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While creating a recent newspaper ad for CBR Products and their BRODA® wood stain, I was reminded of how important it can be to look beyond the low-hanging green fruit of sustainable messaging. For those of you unfamiliar with BRODA®, it is a coating product with significant eco-advantages; it uses bio-oils to carry the pigment into the wood, it is low VOC, and because it uses water instead of solvent, all brushes and spills clean up with soap and a garden hose.

But for homeowners, durability is really the #1 test of a wood stain. This is especially true of those who have to protect wood in the harsh, damp environment of the Coast Mountains. What better to do that job than a product formulated and tested right there by a local log home builder?

The ad shown here ran in the Whistler Question – one of the local papers in a town that defines the term ‘variable weather’.

So the ad became less about the earth-saving advantages of BRODA® and more about its ability to protect homes with local expertise, using the famously damp spring of 2011 as our reference point.

The lesson here: Look at your own brand’s ‘green’ advantages from another point of view. You just may discover an angle that resonates even more with your target market.

I generally don’t like to just up and crap all over a piece of well-intentioned creative, but in this case I have to make an exception. Pre-apologies to any hard-working agency or client-side types I may offend.

Let’s begin by looking at Clover Leaf’s strategy here. Presumably, someone at head office has been getting heat from articles like this one which point out that Clover Leaf came in 11th out of 14 major Canadian canned tuna brands ranked in sustainability. So, they do what many industries do in cases like this; band together and create a business-led partnership under which they can publicize their progress as they attempt to maintain their current profit model with as little interruption as possible. For Clover Leaf, this is called the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation. I’ll leave it up to you to fish around and see for yourself if the ISSF is more than a well-intentioned delay tactic. Purely as a strategy though, an ad that describes the work this foundation does, and Clover Leaf’s connection to it would be a good thing. Unfortunately, this ad, in 350 words or so, does very little of that.

Design-wise, the ad is clean enough, though the un-captioned photos are completely meaningless (What kind of tuna is that? Who are those people? Why should I care?)

Regarding the content itself, the headline sets the tone. “Good for you. Good for us all.” Really? OK, what’s ‘good for us all’ in the copy? “Clover Leaf is committed to leading the way in preserving the world’s aquatic resources.” Over-promise much? To truly preserve aquatic resources, Clover Leaf should lead the way by shutting their doors. STOP FISHING! But of course, their whole business is built on taking fish stocks and feeding them to us in little cans. So that probably won’t happen.

Don’t get me wrong, I like eating tuna. Right from the can, even. But I cannot swallow another fluffy line that promises something the company cannot possibly deliver.

Try “Clover Leaf is working hard to evolve our fishing practices to reduce our impact on fish stocks around the world.” You can have that one for free.

Here’s another gem: “We are committed through our leadership and our actions to the effective management of ocean resources for generations to come.” What actions? There is no mention of any specific change in fishing practice or policy in the whole ad. And now they want to protect not only fish, but ‘all ocean resources’? Gee thanks. I can sleep now.

And to finish off, “‘Quality and taste every time’ is more than our mantra – it’s our commitment to you and future generations.” Did these guys just step out of the 70’s? Someone should tell them that today’s consumers want facts, not meaningless taglines.

Try building on 100 years of trust. Tell folks about the ISSF’s latest resolution to support the full closure of the purse seine fishery to reduce mortality of Big Eye Tuna. Heck, maybe explain that there actually ARE different species of tuna, some more threatened than others… ANYTHING!  Argh. I could be here all night trying to rewrite this pile of fluff.

The end result is an ad that says nothing, but tries to leave consumers with the impression that Clover Leaf is taking sustainability seriously. That is the very definition of greenwash, and it taints all the hard work of the brands and marketers who are working to make a genuine difference.

Clover Leaf, I may be black-listed forever from working on your brand because of this article. But if you continue to treat sustainability like just another marketing buzzword, that’s fine with me.

Want to do it right? Drop me a line.

P.S. If anyone out there wants to taste a real can of sustainable tuna, check out these guys.

“Brands are uniquely equipped to help us redefine value.”  KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz,  Sustainable Life Media Founder

Sharing four days of sessions with 790 sustainability and brand fanatics is invigorating, inspiring, exhausting and intoxicating. On the Amtrak train back to Vancouver, trying (unsuccessfully) to detox, I recapped some of the sessions and impressions that really stuck with me.

Embedded Sustainability is becoming mainstream
As the movement has grown every major brand has had at least a pilot program in sustainability. Now it is being built right into key product, operational and supply chain systems throughout organizations like Nike, Purina, Unilever, SC Johnson and PepsiCo.

Behaviour change is meeting green change.
We know people need to change some behaviour. But companies and marketers are making ‘green’ less and less of a trade-off in product performance and perception.

