Earth Day is coming…and before you know it, there will be nothing left but a memory.

The real shame of Earth Day is that so many organizations and companies look it at as an isolated,  one day, feel good event–like a birthday, or New Year’s Eve.

Resolutions are made on New Year’s Eve, most of which are broken within a week.  I know that for a fact, as my birthday is January 6th and I am usually trying to re-affirm and renew my broken pledges from the week before.

Earth Day is very similar to New Year’s in broken pledges and stalled resolutions?

I have clients that I only hear from in the Spring when they prepare for their Earth Day events. It is always nice to hear from them, and I appreciate their business…but I wonder how much impact they, and others like them, are truly making with a single day GREEN  focus.

Earth Day should be about behavior modification.  Companies should encourage their employees and their customers, as well as the general public, to take a pledge to make changes in reducing their carbon footprint.

No Earth Day event or outreach program should pass without pledge cards being handed out which are designed to encourage specific steps to take in cutting energy use, changed buying behaviors and other definitive ways to cut one’s carbon footprint.

Old habits and behaviors take time to change…and businesses, churches, and other organizations need to hold green meetings on a regular basis in order to keep people following their green resolutions.

Perhaps an AA for people who want to be more environmentally friendly and socially aware.

Wouldn’t it be nice if every organization who says that they are “going green” holds weekly or monthly green meetings with employees (and the general public) helping people to better understand their individual impact on the planet and how they can take steps to reduce energy consumption and waste.

Let’s not allow Earth Day to become a one day party or event.  Let’s make Earth Day the start of a year-long green movement  and campaign that really has impact.

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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Since the price of oil has dropped over 50% in the past year, what effect will it have on the alternative energy industry as a whole?

With cheap oil available, the public outcry has calmed for new sources of energy.  Although this pricing condition is short-lived, the meltdown in the financial sector might have a more lasting and negative impact.

For example, the ethanol industry has seen its share of problems recently due to the skyrocketing costs of corn.  However, as all commodity prices have become turbulent in recent months, some ethanol producers have not adjusted to volatile price swings,  and firms such as VeraSun Energy Corp., have filed for Chapter 11 protection.

The $700 billion government bailout includes an 8-year extension of solar power tax credits, which is very positive.  However, absent an influx in capital investment funds, this industry will not advance as quickly as once believed.

Wind power has also been given a one-year extension of production tax credits.  Again, being that this industry is capital intensive, its growth rate will also slow to a crawl.

With a new administration promising $150 billion over the next ten years in alternative energies, it comes at a very opportune time.

Let’s hope the American people will not be lulled into thinking oil pries will continue to fall forever.  The time for investment into clean energy is now.

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Robert Piller is President of EcoMarketing Solutions LLC, a company that helps businesses promote themselves to their customers and prospects at trade shows using environmentally-friendly promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues of green marketing. He can be reached at robert@ecomarketingsolutions.com. You can also visit his blog at www.greenspotblog.com.

From time to time a like to comment and report on companies that are promoting green products or services. I came across a website the other day called Avego.com, that is a ride-share program that links passengers with drivers using the internet or iPhones. Money can be made by drivers and a percentage would go to Avego for setting up the transaction.

Avego was founded by Sean O’Sullivan, a high tech entrepreneur. He admitted, in an article to the Los Angeles Times that it may take years or decades for it to be profitable. As of the time f this blog entry, they only had 74 members worldwide.

My guess is that a company like this needs a quick infusion of member, possibly through social networking and other broad-base marketing. It will also need the support of the major cities involved to help promote it, or it won’t take off. Possibly even tie-in to city-wide events for publicity, like football games, outdoor concerts, 5K and 10K downtown races and parades where organizers and the cities are aiming for ways to reduce traffic congestion.

I like seeing green-friendly companies and new green start ups getting launched, and I know eco-friendly businesses are the wave of the future.

Good luck Avego and thank you for trying to make this a planet greener.

