011 22:46:00 +00002011-02-05T14:58:17.711-08:00eco-tailersfacebookDid you know? ... You can create custom tabs on your Facebook Fan page using an application called static FBML (it's Facebook's version of HTML.)  There are lots of tutorials on how to add FBML to your Facebook page.  Here's just one of many. Once you've added FBML to your page, you can then create a tab which features any old content you want.  Granted, you have to keep it simple -- think text,http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/CqvzzH-dNwc/green-companies-how-to-use-custom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/CqvzzH-dNwc" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/02/green-companies-how-to-use-custom.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-3127655228942171142Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:48:00 +00002011-01-29T09:17:23.125-08:00eco-tailersA few posts back, we suggested that starting a Green Groupon -- a daily group deals service devoted exclusively to eco-friendly products and services -- might be a very tough row to hoe. In short, too few "green-only" consumers makes it very challenging to garner the massive traffic required to make the Groupon business model work. But does that also mean that green businesses shouldn't try http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/SqctkvzKLQ4/should-green-retailers-try-groupon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/SqctkvzKLQ4" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/01/should-green-retailers-try-groupon.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-8287291242130031139Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:59:00 +00002011-01-18T20:53:44.375-08:00eco-tailersLast week, I suggested that aspiring eco-tailers look at the top green products carried by mega-stores such as Amazon and Walmart in order to figure out what to sell in their own online shops.  Ok, that was the easy part.  The hard part is how in the world can you compete with these big boys?  It's not going to be simple.  We've heard from many of our green merchants what a tough environment ithttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/syAarXnebVQ/how-to-make-your-green-store-stand-out.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/syAarXnebVQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-green-store-stand-out.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-812118799888608172Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +00002011-01-16T17:17:05.672-08:00eco-tailersSo you want to launch an online store with a green focus.  What should you sell?   Hmmm ... that's an awfully broad question, but let's take a common sense approach in answering it.  Sell what people want to buy, not just what you want to sell. We've seen our share of nifty online eco-boutiques, with all sorts of interesting green products, but it makes us wonder how big the market is for http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/o4kn39W3gCo/what-should-you-sell-in-your-green.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/o4kn39W3gCo" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/01/what-should-you-sell-in-your-green.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-8209332326543638865Mon, 03 Jan 2011 22:18:00 +00002011-01-03T14:22:28.222-08:00giveawayssweepstakesconteststwitterWe updated you recently on running Facebook giveaways, so we thought that a Twitter contest update was in order as well. Twitter lists its contest guidelines here.  First off, remember that a contest and a sweepstakes are technically and legally different things.  If you're going to judge the entries to pick your winner (best essay, best photo, etc.) - that's a contest.  If you're going to pick http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/gkfjiXHPd68/guidelines-for-running-twitter-contest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/gkfjiXHPd68" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2011/01/guidelines-for-running-twitter-contest.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-4263775297277946113Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:57:00 +00002010-12-28T10:58:46.165-08:00It's time for our annual round-up of the most popular giveaways on Ecobunga!  According to our trusty traffic stats, our enthusiastic readers went the most ga-ga for these green giveaways (sponsor in parentheses): 2010 Most Popular Giveaways on Ecobunga!High Efficiency Frigidaire Washer/Dryer (Frigidaire) High Efficiency Maytag Washer/Dryer (Clorox) Ford Fiesta (Ford) Ford Fiesta (BrandSource) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/s988cE8UpL0/top-green-giveaways-of-2010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/s988cE8UpL0" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/12/top-green-giveaways-of-2010.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-3820160790537559252Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:19:00 +00002010-12-22T17:19:10.715-08:00sweepstakesgreenwashingcontestsWe've talked about this one before. Please, oh please.  If you're going to run a "Going Green" sweepstakes, make the prize, or at least part of the entry process, green. Here's the latest example we just ran across:  Very Big Company X is running a promotion through Pretty Big Website Y targeted to women.  The name of the promotion is "Going Green Giveaway".  The prize:  $250 in cash, which http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/IuvFgQugpo0/what-do-you-call-greenwashed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/IuvFgQugpo0" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/12/what-do-you-call-greenwashed.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-8267827104378921484Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:10:00 +00002010-12-17T11:11:53.211-08:00sweepstakesfacebookcontestsCompanies running social media promotions will want to stay abreast of Facebook's latest changes to its promotions policies.  The bottom line is that it is still not permissable to run a giveaway on Facebook by simply asking people to enter by posting on a Wall of a Page, uploading a photo, or posting a status update.  We see many smaller companies run Facebook giveaways that way, and it's a "http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/gAWQrzxsuns/facebook-promotion-guidelines-updated.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/gAWQrzxsuns" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/12/facebook-promotion-guidelines-updated.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-4516288438025509581Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:20:00 +00002010-12-09T21:26:45.656-08:00sweepstakesgreenwashingcontestsIt's been over a year now since the F.T.C. announced revisions in its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. In short, it required bloggers who review a product to disclose "the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service". That is, if Company X sends a blogger a product in return for a review, the blogger has to disclose that http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/B8khJlRJGws/green-bloggers-product-reviews-toxic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/B8khJlRJGws" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/12/green-bloggers-product-reviews-toxic.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-7362684049402399474Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:53:00 +00002010-11-29T10:58:55.596-08:00sweepstakescontestsGiveaways can be great promotional tools, driving lots of traffic to your website and introducing your company and products to tons of new consumers. That is, if you do them right. One not-so-successful approach to giveaways that we've seen is when unknown/new brands feature their unknown/new products as the top prize. And what happens? Well ... not much. The giveaway gets relatively little http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/8de7Rb0UV2E/running-giveaway-use-popular-brands-as.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/8de7Rb0UV2E" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/11/running-giveaway-use-popular-brands-as.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-1365134165692363627Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:46:00 +00002010-11-15T10:05:16.122-08:00dealseco-tailersIf you haven't heard of the new phenomenon known as "Group Deals" (brought to you now by many sites, most notably Groupon.com), here's the quick take: if a pre-determined number of people sign up for an offer from a local merchant, then the deal becomes available to everyone who signed up. Groupon gets a cut of the deal. If the minimum number of folks don't sign up, then no one gets the deal. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/jaUW8OXwDpk/green-groupons-will-they-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/jaUW8OXwDpk" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/11/green-groupons-will-they-work.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183816073452081395.post-2518459234057230872Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:30:00 +00002010-10-17T16:31:48.698-07:00giveawayssweepstakesThis week, Ecobunga! posted its first Prius Sweepstakes in almost a year. The giveaway was sponsored by Time Warner via the syndicated version of the TV show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Why is this news? As you can imagine, with Toyota's troubles earlier this year, big companies, which had embraced the Prius as the go-to green car prize, quickly shifted to other environmentally-friendly autos.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~3/B6QTWQDFTlQ/pssst-its-okay-to-give-away-prius-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ecobunga!)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EcobungaBizBlog/~4/B6QTWQDFTlQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://blog.ecobunga.com/2010/10/pssst-its-okay-to-give-away-prius-again.html