An article in Resource Recycling notes that Starbucks has released a report outlining its plans to make all of its cups reusable or recyclable by 2015, as contained in their report, Starbucks Global Responsibility Report: Goals & Progress 2010.

Last year, Starbucks tested the recyclability of its paper cups containing old corrugated cardboard with a pilot project in seven stores in Manhattan, which was later expanded to 86 of its New York locations. In 2011, it launched additional pilot projects to get a handle on the most effective ways to collect the cups.

The article reports that recycling the ubiquitous cups has been challenging for Starbucks, with coordination of its 17,000+ shops nationwide, as well as finding limited demand for the recycled cups, which account for about 95 percent of the company’s in-store beverage packaging.

“The real obstacle is the lack of robust commercial and residential recycling systems in many of the communities where we do business,” reads the report. Starbucks also plans to introduce front-of-store recycling in all of its company-owned locations by 2015, and so far has it in 5 percent of its stores.

“While we have a long way to go to reach our 2015 goal, we hope to see significant improvement in this area in 2011,” reads the report.

Perhaps if they became the primary purchaser of recycled paper cups, it would create momentum for this movement.  Starbucks can take the lead by using only recycled coffee cups. I think a market would be created immediately.

In the meantime, kudos to Starbucks for taking the green challenge seriously and promoting good corporate social responsibility.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products, has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years. His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

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Earth Day Celebration

I read a recent study by GreenBiz.com that showed that despite the heavy advertising and marketing of Earth Day’s 41st anniversary this year, only 3% of those polled feel the event is overhyped.

Nearly 60 percent of those members surveyed said it is just about right, while 37 percent feel Earth Day is underhyped. The members studied were part of the GreenBiz Intelligence Panel (GBIP).

The report goes on to say that overall, Earth Day activities at companies have stayed about the same, or grown, over the past five years. Just 14 percent said Earth Day activities have shrunk.

The economic recession appears to have had minimal impact on companies’ Earth Day activities for some 73 percent of those polled.

“I would attest to the accuracy of these statements, as this year saw a marketing spend on eco-friendly promotional items for outreach campaigns up abut 9% from last year, the 11th consecutive increase our company has seen”, says Robert Piller, President of EcoMarketingSolutions.com.  ” The recession and ensuing economic doldrums have not seemed to negatively impact the impact of Earth Day, for businesses and organizations of all sizes”, he continued.

In a very positive note from the report, it notes that in terms of employee engagement, 41 percent of GBIP members see Earth Day as one effort among many. The event also has buy-in from the top, with 80 percent saying their senior management supports the day’s activities.

This should bode very well for Earth Day 42 and beyond.

Let’ continue to make Earth Day about outreach with advertising, marketing and promotional items that educate the public, rather than promote a strictly branding effort or campaign.   It will be a win-win situation, as the public will think more highly of the businesses and organizations that get involved with Earth Day celebrations without blasting their logos everywhere. Subtlety of message is important for Earth Day marketing.

Here’s to a greener tomorrow, today.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products, has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years. His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

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As a green marketer, I have talked about the need to shift away from printed catalogs–at least in the quantities that you have been printing.

Think about the number of catalogs that you throw out at the end of each year — or still have stuck in the corner of your office or warehouse (in case it becomes an eBay classic).

There are a few simple ways to cut your catalog printing and I suggest using a variety of the following steps, as they are not mutually exclusive:

1) Put your catalog on line.  We have just uploaded our new catalog with page-flipping technology, so it reads as easily as a print catalog.

Click here to take a look at how we have jumped on this new technology,which is now offered by dozens of companies.  A page-flip online catalog is much easier than a PDF file to read.   Most will have zoom capabilities and an index, so it resembles the experience of print catalogs.

2) Put your catalog on CD or recycled or bamboo USB Flash Drives:   CD catalogs are antiquated (remember those from AOL for 30 day trials)..so I’d make the leap to USB flash drives, if you have the budget.  These can have your logo on them, and the drives can be in the form of a pen, key fob, custom shape, recycled materials, etc.   These will be keep your logo in front of your client–while having your catalog at your prospect’s or client’s fingers–literally.

3) Have your catalog accessed through the use of QR codes.  Use these scan-ready codes on your business cards, flyers, postcards, promotional products –everywhere. Some people even use their QR codes as their image on LinkedIn and Twitter for maximum reach.

4) Switch from catalogs to sell sheets, flyers, postcards,etc.  If you are exhibiting at a trade show, a simple flyer or two can be more effective–and prevent the great dumping of catalogs at the airport or at night when attendees are just too tired to carry their briefcase any longer.  For those that are more qualified, a full-print catalog may be acceptable at that time, or the USB flash drive would be best.

Remember, not everybody that stops by your booth is a qualified prospect.  Use your catalogs more wisely.

If you use direct mail, a series of postcard mailings can be more effective than one bulk catalog mailing. Those that still need a full print catalog will let you know…but will be few and far between

If your company is going green, show your prospects and your clients that you are doing your best to reduce your carbon footprint.  Switch to digital catalogs is a good first step.

