It is with grave determination, Dear Readers, that I go about my task to delve deep into every aspect of the green marketing world. So despite any risks to my personal health that may ensue, the mysterious realm of organic alcoholic beverages will not elude my scrutiny. Herewith are some explorations to date, along with the usual nutty design critiques and dry observations of missed marketing opportunity.

First of all, when it comes to wine, there is significant debate about what is considered ‘organic’. At its most basic level, organic wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. When a label says “organic,” it means the wine has met certain standards that are set by a government agency. Different nations have their own certification criteria and many wineries that are technically organic choose not to be certified. Some do not want the added costs and bureaucracy of registering. It can also be a marketing decision. Whatever the case, they are not allowed to use “organic” on their labels. Organic wines are not necessarily sulfite-free. The use of added sulfites is debated heavily within the organic winemaking community. Many vintners favor their use, in extremely small quantities, to help stabilize wines, while others frown on them completely. In the United States, wines labeled “organic” cannot contain added sulfites. Wines that have added sulfites, but are otherwise organic, are labeled “wine made from organic grapes. (source: Wikipedia)

Tasting and Marketing Notes:

Eco Trail Organic Wine: A Canadian wine from Pelee Island Winery (Canada’s southernmost winery), this vintage suffered no discernable difference in quality for its organic roots. While this blend of 84% Chambourcin, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon is perhaps not a richly-textured palette buster, it definitely lives up to its billing, with honest “characteristics of dried berry fruit and light cherry notes with fine tannins and vanilla aromas.” The package was nothing special, but the VQA designation definitely lends an air of reassurance, in light of the possibility that the term ‘organic’ still carries some pretty fruity baggage. Cruising the Pelee Island web site, I discovered some interesting eco stories, including this tasty tidbit: “The winery recently purchased a red cedar savannah forest that is unique only to the island. Restoration efforts have saved the forest and allowed for new growth and the acclimatization of dozens of unique habitat. Moreover, the winery plans to engage a 5 year study that will facilitate the total rehabilitation of the forest.” For my money, that’s the kind of tale that deserves mention right on the bottle.

Prosecco Veneto by Villa Teresa: This sparkling white wine positions itself against Champagnes as a celebration beverage, and would make a good conversation-starter with its distinctive ‘swing-top cap’ bottle. This in itself makes the package collectable and reusable for salad dressings, picnics or homemade juices etc. (IMHO, a missed opportunity to tell this story on the tag, and add value to the product) The tags do some work to describe the wine’s organic roots, although do not go as far as they could: “This Prosecco is made following a traditional vinification technique. The grapes are protected from parasites by applying the principles of organic agriculture, whithout (sic) fertilizers or pesticides.” Taste-wise, it offers a ‘clear straw yellow colour, with a rich bouquet of flowers and fruits, ‘in particular, unripe apples”. Try it for a holiday season gift basket, a summer picnic or launching your new solar-powered yacht.

A Notre Terre from Organic Wine Works: This is one of the only wines I tried so far that boasts ‘no sulfites’ in its manufacture, and I can’t say it did much to help the reputation of that distinction for me. Grape juice on a bender with a label to match.

Jean Bousquet Malbec: The Malbec is a nice, approachable grape, and although this wine is not labeled as organic, Jean Bousquet does use organic growing methods, largely because of the pristine location of the Argentinian winery. From their web site: “The area has idyllic wine-growing precipitation and temperatures, mild during the day and cool at night. It is also situated at a good altitude (1200 meters above sea level), with fresh air, few funguses, and very permeable sandy and rocky soils. All these great attributes give the grapes the possibility to attain an optimum maturation without the risk of rotting and without having to use fungicides.” Again, a nice story too deeply buried. 

Deep Creek Z3 by Hainle Vineyards: This label is also bad, but it masks a really good bottle of wine. Complex and dry, with some of the ‘tobacco-box’ overtones I like in an Italian wine like Velletri. Not cheap though, in the $25 range. I notice now that this line of wines is not heavily promoting the organic distinction. Could this be because of negative feedback? A winery tour and vintner interview could be called for.

