Garden : Campbell-Ewald

So your company is “green?” Prove it.

lturk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:49:08 +0000

Going Green.

It’s hip. It’s trendy. It’s the “in” thing to do. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious every day, and companies are scrambling to keep up with the demand for less waste, more recycling, and more eco-responsibility.

But how can a consumer be sure which companies are really taking their committment to the environment seriously, and which are just giving consumers lip service?

Good news for the good guys: Green Seal, the D.C.-based non-profit certification leader for green products and services, is launching a pilot Company Certification Program that offers the first — and only — holistic assessment of a company’s product line and its business operations. The new program builds on Green Seal’s development of 30 environmental standards and certification of over 3,500 green products and services, taking into account things like greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation, biodiversity impact and labor relations.

The assessments will be conducted by independent experts during on-site visits, and the company’s supply chain and major products will be under the microscope. Social and environmental impact studies will be taken into consideration as well.

This is good news for consumers: they’ll be able to feel good about giving business to companies they know are walking the talk.

This is good news for the companies that truly care about their impact on the environment: for the first time, they’ll be able to prove their claims. Consumer trust will skyrocket.

This is NOT such good news for companies that are just jumping on the green bandwagon: Green Seal (and consumers) will be all over you like white on rice. And you know the statistics, right? Consumers who have a positive experience with a company or brand might tell 2 or 3 people. But get on their bad side, and they’ll tell 10.

Bottom line is this: consider very carefully any green claims you make and your motivation for making them. If you’re trying to boost sales by catching a trend wave, this new certification is going to make things very difficult for you. But if your company is really committed to helping the environment — well then, prove it.

USPS Campaign receives first Green ECHO Award

lturk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:28:32 +0000

Campbell-Ewald’s work for the United States Postal Service (USPS) was honored in October with the first-ever ECHO Green award.

The ECHO Awards, presented by the Direct Marketing Association, honor the world’s best direct marketing campaigns — campaigns that have raised the bar in terms of strategy, creativity and results. This is the first year the organization has recognized work that puts environmentally responsible and sustainable marketing strategies and techniques into practice.

The USPS “Environmailist” campaign tackled the misconceptions about direct mail’s impact on the environment. Not only did the campaign encourage marketers to go green with their direct marketing, but the campaign itself was as eco-friendly as possible — using recycled paper and inks free of volatile organic compounds, wind energy for production, and a 100% organic cotton T-shirt as part of fulfillment.

More about the Environmailist campaign here.

Congrats to the entire USPS team!

Five ways mobile phones might just save the planet

lturk — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:04:46 +0000

Coming off of last week’s ad:tech Chicago conference - where much of the discussion revolved around mobile technology as The Next Big Thing in marketing and advertising — I love Karl Burkhart’s take on how mobile phones can help save the planet.

Here’s a taste:

Elephants with GPS systems sending text messages to farmers in Kenya (Dear Farmer: My herd is about to trample your valuable farmland. Please take appropriate action.)
Barcoding trees to prevent illegal logging (with video!)
Mobile activism
Tracking your carbon footprint in real-time
Finding green businesses in your area

Lots more mobile green ideas here on Planet Green.

What’s driving “green” purchases?

lturk — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:00:13 +0000

Is it just a desire to “do the right thing?” Or is that popular catch phrase revealing a deeper sentiment in consumer attitudes?

Full article here.

Ten weird things you can actually recycle

lturk — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:26:10 +0000

The good news: about 80% of U.S. households have access to local recycling programs for things like paper, plastic, glass and aluminum. The better news: you can recycle almost anything, if you know how.

Dentures, for example.

Did you know that each set of dentures contains about $25 worth of precious metals like gold and silver? A non-profit organization was recently created in Japan to recycle the metals found in unwanted dentures and donate the proceeds to UNICEF. Already, more than $250,000 has been donated. That’s an awful lot of fake teeth.

Pics and story here.

Printing Industry is Embracing Environmental Practices

kmonear — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:33:50 +0000

As Earth Day approaches, it’s great news that our print manufacturing industry has responded to the cry for environmental awareness. Just 6 months ago it was difficult to find printers that were certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the two renown organizations protecting and managing our forest. Today, it is rare that a printer does not have either one or both certifications, and if they do not, they are awaiting approval.

Working with printers that have the FSC or SFI certification reinforces our commitment to replanting the forests for the future. Printers are also blitzing alternative energy sources in their manufacturing process such as wind power and recycling the waste by-products from the manufacturing process which will lower the carbon imprint placed on the environment.

The Paper industry is also responding to the call by making papers available with 10% Post Consumer Waste the norm, not the exception, and pricing them at affordable levels so they are available for all our print needs. The selection of papers with 30% to 100% Post Consumer Waste fibers has increased scientifically with new paper lines being manufactured using stone, recycled plastics and some papers with seeds.

The Print industry is listening and responding to the call from consumers to be more efficient, environmentally friendly and aware of how they impact the world around us.

