Marketing & Communications | Marketing | GreenBiz.com

Green Marketing: A Two-Fold Lesson in Perception and Reality

Suzanne Shelton — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Trying to be green is complicated and confusing for most consumers. It's sometimes not very clear even for those of us immersed in the industry. So most people have wrapped their brains around the issue by creating simple truths they can believe in. And those "truths" are based on perceptions, which often can defy reality.

EcoLogo to Develop Environmental Standard for Toys

GreenerDesign Staff — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:49:00 -0700

The EcoLogo Program, which has so far created more than 120 standards covering a wide array of products, has started working on an environmental standard for toys.

Can Bar Codes for Food Lead to Safer Practices?

Sarah Terry-Cobo — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:46:00 -0700

The increase in food-borne illnesses and the locavore movement has created momentum for more detailed information about where our food comes from.

Lawmakers: What's Green and What's Greenwash?

GreenBiz Staff — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:41:00 -0700

A "virtual tsunami" of products touting environmental attributes is flooding the marketplace with little, if any, evidence to help consumers determine what is green or greenwash, according to the assessment of experts who offered lawmakers their opinion of the state of green marketing.

In with Green Packaging, Out with Convenience, Consumers Say

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:31:00 -0700

A new Ipsos Marketing study suggests green packaging for food products is in and convenient packaging is out for consumers. The food itself should include fresh ingredients and deliver health benefits.

Kmart, Tender and Dyna-E Charged with Making False Biodegradable Claims

GreenerDesign Staff — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:13:00 -0700

The Federal Trade Commission charged the three companies with making false and unsubstantiated claims about the biodegradability of plates, moist wipes and towels. While the products may actually be biodegradable, the FTC argues the claims are misleading since the products are typically throw in the trash.

Several Studies Say Conscious Consumers Willing to Pay More for Green

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:14:00 -0700

A handful of new surveys point to the increased willingness to pay more -- or earn less -- for consumer products or environmentally friendly workplaces, but in which America?

How Will the 'New GM' Affect Plans for the Volt?

Sarah Terry-Cobo — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:00:00 -0700

With the announcement on June 1 that General Motors will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, hybrid car enthusiast blogs are a-buzz with the fate of the Chevy Volt, a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid, slated to roll off the assembly line in November of 2010.

Serious Materials' Drywall Claims Validated

GreenerDesign Staff — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:35:00 -0700

Serious Materials' new EcoRock drywall is the first product to have its environmental claims validated by UL Environment, a subsidiary of product safety tester Underwriters Laboratory.

You Can't Expect Consumers to Know What Green Means If We Don't Know Ourselves

Karen Barnes — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:30:00 -0700

It's not surprising that confusion abounds among consumers about green concepts and eco-labels, but many professionals are at sea as well, writes Karen Barnes, the director of Insight at Shelton Group.

Don't Talk About Green

Richard Seireeni — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:28:00 -0700

Rather than talk about climate change, environmentalism, or socially responsible business, it's time for business leaders to talk about efficiency and other real-world ways to move even the most hardheaded organizations toward a sustainable future.

How to Build Great Brands in Cleantech

Dorothy Mackenzie — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

The cleantech sector holds a number of branding dilemmas. This highly scientific sector involves often incomprehensible and seemingly unglamorous technologies. Also, cleantech companies are often poor at making their products understandable to end-users. But if handled in the right way, clean green and low carbon tech companies can become some of the world's most successful and recognizable 21st century brands -- and help save the planet and the economy.

Finding the Green in Today's Shoppers: Sustainability Trends and New Shopper Insights

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:08:00 -0700

Deloitte and the Grocery Manufacturers Association surveyed more than 6,400 consumers to better understand how sustainability influences shopping behavior and the resulting market opportunities for companies targeting these consumers.

Green Becoming a 'Tiebreaker' in Shopping Decisions, Survey Finds

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:44:00 -0700

Green product attributes are evolving into an important brand differentiator for consumers and can serve as a tiebreaker for shoppers evaluating similar products, according to results of a new study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Deloitte.

ANSI Works Towards Improving Product Standards

GreenBiz Staff — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:17:00 -0700

The American National Standards Institute held a workshop this month focusing on sustainability-related product standards, bringing a broad range of stakeholders together to figure out what needs to be done to develop better standards.