Note: If readers know of other green-friendly businesses that are trying to change the way business-as-normal is done, I would love to hear about it.

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Robert Piller is President of Eco Marketing Solutions, a company that helps businesses to promote their brand and name to their customers and prospects using environmentally-friendly promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues of green marketing. He can be reached at robert@ecomarketingsolutions.com. You can visit his website at www.ecomarketingsolutions.com.

(Part 2 of 3)

The day you have marked on the calendar is here. Today is the first day of the trade show you have planned for over the past few months. You’ve lost sleep, spent time at Kinko’s the other night running off last-minute flyers and signage you forgot about, and now you are ready to go.

Or are you ready?

In my previous column, I discussed several strategies for maximizing your trade show effectiveness and return on investment.

In this column, I will be discussing several “at-show” trade show activities and tips you can do to ensure a successful trade show.

Guerilla Marketing: Some companies do an end-run around the show management’s policy of a 5-mile radius of non-competing activities by hosting hospitality suites at nearby hotels (or even the host hotel or at the corporate home office or regional facility). I have even heard of companies that host private invitation-only golf tournaments the day prior to a trade show to get the maximum bang for their buck as they bring in their top prospects, customers and vendors. Be forewarned, however, that if caught violating the show management’s rules, you can be fined, banned, humiliated and forced to walk the plank (well maybe not the plank). Many of these same functions can be done with the blessing of show management with a smile, charm and some money.

Walk the Walk, not Talk the Talk: Many times you can get into a trade show by applying as an attendee or by telling management that you would like to walk the show to decide whether or not you want to exhibit the following year. As an attendee, you can visit your competitor’s booth and hear their sales presentations – though you may also be kicked flat on your backside, as well as thrown out of the show by management. I have always found it good business to introduce myself to my competitors, offer to swap brochures (you are each going to end up with each others’ sales material one way or the other) and just start a friendly conversation. Sometimes you can learn a great deal just be being honest and up-front. (Remember the golden rule: “Do unto others…”)

Walking a show floor also gives you an opportunity to actively seek out potential customers, either in the aisles, at seminars, in the restrooms (yes, I have seen it and it is not pretty), at lunch or at other booths. Remember, exhibitors do not like to have salespeople visit their booth on their time (since they paid for their booth space and you didn’t). Best approach is to arrive early (just as the show floor opens) or just as the show closes, as it will be less busy then and exhibitors may welcome a conversation during a slow time.

Attending Seminars: Attending seminars is an excellent way to meet prospects and renew old acquaintances. Same strategy applies here—get there early and stay late—as you will often get an opportunity to meet many high caliber prospects. Have your 30-second elevator speech ready and met and mingle.

Celebrity Appearances: You can plan to have a celebrity at your booth or an opportunity to meet the president or CEO of your company (if that is an appealing option). I have seen booths with local professional athletes, sportscasters, painters, wrestlers, actors, cheerleaders, Spuds McKenzie (am I dating myself?), singers, body builders and “celebrities” that I did not recognize at all.

If promoted properly, a celebrity appearance can bring people into your booth, giving you an opportunity to try to qualify them while they wait in line. A typical Hollywood B-list actor can be had for as little as $5,000 and as high as $25,000 or more per day, so it depends on your budget. Although this can bring both exhibitors and attendees into your booth, I believe that anything you can afford to do that get’s people to stop in, and gives you an opportunity to qualify them, is a viable option.

Sponsorship Opportunities: There are many opportunities for sponsorships, such as hosting the show’s prayer meetings, breakfasts, luncheons, golf tournaments, speakers, concerts, beverage carts, panel discussions, Wi-Fi service, etc. Depending on your budget, these can be an expensive option, but it will give you an opportunity to get your name in the directory, on banners, and mentioned several times throughout the show. These events will also allow you to mix and mingle with many of the top companies in your industry, giving you and your firm instant credibility.