Bonterra Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah: As part of the Fetzer group, Bonterra definitely seems to benefit from a more mainstream (and likely better-funded) marketing approach. The label design, while decidedly plain, has at least a professional quality of production and a family look about it. The web site is well developed, and offers some decent, if luxury-real-estate-ish rich-media flash features on organic farming techniques. http://www.bonterra.com/farming.html

 Oh yeah, almost forgot – the wine is very good, also. Overall, perhaps a look into the future of mainstreaming the marketing for organic. One missed-opportunity story perhaps – they place birdhouses around the ranch to attract the birds that feed on pests. I’d like to see a birdhouse appear on a label somewhere…

On the beer side, organic essentially comes down to the hops and barley.

The Daily Green had a good bit on why that matters: “Many hops growers, particularly since the 1997 outbreak of the downy mildew fungus, have relied on the use of fungicides to maintain their crops. Hops are also typically grown with heavy use of chemical fertilizer. With 77 percent of the country’s hop crop grown in the Yakima Valley in Washington, one of the watersheds important for endangered steelhead, any reduction in fertilizer and pesticide runoff can’t be a bad thing for wild Pacific salmon.”

Mill Street Organic Beer: Interesting that the word ‘organic’ is the largest thing on the label. Their web site is graphically rich, though somewhat confusing, and it takes at least two more clicks (if you’re lucky) to find out more about the organic details, such as they are. “We adhere to rules that guarantee both the raw materials and brewing process are pesticide- and herbicide-free.” the site claims. Billed as Ontario’s first certified organic lager, the packaging design and clear glass bottle owe more to the ‘Miller High Life’ look than to modern green style. For me, it’s taste was also quite mainstream. Lacking the ‘hops-forward’ taste of European pilseners. Mill Street would be more at home at a retro backyard barbecue than a backwoods mountain beer festival. Take it to your old man’s retirement party and get the geezers to try ‘organic’.

Natureland Organic Amber Ale: Touted as ‘Canada’s first Organic Beer’, this hoppy ale also boasts USDA, OCIA and British Columbia organic certifications. The side panel tells us that it won a Gold Medal at the 2005 Brewing Industry International Awards in Munich, (a feat that must have severely annoyed some uber-perfectionist nationalistic Eurobrewers). It also highlights exactly what is organic about the product – 100% organic two-row malt and 100% organic hallertau hops. The beer itself is very flavourful, hoppy and even somewhat ‘dry’.

A sophisticated taste experience beyond what the package design is able to promise. Who are the guys on the horses? And what’s with the ducks on the side? Alas, all too Canadian. And not in a good way. 

So how are organic products faring in our fair province?

I borrowed this interview from Bill Tielman’s excellent blog, The Wine Barbarian: “David Hopgood, a senior portfolio manager for wine at the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, says BC wine drinkers are increasingly lifting a glass of organic wine. “In BC, it’s a very healthy category. We’re experiencing strong growth – it’s up to $3 million a year and it’s up 50 percent over the last year… It’s not just a BC phenomenon – you see it all over. But trends start here in BC. Look at the success of Capers, Choices; Safeway keeps expanding its organic section…” But with that said, Hopgood points out that there are only 23 organic wine listings out of the LDB’s roughly 2,500 available wines, plus a few organic beers, sakes and spirits.”

Reviewing a number of green consumer studies, I discovered a majority group the types into five basic categories. Do researchers use the same software? Or do we simply like things we can count on one hand? Whatever the reason, we here at Green Briefs Department of Gross Oversimplification saw a golden opportunity to offer our readers yet another inside insight, combining traits from several five-category studies available on-line – including Roper Green Gauge, Yankelovich Monitor Insights and Green Brands 2.0 
Being a creative guy, I naturally wanted to get in the category naming game too. So here they are, the Green Briefs Big 5. From greenest to grossest.