People like to feel good.
Guilt-trip messaging is taking a back seat to entrepreneurial enthusiasm and genuine boardroom support. Game playing is changing attitudes and action with fun. And sustainable branding people love to party. (Check out the unsanctioned hotel foyer soccer match on the video…. danger!)

I only had the mental bandwidth to capture a few of the many great conference experiences, but I hope there are some ideas here that every marketer can absorb for the greener. Click below to read individual blogs, or just visit the main Green Briefs site to scroll all my impressions of SB 2011 in Monterey.

• What kind of eco-cynic are you?
• ‘Sniff the Cork’
• Parducci Wines
• Personal Guerilla Branding – Dress yourself in garbage
• Nike vs Adidas – Who’s winning at sustainability?
• Gamification. Are you an Achiever, a Socializer, an Explorer or a Killer?
• Ogilve Earth – Mainstreaming Green

Green and fuzzy brands beware. 78% of Americans would prefer the ‘mainstream’ brand version of a green product over something with which they are unfamiliar.

This is just one of the conclusions of a study done by OgilveEarth (itself a mainstream version of a green brand) in their latest study, Mainstream Green, presented by Freya Williams.
Ogilve’s main thrust is that most people would prefer not to change the habits and attitudes that Madison Avenue has so lovingly taught them over the last 75 years or so. That is, life is to be lived conveniently while driving fast and keeping up with the Joneses – all at WalMart prices.
For marketers of more sustainable products and services here are a few key points, edited for brevity. And maybe just a bit editorialized. Sorry.

• Most people value themselves first, then their families, then community, then country, while the planet that supports the whole thing falls to a distant 5th.
• 70% of Americans would rather cure cancer than save the environment (presumably not linking the two issues very effectively) In China, where you can cut the air with a chainsaw, the ratio is reversed.
• Keep innovating. Sustainability should be New! Modern! SEXY!
• Lose the burlap, leaves and earths from all green packaging.
• Turn eco-freindly into male-ego-friendly. Apparently carrying a reusable shopping bag is too purse-like (No, I didn’t make this up!)
• Reassure people that they are ‘normal’ in making sustainable behaviour change.

Certainly the report makes good points.
Of course, they are correct when they say the masses are key to massive change. And I would love for all electric cars to have the performance of a Tesla with a Hyundai price. But to me, if Al Gore is a doctor saying we have to exercise or we will die, OgilveEarth’s report is trying to sell us a fat-jiggling belt that melts off pounds while we sleep.
Download the report for yourself here and let me know if you agree.

A key theme of this year’s conference was ‘play’. Besides the ebullient pre-presentation cheerleaders who had us playing foursquare, high-fiving and rock-paper-scissoring before every breakout session, the theory of gaming was a key element throughout. Presenter and author Gabe Zicherman has made a career of taking gaming to the next corporate level. His book Game-Based Marketing shows how games can positively influence engagement and learning and ultimately, change behaviour.
Before you start thinking this is all for the kids, consider the Nissan Leaf and the new Ford Focus. Both have in-dash displays that change and reward good eco-driving behaviour. This is game theory at work. And, according to Zicherman, it works on everyone.
Gamers fall into four basic categories:

• Achievers – Prefer auction-style games, and games where not everyone can win
• Socializers – Enjoy the interaction of gaming with others
• Explorers – Love to find and discover
• Killers – Seek the win/lose game. Total domination.

The best games, Zicherman says, break down the A to Z journey into achievable steps, with rewards in stages of increasing complexity so users can achieve mastery. There are four basic rewards you can work with:
Status (Most engaging, least expensive. Example: ‘Mayor’ badge in Foursquare)
Access (To things, people, offers that others do not get – Example: ‘Insider’ deals)
Power (Over others, real or virtual)
Stuff (Most expensive and least engaging or unique)

Other presenters showed how even simple games can lead to better interaction with brands and behaviour change. In one Sacramento Suburban Power Project, participants were given the opportunity to track their energy use in real time and compete with other families. Zamzee is a project where children are given pedometer-like sensors that track their movements, and get points in a virtual world for being more active. This has resulted in a measurable increase in physical activity levels.

In one insidious slide, Michael Kim from Kairos Labs showed how game designers actually design for specific chemicals in the brain.

• Oxytocin – Bonding
• Serotonin – Positive Emotions
• Dopamine – Reward
• Cortisol/DHEA – Stress/Eustress (the good stress!)

So, as a marketer how might you test ‘gamification’ in a simple, easy-to-implement program? The experts’ answer:

Make it small. Shoot for small actions in a small community of users and build from there. And whatever you do, don’t try to replicate Angry Birds with your logo on it.

One of the more colourful characters at the show was Nova Lee, a.k.a. The Cup Goblin, founder of a company called Buda Star. She worked the event like a true entrepreneur to promote her ‘HicCup’ product, a pocket-sized travel mug designed to reduce the use of disposable cups. Here’s one way to make a big impression without so much as a tradeshow table, if you don’t mind dressing down for success. Catch her in the GreenBriefs Sustainable Brands 2011 Road Trip Video to see it all in her words.