Ad Specialties/Promotional Products: As I mentioned in my first section, a well-targeted imprinted promotional product can stop a person who would normally pass by your booth – and keep your company in their minds after the show. It goes back to the billboard question I like to ask my clients: “If you can put your advertising billboard on your customer’s desk (or in their car), how much would you pay to rent that space?” A useful and meaningful advertising specialty with a quality imprint can help keep your brand identity in the prospect’s mind when they are ready to make a decision – without the high cost of “rent”.

Remember what I mentioned in the earlier column about an A-B-C selection of swag—a low-cost gift for non-qualified visitors; a higher priced gift for qualified prospects and customers; an even higher valued gift for members of the media, “A-list” prospects and others. Be sure to keep the higher priced gifts out of eyesight so they only go to those you intend them for.

I also suggest packing your literature with the imprinted gift so that when they are handed the promotional item, they get your sales information, as well. I have sold hundreds of orders of imprinted bags, both plastic and fabric bags (both made of recycled material to avoid these ending up in landfills, of course), so when you hand out the item, not only does your billboard get carried around the entire show floor, but your sales material is placed inside ahead of time—ensuring it gets to that buyer.

Another good idea is to hand out a live tree seedling tree in a tube, with a single sheet sales flyer wrapped around it. When you hand it to the recipient, tell them that you are giving them a live tree seedling, so when they get home, they should immediately take it out of their bag and plant it. What happens is that nobody wants to kill a tree, so instead of waiting for that mythical “rainy day” to go through the stack of collected trade show material, they will get home and reach for the tree seedling—with your sales flyer wrapped around it. It is a low-cost way to ensure your material gets looked at.

Lights, Camera, Action: Nothing makes a booth look bleaker than dark spaces and shadows. Pay for electricity and have bright halogen lights highlighting your booth, as well as calling out special sections. Be sure to keep the lights high, as halogen lights can get very hot – making your booth quite warm. Lighting is one area you do not want to skimp on.

Personnel: As a final suggestion, don’t forget your personnel. They should be armed with a few opening statements (open ended questions) and given a plan on how to stand, how to introduce good prospects, how to move along visitors that are not prospects, etc. I also shipping a case or two of bottled water to your booth so you and your staff can stay hydrated. Rest them and rotate the staff if possible, as breaks as few as 15-minutes can help to rejuvenate a person and make them more upbeat.

Following these ideas can help you make the most of your time on the show floor. In my final segment of this article, I will discuss one of the least used, and most important, of the three areas of trade show marketing—the post-show follow up process.

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Note: To view the other segments of this three part column, visit http://blog.ecomarketingsolutions.com/?cat=65

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Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in running and implementing green marketing campaigns and is a leader in the recycled promotional products industry, including offering one of the largest selections of reusable and organic tote bags, recycled and biodegradable water bottles, recycled pens and pencils in the country.

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.

Companies of all sizes and across the entire business spectrum are trying to “go green” at an amazing speed. Some do it for personal reasons, some do it out of corporate social responsibility and others are doing it for good old fashioned bottom-line financial reasons.

Whatever the motivation, this is a positive trend.

But I’m often asked if going green makes good economic sense for a company or institution – and I cannot always say “yes”. At least, not with a straight face.

The truth is that, at this time, going green makes economic sense for business that cater to the more educated, more affluent and more socially responsible consumers, according to the 1996 Roper-Starch Worldwide Report.

Because this Roper-Starch Report is one of the best studies of its type, I have used it as a basis for this article. While the fundamentals of this study are still sound, remember these numbers are twelve years old. With the constant streaming of green information by the media over the past decade, I would guess that the number of consumers that would consider themselves “environmentally friendly” has gone up significantly.

According to the Roper-Starch Worldwide Report, there are five types of consumers.

1) True-Blues

This hard-core group holds the strongest environmental beliefs and actually live the eco lifestyle. They talk the talk and walk the walk, in laymen’s words.