Out there on the green fringe, are the Righteous And Willing Nature Unspoiling Total Zealots, or RAW NUTZ. This group is the politically-active minority who are on the edge of eco-innovation. They could be valuable to consider for ‘deep green’ niche products, although resistance to consumerism and marketing may make them a tough sell. This group is not easy to reach with traditional media or messaging. Yet all green marketers should keep the RAW NUTZ in mind, because they do their research, and they are trend-setters. They are also the letter-writers who may call ‘greenwash’ on your eco-marketing claims, whether they use your product or not.

The next most eco-conscious group are the Hopeful Eco Ranting Buyers, or HERBs. They buy into new ideas and technology quite easily, may be more tolerant of performance or cost issues and may be willing to spend more for green products because they believe they are making a difference. This is a highly valuable group because they still enjoy their lifestyle and a certain amount of healthy consumerism. They want to be seen as eco-friendly, demand visible eco-performance and are willing to pay for it.

The MOSS, or Masses of Sustainable Starters, are a group characterized by a fairly high interest in green solutions, yet a reluctance to overly change their lifestyles. They tend to more equally balance economic and environmental factors in their decision-making, and need their eco-friendly products to perform as well or better than conventional products. More and more people seem to be joining the MOSS, and this group will be a main target as green products and services become more mainstream.
A creative message that might motivate the MOSS would be one that would encourage environmentally-conscious behaviour, yet not in a threatening way. A message that would imply that eco-friendly choices can be made with minimal sacrifice.

The WEEDs, or Waiting For Everybody Else Demographic, are a more slowly-evolving majority. They are more on the fence when it comes to the environment and are reluctant to embrace newer technology and solutions. For them a claim of ‘eco-friendly’ might be an influencing factor in a purchase decision only if all other things were equal.

And finally, The Stubborn, Comatose, Undereducated Mainstream. The SCUM. This group do not believe environmental concerns apply to them. They may not even believe the planet is in any trouble at all. They are more likely to purchase automobiles for their speed, off-road capability or towing power, whether or not they actually ever tow anything. They watch wrestling, and think it is real.

Naturally, the studies in question do go into much greater detail, and each has nuances that may be valuable for certain marketers. But as a savvy brand manager you can probably create your own five-category green consumer segmentation and save your research dollars to go deeper on your specific customer base.

When the public thinks of advertising, they often have a polarized point of view.

1. They hate advertising and it never works on them
2. They love and remember a certain ad and it’s usually a funny one.

Yet not all campaigns are ripe for humour. So where is it most effective?

Use humour to:
Convey serious message without preaching
Focus on product or benefit
Get attention
To go ‘viral’ (on-line)

Never use humour to:
Introduce a complex idea
To be funny for humour’s sake
If your target is too broad
If customer experience culture does not back it up

One strategic instance particularly relevant to our green marketing world, is when we are encouraging our target market to change their behaviour for the better. This must be done with care and tact, as no one likes to be preached to or told they are wrong.

In this case, humour can be just the approach to take the sting out of what could otherwise be too blunt or too sharp an instrument.

Unicycle Creative was asked to create a brand and invitations for a green printing seminar. Runningreen, The Eco Printing Infoforum was the result. For our invitations, we wanted to subtly imply that perhaps print buyers didn’t know everything about ‘green’ printing, and they could be doing it better if they came to our seminar. So we got to thinking, what would the trees do if they could deliver the message about responsible printing?

 The web site played an animation of a tree, at the front door, wearing a decidedly annoyed expression and brandishing a nasty looking chainsaw.

The accompanying headline simply read: “Are you printing as green as you could be? Inquiring trees want to know.”

For the event invitation, through the miracle of digital printing, we were able to make the tree ask for each of our invitees by name.

This tongue-in-cheek approach addressed the latent feelings of eco-guilt some print buyers likely feel when they see the presses rolling on a big job. But the smile let our viewers understand that we know they are only human, and we can all laugh at ourselves a little even as we address serious issues.