In Today’s Economic Climate, Real Marketing for Environmentally Beneficial Products is More Important Than Ever

mbellissimo — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:16:50 +0000

As a consumer and as a business professional, you can’t escape the economic news today. And for environmental marketing, it’s clear this has been impacted. First, the subject matter of the environment itself has taken a backseat to global economic news. Second, with a drop in consumer confidence, many purchasing decisions in general have been curtailed, environmental products or not. Third, low prices and coupons have taken center stage in shopping and purchasing of goods and services, not exactly good news for many environmentally friendly products which tend to include a cost premium. On the surface, these factors would seem to favor a wait and see perspective, looking for economic improvements before resuming any major environmentally based initiatives. Yet, possibly the most opportune time to test the robustness of your environmentally based messages is now—if you do it in a disciplined manner that emphasizes real value-based benefits. The reason is, sustained marketplace success for environmentally sensitive products isn’t any different than that of products or services in general: those that deliver best on their relevant brand promises will reap the rewards. Like the housing boom, getting caught up in the recent hype of the environment has led some marketers to simply slap “green” labels on products without truly exploring both the real impact on the environment and that of the consumer expectation in purchasing them. So, consider today’s economic environment as a weeding out period of weak environmental promises. Become one of the strong propositions. Start by ensuring yours has real environmental benefit. Then, make sure this benefit meets real customer needs your brand can address. If you have to rationalize this, you are fooling yourself. Lastly, be careful to discern whether there is real value in the proposition for your customer. Consider using the opportunity of today’s marketplace to do this, as consumers need to see your environmentally-based proposition not as a luxury, but as a value based benefit they are willing to pay for—there is no better backdrop than today’s economic conditions to experiment within.

The Birthday of Earth Day

cseiger — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Most people have heard of Earth Day but have no idea where or when it started. The story begins with Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. While the idea of environmental health was the goal, how it was to be achieved was a bit different from the kinds of thoughts that Earth Day conjures for most people these days. Neslon’s agenda was more about population stabilization, which he viewed as critical to environmentalism. More people use more resources and create more waste, and so on. Curbing immigration was one of the population controls he supported. Regardless, his timing was good – the environment was a top-of-mind issue. For example, five months before the first Earth Day, the New York Times ran an article by Gladwin Hill (who led an interesting life himself) which reported on the rising fear of “global cooling.” Ah, the good old days. Nelson actually patterned Earth Day observances after Vietnam War protests and rallies. The April 22 date was chosen to maximize college student and campus participation since it did not fall on exam days, spring breaks, or holidays. Oddly enough, April 22, 1970 would have been Vladimir Lenin’s 100^th birthday, which prompted conspiracy theorists of the time to suspect the event to be cover for a communist attack. It was also the birthday of Julius Sterling Morton who founded Arbor Day in 1885 in Nebraska. In any case, on April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day was observed by some 20 million Americans with the goal of a healthy, sustainable environment. Groups of people who had been fighting separately against things ranging from oil spills and corporate pollution to wildlife and wilderness development had the epiphany that they all shared a common value – the environment. Today, Earth Day observers number in the hundreds of millions worldwide as we work toward a cleaner, healthier world for everyone.

Flying the eco-friendly skies?

cseiger — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:27:21 +0000

With all the buzz about hybrid cars, electric cars, and natural gas and hydrogen-powered cars, it should not surprise us when some new fuel technology makes headlines. We’re probably not accustomed to seeing it happen with aircraft, though. Continental Airlines just tested a 50/50 mix of jet fuel and a biofuel that originates with algae.

Read the whole story on the BBC News website.

Save gas. Save money. Save the environment.

kgraham — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:50:03 +0000

You don’t have to wait for electric cars to “drive greener.” By following these tips for reducing your vehicle’s fuel consumption, you can be friendlier to the environment – not to mention your wallet.

Limit idling (no matter how small your vehicle, idling gets you 0 mpg)
Avoid quick starts and stops (can improve fuel efficiency by 33% at highway speeds and 5% at city speeds)
Slow down (every 5 mph over 55 mph reduces mpg by up to 10%)
Lighten your cargo load (every 100 lbs. reduces mpg by up to 2%)
Turn off air conditioning (air reduces mpg by 20%)
Use cruise control (a steady speed can boost fuel efficiency)
Tighten gas cap (loose caps cause fuel to evaporate)
Keep tires properly inflated (can improve mpg by over 3%)
Rotate and align tires (misalignment hinders fuel economy)
Give your engine a tune-up if it’s due (can improve mpg by 4%)
Replace dirty air filters (clean filters can improve mpg by as much as 10%)

For more tips on improving fuel efficiency, visit www.fueleconomy.gov.

New FTC Guidelines Are Coming — Making Sense of it All

bmitchel — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:25:50 +0000

“We need to be Green”. “It’s the right thing to do.” “It’s the in thing.”