True-Blues are usually ardent environmentalists, attempt to influence others, and are politically and socially active. This audience is one of the most educated groups and is most likely to be a white woman holding down an executive or professional job.

2) Greenbacks

This group is more willing to pay a premium price for green products – up to 22% more. Although not very politically active and not nearly as pro-active as the True-Blues, Greenbacks are most willing to show their support for the environment with their wallet. This demographic audience is primarily a young, married white male holding down a white collar job.

3) Sprouts

Probably the largest market segment, this group is willing to engage in environmental activities from time to time, as long as it doesn’t require much effort. Recycling is the most eco-oriented activity they participate I, as they will not pay a premium for green products. This is a swing group, if there ever was, and the most likely target and audience for the advancement of the green movement over the next several years.

4) Grousers

This group does not believe that individuals play a significant role in protecting the environment; instead they feel it is the responsibility of the government and large corporations to make a change. Grousers are mostly uninformed about environmental problems, and would rather complain that they are too busy, rather than to get involved. The members of this group may participate in a recycling program, but only if their local laws require it.

5) Basic Browns

Basic Browns do not make any attempt to sugarcoat the fact that they do get involved in any environmental activities; they are simply indifferent. As can be expected, this group is the least educated among the five and, according to the research, they live primarily in the South.They think the green movement is much ado about nothing and think they are being brainwashed by the “leftist elitists”. They think green washing is happening to them.

So, knowing about these five groups of consumers, does going green make economic sense for all companies?

I would conclude that any business which is targeting anyone, other than what can be perceived as “Bubba”, can gain immediate benefits from promoting green products to their audience. Just as rising tides raise all ships, I would suggest that if your product or service reaches all market segments, promoting green is still a no-brainer. Basic Browns may eventually “get it”, but it will take time—possibly as long as 5-10-20 years – or longer.

It seems that this demographic also was the last to understand the importance of Civil Rights and Women’s Equality issues. However, over time, their indifference, or even hostility to the cause, will become less meaningful to the rest of the population. As this particular audience eventually gets older and older, they will be replaced with a much more open-minded audience.

However harsh this analysis may appear, it is actually very positive. The green movement only will get stronger as people notice the Earth’s rising temperature, see more visual news clips of melting glaciers, read about more starvation and droughts across the globe, learn more about carbon neutrality and the meaning of carbon footprint, etc.

As the green movement continues in a positive fashion, every business will gain by becoming green and promoting this benefit to their consumers.

Until then, if the Basic Brown is your only customer base, putting money into green marketing, at this time, will probably not yield the best return on your investment. My hope would be that you would upgrade your product offerings to appeal to a greener market segment in the near future – until Basic Brown no longer exists as a demographic audience worthy of consideration.

Thank goodness consumers are more eco-conscious — and this trend is moving greener each day. With the 2008 elections casting even more interest on the environmental movement to the apathetic, it is only a matter of time when a new survey will show only degrees of “green-ness” — and being green will be the cost of entry for any business.

Here’s to a greener planet.

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Robert Piller is President of EcoMarketing Solutions LLC, which helps businesses promote themselves to their customers and prospects using environmentally-friendly imprinted promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. He is a frequent guest speaker and writer on issues pertaining to green marketing. He can be reached at robert@ecomarketingsolutions.com.

In my discussions over the years with clients, one question seems to pop up more than any other: Are Americans willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly products?

For the segment of the population that is most affluent, most educated and most eco-conscious, the answer has always been – yes.

Now, a survey conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, shows that an ever increasing number of Americans are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.

“Many American consumers, even in the face of economic uncertainty, express a willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly products,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale Project on Climate Change.

Half of the respondents to the survey said they would “definitely” or “probably” pay 15% more for eco-friendly clothes detergent (51%) or for an automobile (50%). Forty percent said they would spend 15% more on “green” computer printer paper and 39 percent would do the same for “green” wood furniture.

