Let’s Talk Data

Going once, going twice, going green. But what does green mean?

You know, this whole “green” concept is filled with mystery, a touch of religion, and relativity.
Mystery, because its not a clear cut definition that can be applied broadly

Religion, because once you go green, you begin to develop a belief system that changes how you view the world and your place in it.

Relativity — because frankly, green is all about the context in which comparisons are made and sides are chosen.
Ah…the message is not clear, yet the mandate has been made.  Corporations have made sustainable business practices part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programs, the Government is moving rapidly (ok, I did say Government — they move as fast as they can) to implement new regulations, and manufacturers have been and are continuing to improve their processes as long as they see life in the market.  (Translation - market share.)

We’re moving fast towards a new way of living, but the crazy thing is that not everyone cares about the end goal and.  Why? I think it’s because the goal is so difficult to define. And if you can’t define it, as the saying goes, you can’t measure it, and therefore, you can’t improve it.

Consultant-speak aside — there’s more at stake than performance measurement.

The concept of green is one that we (Earthsense) have measured for products that are known to consumers: food, non-food consumables (think detergent, paper, etc.) as well as durables such as cars, washing machines, etc. We explain what the most common explanation of “green” is … another word for sustainability — which really boils down to a simple concept: use resources wisely as to maintain the quality, diversity, beauty, and functionality of our planet.

Borrowing from the World Changing Guide — we loosely define green as being the term for anything that is organic, minimally processed, made from renewable resources, incorporates fair trade practices, is energy efficient, etc. We also ask people to define in their own words what green means to them (by product category, like, dairy or cleaning fluids) and we’ve found that “green’ has come to represent a notion of social consciousness — laced with concepts that are often at odds with each other.  (Buying local — or organic which is better?)

I keep meeting people who are proud to tell me that they are just not down with the green concept. They say it without malice, they are not challenging me.  They just say that it isn’t really relevant to their lives.  Is it their fault for not getting on board the train?

I don’t think so.  While I don’t advocate sweeping socialism, I do believe that the power of changing the world lies in the hands of the commercial producers of products and services. Simply put, if you change your product to be more efficient, use renewable materials, use less packaging, etc. etc. the consumer has NO CHOICE but to buy your *new* and *improved* green product.  (OK, I can hear the protests in my inner ear…”but they can buy from competitors”…. But consumers can always choose to buy another product. If you have a great product, why not make it better in ways that improve your impact on the planet?  Why wait for the regulations? Why not be proactive?)

Green is a process, a journey, not a state of being. You can always find some product that is greener than another (or better yet, you can always just not use any product, live on a mountain, naked, and be one with the planet.)  What green means is really contextual.  As marketers, we should look at our products and imagine the comparison scenarios. Someone will always find fault with our spin, but truth be told, most people are comfortable with the legal concept of “reasonable doubt”.  If you tell them your story, and you put it in a truthful context –they’ll give you a chance.  And that’s what we’re all aiming for anyway, isn’t it?  A chance to strut our stuff, show our value, change their lives (making a little money along the way?)

Your thoughts?