If you wince every time you have to print a job on the skins of dead trees, take a look at TerraSkin™. Instead of using wood pulp, TerraSkin™ is manufactured from stone – 75% mineral powder held together with 25% non-toxic resin – in a manufacturing process that uses no water. The result is a sturdy, water-resistant paper, available in a range of weights from a .08mm, with a texture similar to drafting vellum, to .5 mm, which has an almost leather-like quality. Because it is not a fiber, it offers crisp rich colour printing using 20% – 30% less ink. At the end of its life cycle, TerraSkin™ will degrade safely back to its mineral components in three to nine months. Suggested use are shopping bags, hang tags, gift boxes, signage, labels and promotional materials. Find out more at www.chameleonpackaging.com.

A study by Softchoice Corporation in the USA suggested that around half of the business computers in North America would not be compatible with the basic version of the new Vista operating system, while 94% could not currently cope with the premium version.

This article originally appeared in Marketing Magazine June 11, 2007 – These days it seems you can’t swing an endangered sea turtle without hitting an article, news item, book or celebrity endorsement of the world’s new-found environmental awareness. But when the green-tinted dust settles, what will it all really mean to our global economy–and more importantly, to the world of marketing and advertising?

After all, our trade, as we know it, was invented in the Golden Age of Consumption. Bigger was better, disposability was our birthright and there was no foreseeable shortage of atmosphere or landfill space to absorb all the methane we could generate.

The giants of our industry cut their teeth creating needs where none had theretofore existed. When needs were met, they plied compelling social pressures, minted demographic trends, and even generated phobias to propel the economic juggernaut ever forward, ever faster. What fun! More martinis!

But today, as if the increasingly sub-molecular dissection of ROI wasn’t enough, we’re forced to question every expenditure of energy and resources. Our most cherished brand institutions come under increasing scrutiny for everything from sweatshop labour to the forest-certified paper on which they print their fresh green manifestoes. Clients look hungrily past the “creative solution” to grassroots word-of-mouth, street teams and the Holy Grail of the self-propagating online viral campaign. Heck, thanks to iMovie and YouTube, we’re even pitching creative against our own consumers.

So what’s left for an honest ad guy out there in the bleak green landscape?

In the short term, lots. We’ll be busy publicizing first-generation eco initiatives, calculating saved CO2 emissions for expressions of self-congratulation and driving demand for recycled paper and vegetable-based inks.

But once that low-hanging fruit has been taken, the real work begins. Because the real change required to stave off our self-generated drive to extinction will require the biggest attitude shift in modern history.

Our task is to take a society built on greed, power, accumulation, fantasy, laziness, apathy, jealousy, reality TV and fifty other undesirable nouns, and sell it on responsibility, sacrifice, hard work, efficiency, dedication, fresh air, caring, sharing, local produce and public transit.

Sound impossible?

For ordinary mortals, perhaps. But we are The Marketers and Advertisers (cue Pomp and Circumstance soundtrack). No one can dissect, dismantle and re-engineer the human psyche like a cubicle-farm full of marketing MBAs. A gaggle of Cannes-hungry creatives will break through clutter faster than Martha Stewart prepping for a garage sale. And not even a carpet-bombing fleet of B-1’s can transform a landscape like today’s borderless media departments.

Yes, if anyone can sell the world on a verdant prescription of planet-friendly panaceas, it is us. It is time to take our darkest, most persuasive powers and turn them towards the light.

You think having Ring Around The Collar felt bad? Imagine the acute embarrassment of Carbon In The Carport. Erectile Dysfunction got you down? Wait ‘til you feel the first twinges of Recyclimpotence. It tastes awful but it works? Well, actually that one’s pretty recyclable as is…

This battle for hearts, minds and planetary consciousness will be fought with large accounts and small. Through strategy, headlines, images, music, video, guerrilla postings, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, RSS, SMS, web-based promotions, and yes, even the judicious use of consumer generated content.

Will we still work way too many hours pickling ourselves in way too many toxins, spend sunny weekends we will never get back tweaking details no one but our peers will ever notice and fight tooth and nail with middle managers, suits, creatives, regulatory bodies, clients and their wannabe-designer-spouses to preserve a powerful idea?

Does the Jolly Green Giant wear biodegradable briefs?