These Sustainable Brands Conferences do attract the bigs. And both of these global athletic manufacturers brought goose-bump-raising videos, high-style presentations and some steps toward sustainability. So who is #1?

Insights:
Nike opened with a survey that looked at the attitudes of 17-year olds, but, with an interesting twist. They decided to exclude any participants who self-identified as ‘green’. Thus, their study was much more focused on mainstream attitudes. Their main finding: the word ‘Sustainability’ does not resonate with non-green 17-year-olds at all. A typical response: “Sustainability isn’t easy or compelling. It’s confusing. I want to do the right thing, I just don’t know how.” Nike’s answer: branding their sustainability as ‘Better World’.
Winner: Nike

Technology:
Alexis Olans from Adidas presented their sustainability strategy, ironically titled ‘Better Place’. It focused largely on the significant reduction in samples and waste from their 3-D design and modeling technology, and showcased the ‘Adiverse’ – a full wall-sized touch-screen in-store kiosk that lets buyers review all aspects of the shoes in animated full-screen interactive glory. Had the whole place reaching for their cel phones to get a picture of it.
Winner: Adidas

The Big Picture:
Overall, Adidas’ main sustainability claim seemed to be a beautifully dressed-up version of reducing manufacturing waste through better design and modeling technology.
Nike’s ‘Better World’ initiative, on the other hand, appears to be aimed at their whole system of business. One quote from their top-secret slides: “Embed Better World in everything we do.” The kicker was their Better World manifesto, delivered in a video montage made of “100% recycled ads” and voiced by Phil Knight, Nike founder and a majority shareholder. (Have a look below) If they can lead with sustainability the way they do with branding, it will be a great example to the rest of the corporate world.
Nike, Winner by a knockout.

So what do you do after a long day of listening to sustainable issues? Go out for dinner and talk about them, of course. To facilitate this, SB2011 sets up ‘Birds of a Feather’ dinners at local restaurants, where attendees can gather in smaller groups to discuss issues of shared interest. Or just stuff themselves on the corporate account and have a bunch of laughs.
At one of these, I was seated next to Kelly Lentz Marketing & Sales Coordinator for Parducci Wines. One of the larger independent wine producers in the Central Coast, Parducci is also a leader in biodynamic farming and sustainable winemaking techniques. One of Kelly’s first tasks with the winery was to make it a carbon-neutral facility, a first in North America . From there she has proceeded to take on all of their Facebook and Twitter activity, as well as all of the traditional marketing roles of advertising, label design, trade promotions and tastings. (Any marketer who complains that they can’t do it all should drop Kelly a line and get some tips)
On this particular night, we sampled the Parducci ‘Sustainable Red’ (a blend of 39% Zinfandel, 26% Syrah, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Carignane) which for my green palate, was very rich and full tasting with some nice complexity.
Parducci provides the wine for the Whole Foods supermarket chain private label, a distinction that provides both a regular volume of sales and some well-deserved credibility amongst ‘green’ consumers. (This partnership with major retailers is one opportunity that Canadian wineries do not have with our state controlled liquor incarceration system).
Parducci also produces the Paul Dolan Vineyards line, which is made from organically-grown grapes with biodynamic production. This brand distinction lets them offer even ‘greener’ wines without stretching one label too thin on messaging.
Kelly and I discussed some of the new trends in creative wine branding, and the strategy of creating another sub-brand to test some wine-beginner-friendly creative labeling. (I personally believe that rampant creativity can generate a lot of product interest and trial in the wine category. But maybe that’s just the grapes talking)
In any event, if you like sustainability and wine (and really, who doesn’t?) keep an eye on Parducci.

In trying to live more sustainability, the occasional U-Turn is inevitable.  It seems not that long ago that I was reading about the screw top (or ‘Stelvin Closure, as they prefer to call it) and the plastic cork as being more sustainable improvements in wine closure technology. Not so, says Citizen Group Executive Creative Director Robin Raj.

For the mighty cork tree is a model of sustainable provision, offering up its cork bark to swarthy harvesters season after season, providing the largest export for the country of Portugal. Aluminum closures, on the other hand, are resource-intensive to produce and difficult to recycle. Don’t even get him started on the plastic plug.

Raj showed us a series of online videos. The quirky ‘Garth Lockwood, Sommellier’ series, example above, was only part of the story. The campaign also included a nicely-crafted ‘credibility’ piece (video below) for use in more corporate environs. The overall effect is a campaign that will likely resonate well with industry and consumers alike.

Overall I would have to say this rates on my ‘Wish-I’d-Done-That’ pile, and I applaud the client’s willingness to step outside the potentially stuffy world of oenophelia. To that end, breaking up the messaging into ‘credibility’ and ‘entertainment’ silos was a smart one, and a strategy worth keeping in mind for many green marketers. Cheers!