Here’s to a greener tomorrow, today.

PS Let me know how your reduction in print catalogs has affected your sales and costs..and if the switch was worth it to your company.  I’d be interested to hear from you.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products, has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years. His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

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Placing QR codes on all your promotional products will help you to measure ROI. Courtesy of EcoMarketingSolutions.com

As companies seek improved ways to communicate their marketing message while also reducing their carbon footprint, QR codes seem to be the ideal medium.

QR codes allow anybody with a PDA to scan the code with their phone’s bar code scanner –which then takes them to a predetermined landing page. You can direct customers or prospects to different landing pages–to gauge the response to a promotional product that you hand out to both measure the effectiveness of a flyer/catalog while also gathering metrics.

I have even seen billboards that are one giant QR code, which can be scaled to any size.

I do suggest using these QR codes on all promotional products so you can direct prospects to your pre-determined advertising message.

I am a firm believer in measuring all advertising,  including SEO and SEM, print ads, flyers, brochures, postcards and even advertising specialties so you can determine which gives a better ROI.

Imagine handing out a useful imprinted tumbler or tote bag with your QR code on it–instead of a printed catalog at your next trade show.

First, you’d save a ton of money in shipping and drayage costs.

Then you’d reduce waste, as many attendees dump their bags at the airport when they find out that they are past the weight limit.  Most keep the gimmes and swag and chuck the heavy printed catalogs. As a green company, surely you do not want to waste expensive print catalogs–only to find out that they will end up in the landfills–unread.

Also, you’d save money on printing costs, as you can print few catalogs – or even go to print-on-demand.  I, and many other green marketing companies have switched to a paperless catalog–instead puttng it online and available on recycled USB drives.

Being a green marketer means thinking about ways to reduce waste.  Being a sharp marketer, means looking for new ways to reach your target audience.

Let’s make Every Day, Earth Day.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products, has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years. His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com or below at his Twitter link.

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Earth Day is just 2 weeks away and many marketers are still scrambling to find a last minute effort to come up with their Earth Day campaigns.

In fact, my phone has been ringing off the hook for the past three days (and nights…I just finished a phone call at 8:30 P.M. with a client in Massachusetts) with clients looking for last minute eco-friendly promotional ideas for their outreach programs.

Putting your name and logo on recycled promotional items is great.  I would not be able to stay in business without it, nor I would have chosen it as my profession if I did not believe strongly in them.

That being said, my questions to most of these callers are:

1. What is The Goal of Your Earth Day Message?

• Are you looking to change behaviors?
• Are you trying to change the public’s perception of your organization?
• Are you looking to educate the public–as sort of a public service or outreach campaign?

All three of these agendas require a different mareting message.  Make sure your message matches your goals.

2. Can You Back Up Your Message With Deeds and Achievements?

• As they say in my home town of Austin, Texas, are you “talking the talk–or walking the walk”?
• Did you just wake up this morning thinking that you had to do something green for Earth Day?
• Did your boss call you in for a meeting and declare that you will be participating in an Earth Day event–and this is all news to you?
• Or has your organization been planning your green agenda for many, many months and Earth Day is a natural extension of your marketing mix?

3) How are You Planning to Communicate Your Goals, Message and/or Agenda?

• Will you be using social media?
• Will you be giving a speech?
• Will you be exhibiting at a community Earth Day event?

Hopefully, if you are truly a green company, the answer is all three.

According to the 2011 Cone Green Gap Trend Tracker, consumers do not expect companies to be saints. A full three-quarters (75%) say it is okay if a company is not environmentally perfect—as long as it is honest and transparent about its efforts.

My advice: Be real. Don’t fake it.

Happy Earth Day.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products, has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years. His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him at Twitter (http://twitter.com/ecomarketing) or #ecomarketing , by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

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I just received a press release about an organization called  the EcoChamber, which claims to be “the global green chamber of commerce”.  They say that they have  ”more than 1,100 global listings, 2,100 Twitter followers and 700 Facebook fans”, which is a nice start.

Their mission seems lofty and innocent enough as it is listed in the release: “Our mission is to help the growth of green businesses worldwide,” commented EcoChamber’s founder Tia Diaz-Balart. “By helping deliver customers, investors and other stakeholders to companies and organizations who are doing right by the environment, we can not only encourage other companies to adopt sustainable practices, but also help have a positive cumulative net impact on our ecosystems through the global green economy.”

However, does a need for a non-profit “global” chamber of commerce  exist — or will its certification lead to more confusion and uncertainty in the marketplace?  Because of all the seals of approvals and certifications from an alphabet soup of organizations, the FTC has come down hard on green washing claims to help avoid confusion in the marketplace in its new Green Guides.

If we can have just a handful of seals that can be used–one for organic, one for biodegradable, one for recycled — like we do for recyclable materials, I think we will all be better served.  Just as the government has stepped in to make Nutritional Labels standardized, I think it will need to insist on a certain structure for all green claims in order to avoid potential for greenwashing –whether inadvertent or not.

That being said, do you think a global green Chamber of commerce is needed?  Please share your thoughts.