But this time the stakes will be higher than just another point of market share, marginal raise or creative trophy.

Winners in this Herculean undertaking will each receive one six-billionth share in a slightly used, but still serviceable planet. Free and clear.

Smart Car with fins? I’ll take one. With optional biodegradable fuzzy dice, if you please. And fill ’er up.

This should be quite a ride.

As home renovations and construction grows, Alastair Moore  and Pete McGee at want to help make more of that growth green. Their store, Greenworks Building Supply in Vancouver, offers a blend of eco-chic design, trade warehouse sensibility.
There are various interpretations of the term ‘green building’. There are products and services that are energy efficient, or environmentally-friendly. More broadly, it can refer to a complete supply-chain where these values continue back from the product designer to the raw materials providers. Greenworks has products in both categories.
There’s American Clay, a plaster-like wall-coating with a thousand-year history, and a no-fade guarantee that means you may never have to paint again. If you do paint, try Safecoat – coatings so non-toxic, they were literally designed for people with chemical sensitivities. For wood stain, look at the 50+ colours available in the BRODA line of water-based natural oil coatings. Flooring choices include bamboo, reclaimed wood, recycled rubber and cork, made from the off-cuts from wine cork production. For insulation, check out the (need insulation brand name here), made from recycled denim fibre. No more itchy pink stuff.
“Our customers are about 50/50 homeowners and trades.” Says Alastair Moore. “Homeowners look to do a ‘green’ renovation, because they want to do the right thing, and tell their friends about it. Contractors come in when their clients demand green. They are more skeptical, because their systems are very ingrained. But they find the quality is as good or better, and they enjoy the health benefits of green building products.”
“What is your health worth? Can you really compare the cost of a non-toxic wool carpet to the cost of an out-gassing synthetic one when your child is playing on it?”
If you’re doing a renovation or building project, or are just interested in the latest in green design and technology, Greenworks is well worth a visit.

Greenworks Building Supply
386 West 8th, Vancouver BC

Unicycle and friends launch Building for Kids with a new brand, TV spot and DVD video.

April 25, 2007 – Healthy communities make us all more sustainable. So I was happy to participate in strategy and branding for ‘Building for Kids’. The Real Estate and Development fundraising program for B.C. Children’s Hospital.

We used the emotional power of video to drive home the need for the program and explain how it works. Thanks to an outpouring of generosity from Vancouver’s production community, not only did we get a sharp corporate presentation, we also produced and cut a High-Definition 30-second PSA TV spot.

“The emotional impact this video provides will really help us spread the word.” says BC Children’s Hospital Developmenmt Officer Leah Nyrose, “It also clearly explains how the program works.”

To view the Building for Kids TV spot, video and design, visit the brands section. Better yet, donate to Building for Kids yourself. http://www.buildingforkids.ca

Huge Thanks to:
Don Barnard – Director, Camera
Shelley Stevens – Producer
Murdine Hirsch  – Casting
Tonic Post – Debby Jenkins, Editor
GGRP – Music & Sound Design

This Space Shuttle photo shows haze from China over the Pacific Ocean, on March 4, 1996, probably a mixture of air pollution, dust, and smoke. The corridor is 200 km wide and 600 km long. I found this image at an amazing (and FREE) on-line catalogue: “The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.” – Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. It is searchable by subject, city and even with clickable world maps. It’s all part of research for the next video I’m working on, promoting sustainable investing, and featuring Canadian Astronaut Dr. Marc Garneau. Stay tuned

My last e-news article on carbon credits generated lively feedback. Some felt it was a worthwhile concept, others derided it as simply a hucksterish way to soothe eco-guilt. Turns out BusinessWeek was skeptical, too.(see article) In it’s response,TerraPass, one of the companies I featured, recently conducted an audit of the project in question, the Tontitown Landfill Methane Flaring project, to evaluate, among other things, its ‘additionality’ – that the carbon credits were used to finance an ‘additional’ greenhouse gas-destroying project that otherwise would not have been feasible.The results are here. Lengthy, if not completely conclusive. If only our government were so quick to monitor their accountability.