What has been most surprising in this study is the fact that Americans who said their current financial situation is “fair” or “poor” were just as willing to spend 15% more on such environmentally-friendly products as detergent or wood furniture as those Americans more confident of their current financial situation.

As the green movement continues to grow, this survey should make it clear to industries across the board that green products will continue to increase in demand. Whether you are a manufacturer, small family business or service provider, it is important to increase the development or repackaging of your products as environmentally friendly.

As green becomes the norm, and probably the cost of entry for most products within the next 3 to 5 years, those firms that get a jump start on their competitors will have the best chance of capitalizing on this premium price differentiation. After that time frame, the green premium will most likely disappear and companies will have to look for the next marketing edge.

In the meantime, go green. It makes economic sense.

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Robert Piller is President of EcoMarketing Solutions LLC, a company that helps businesses promote themselves to their customers and prospects using environmentally-friendly promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. He is a guest speaker and writer on issues pertaining to green marketing. He can be reached at robert@ecomarketingsolutions.com.

Is God an environmentalist? Does Scripture teach the need for environmental stewardship? Why are churches going green and preaching the “green gospel”.

Well, more than ever, churches, temples and mosques are promoting the green movement in connection are part of a growing trend toward matching science with religion.

Pope John Paul II, once described environmental concerns as a “moral issue” and noted in 1990 that people have “a grave responsibility to preserve [the earth's] order for the well-being of future generations.”

The environmental organization, Sierra Club, has publicly recognized and welcomed the “growing level of commitment and leadership among people of faith working to connect environmental awareness with widely shared values including stewardship, justice, and concern for future generations. We also recognize that lasting social change rarely takes place without the active engagement of communities of faith.”

One organization, the National Council of Churches of Christ has begun a campaign to promote the ideal that, according to their website, says that “God calls us as stewards of God’s creation. Making our churches a more environmentally friendly place can provide a healthy, toxic-free sacred space as well as help us protect God’s creation for current and future generations.”

Another organization, the Interfaith Power and Light, is trying to engage faith communities to “talk actively about environment and faith”.

Their website says, “We are an interfaith ministry devoted to deepening the connection between ecology and faith. Our goal is to help people of faith recognize and fulfill their responsibility for the stewardship of creation.

Specifically, the Interfaith Power and Light campaign is mobilizing a national religious response to global warming while promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation. People of faith have an opportunity to put their faith into action and help reduce the devastating effects of global warming.”

This organization is fast growing throughout the South and Southeast and its philosophy is catching on. In addition to offer sermon suggestions and helpful tips on reducing energy consumption inside the places of worships, they have created kits to encourage going green throughout the holidays, including using energy-efficient light bulbs on menorahs for Hanukkah or Advent. This organization also has trained over 150 religious leaders for grass root campaigns to make environmental messages as part of their sermons, as well as part of their building and education programs and in their community life.

The importance of a strong environmental movement is gaining rapidly among all faiths as the cause and impact of global warming on the world’s poor has become more pronounced. One survey shows that in the United States, 67 percent of Americans say they care about the environment because it is “God’s creation.”

What does the future hold for the green movement at churches? You’ve got to have faith.

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Robert Piller is President of EcoMarketing Solutions LLC, a company that helps businesses promote themselves to their customers and prospects using environmentally-friendly promotional products that won’t end up in a landfill. He is a guest speaker and writer on issues concerning green marketing. He can be reached at robert@ecomarketingsolutions.com.

Green Marketing has become a popular term for many companies trying to promote themselves as green-friendly, or eco-friendly. My blog will look into the news stories from local and national media to see how companies of all sizes attempt to “Go Green”.

As a green marketing consultant, I have seen the proliferation of companies stating their green initiatives – with some backing them up and others promoting their concern for the environment at the same time they turn a blind eye to their wasteful manufacturing or distribution methods.

The goals for my blog are simple: Read more…