Let’s Make Every Day, Earth Day!

Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products,  has worked to help plant over 25 million trees through his live tree seedling gift program over the past dozen years.   His company’s website, EcoMarketingSolutions.com, features over 25,000 eco-friendly promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green.  The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find biodegradable, organic and recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame.

You can also reach him by email (robert (at) ecomarketingsolutions.com) or comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

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Looking for a unique way to promote your green business? One of the simplest ways is to get a car wrap done that promotes your company.

Everyone in your community will eventually see your message and will associate your brand with a green-friendly company. It is a very low cost way of marketing your green company and it can be fun to drive.  I have started to see more and more of these cars and trucks in my travels and they certainly stand out.

Three caveats:

First, make sure the vehicle you are placing the graphic on is indeed green-friendly.  I happened to see a minivan all wrapped last week promoting a green product–but it just smacked of green washing and did not convey sincerity.   Use these car wraps on hybrid vehicles, smart cars and electric cars for inexpensive advertising.

Secondly, do not dictate that everyone at your company drive a wrapped car, as it takes a certain type of Read more…

Looking for a unique Earth Day promotion that doesn’t cost you a single penny?

Well, the Dallas Mavericks have gone outside the box and have found a way with their 3rd Annual Electronics Recycling Drive.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household. This includes computers, TVs, and cell phones and PDA, video games and more.

THE U.S. EPA is working to educate consumers and others on why it is important to reuse and recycle electronics and what the options are for safe reuse and recycling of these products. Increasingly State and local governments, manufacturers, and retailers are providing more opportunities to recycle and reuse this equipment. Many computer, TV, and cell phone manufacturers, as well as electronics retailers offer some kind of take back program or sponsor recycling events. More than 20 states have enacted legislation to manage end-of-life electronics, and more are expected to follow suit.

This Earth Day, work with a local e-waste recycling company and sponsor an e-waste drop off program and campaign.  Offer a free recycled imprinted gift in exchange for a recyclable electronic waste–to avoid that item from ending up in a landfill.

The E-Waste Recycling Association offers a list of electronic waste recyclers by city.  The EPA provides information about regional and State eCycling programs based on your zip code, as well as useful statistics on the management of used and end-of-life electronics.

Be different.  Attract a crowd.  Help reduce your community’s carbon footprint.

Happy Earth Day!

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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green.  The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

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Countdown to Earth Day Promotion Ideas

Countdown to Your Earth Day Promotion: Part 1 of 4

Earth Day falls on April 22^nd every year, and many of my clients wait until the first week in April to order their imprinted eco-friendly promotional items.

This year, with a little bit of pre-planning, you can get maximum exposure for Earth Day with a series of scheduled themed promotions.

First thing any organization needs to do is determine your goal for Earth Day events.

1. Is it to brand your organization as “green friendly” or to promote your sustainability drive?
2. Is it to do community outreach?  This can include promoting new energy saving features or to encourage reduction in energy consumption?
3. Is it because your competitors are promoting Earth Day and you do not want to fall behind in your prospects’ minds?
4. Is it a feel-good mission to spend some of your marketing dollars promoting environmental causes?
5. Is it a mandate from your boss?

It is crucial to determine the reason for your participation, in order to maximize your ROI and return on your marketing dollar.

In the next part of this 4-part series, we will break down these 5 reasons for Earth Day marketing to see which strategies will work best for each occasion.

Let’s make Every Day, Earth Day.

To read the balance of the series, click on the following links:

Part 2: Countdown to Your Earth Day Promotion: Determining Your Earth Day Plan of Action

Part 3: Countdown to Your Earth Day Promotion: Marketing to Children

Part 4: Countdown to Your Earth Day Promotion: Marketing to Adults

Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green.  The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

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The FTC has made some of their proposed revisions to the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides, which are a set of guidelines aimed at clearing up confusion since its last update in 1998.

These are preliminary guidelines, as the FTC is still seeking public comment on the updated guidelines for 60 days, before issuing a final version, which will not be announced until late 2011, at the earliest.

“The Green Guides were designed to help businesses avoid making misleading environmental claims,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said Wednesday during a conference call with reporters. “That, of course, helps consumers.”

Leibowitz described an “explosion” of green claims being made for a variety of goods, ranging from paper towels to textiles, leaving consumers confused about what they’re buying. “We’re not always getting what we think we’re getting,” he said.

At the same, businesses are also unclear about the environmental attributes of their products, so clear cut rules will help all parties. These new guidelines were supposed to be ready by 2009, but, like every other government project, things seem to take much longer than anticipated.

The FTC is looking mostly to have companies able to substantiate their environmental claims, and to use more narrowly-focused terms rather than “eco-friendly” or “green”, to avoid confusion.
I am sure the final guidelines will be watered down, unfortunately, as “interest” groups on all sides weigh in.

However, best business practices are to always be able to substantiate claims a company makes, be it in terms of sustainability, biodegradation, energy efficiency and any other factors. Common sense will prevail in the end.

Let’s make every day, Earth Day!
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and recycled promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.