As marketers jump on the bandwagon, some will do it right and others….well, we have all seen an ad and said, “That’s bull.” So what’s a guy to do…or more directly, an advertiser?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) first published guidelines in 1992 but the issues of ’92 are not the issues of today. Witness Obama and McCain arguing Global Warming — not a topic addressed in ’92. The good news is the FTC will release updated guidelines in 2009. The bad news is that it’s the FTC and the government doesn’t always use “common speak.” The better news is that I just read a whitepaper from Goodwin Procter that is short and to the point; a shining “green” light in the darkness.

Marketers need to follow constantly evolving guidelines and laws regarding “Green Marketing Claims.” While the FTC originally issued guidelines in 1992, they are currently considering major revisions. These revisions come after acceptance of comments and a series of workshops on specific issues. Three key issues addressed are:

Carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates
Green packaging
Green buildings and textiles

A white paper from Godwin Procter provides an excellent overview of the issues and suggests five strategic considerations for marketers making environmental claims:

Carefully evaluate the potential environmental benefits of products and operations

Seek certification from third parties

Substantiate and document any environmental claims

Make precise environmental claims

Ensure that representations concerning the environmental impacts and benefits of the company’s products and operating practices are consistent

The Easiest Green Thing You’ll Ever Do

nwellinger — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:41:46 +0000

Remember when you had to do a five-page paper in high school and the first thing you did was widen the margins and fatten up the space on top and bottom of the page to fill it faster? Well, think the opposite. And you, my eco friend, will be thinking green.

NPR did a story the other day about a bunch of exuberant eighth graders who unearthed a simple way to save trees. Simply widen the margins on whatever you’re writing. That’s it. Squeeze an extra half-inch, maybe a whole inch on either side. Start higher on the page. End lower on the page. It can still look good and professional. What else will look good? The six million trees it can save if everyone in the country makes this simple change.

So the next time you open up a document, drag down under Format (if you’ve got a Mac), click on Document, and start whittling away at that 1 inch from the top and bottom, and 1.25” right and left margin. Who knows? By the end of the day you could save a branch or two.

The enchanted forest thanks you.

Turning your home green

kyackle — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:55:35 +0000

The last time you cleaned your kitchen floors, what were you thinking about? Chances are, it didn’t have anything to do with saving the environment. You were probably focused on simply getting that dirty job done and over with, like anyone else.

But today, just about every household product you can imagine comes in “green” — environmentally-friendly, that is. It’s great to switch from that old aerosol can to a bio-degradable spray bottle…but it’s important to find out first what products are really eco-friendly, and what products are faking it.

Check out sites like GreenSeal.org for a heads up on what to look for in different products if you decide you want to clean the green way.

CE “lightens” the energy load

lturk — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:20:04 +0000

Yes, finally — CFLs are here en masse! Over the past few weeks, Campbell-Ewald has installed CFLs in a total of 243 light fixtures around the agency. That adds up to about $4,500 a year in energy savings, and it’s just another way we’re trying to reduce our impact on the environment.

Weapons go green. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

lturk — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:31:55 +0000

Great news! Bombs are about to become more environmentally-friendly. That’s right—it’s about time we stop damaging the environment and putting people at risk of toxic exposure when we blow things up.

10 things you can do to make your business more sustainable

bhuffman — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:29:59 +0000

1. Printing Less Stuff = Using Less Paper. Paper makes up about 35% of our waste stream - even though it’s one of the easiest materials to re-use and recycle! First of all, organize your inbox to make e-mails easier to find and reference. You can encourage others not to print your e-mails as well. Make back-up copies of important files and e-mails and keep them on an external drive. When you do need to print important documents, make sure you use a sustainable paper, and set your printer or copier to print on both sides of the page.

(more…)

Earth Day Sightings

bhuffman — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:14:38 +0000

Today, Earth Day, 2008, I went for a brief walk at the Southfield Civic Center Nature Area about a quarter mile from the C-E offices. Here’s a list of some of the things I saw:

Song sparrow
Carolina wren
Mayapple
Trillium
Horned grebe
Snapping turtle
Chipping sparrow
Downy woodpecker
Palm warbler
Painted turtle
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Painted Lady Butterfly
Bullfrog
Painted turtle

The list goes on.

If we don’t take time to appreciate the natural world, we don’t have any real motivation to save it. Take time to get out, and more importantly, take time to learn to recognize what you’re seeing. The more you know, the more you will see. And the more you see, the more reason you’ll have to save what’s left.

EPA: Don’t flush old meds

bhuffman — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:00:31 +0000

With trace amounts of pharmaceuticals showing up in the drinking water of major cities, authorities are encouraging consumers around the Great Lakes to drop off leftover and expired medicine at collection centers.

The Environmental Protection Agency has set a goal of collecting 1 million pills and 1 million pounds of electronics during an Earth Day initiative aimed at the more than 30 million people who live around the Great Lakes, which are by far the largest source of fresh drinking water on the planet.

(more…)

Fast facts about Ethanol

bhuffman — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:01:53 +0000

Energy Balance

While E85 gets 20 to 25 percent fewer miles per gallon compared to gasoline, it is less expensive than gasoline in most parts of the country and has 96 octane compared with 87 octane for regular unleaded gasoline. Premium gasoline has less octane than E85 and sells at a higher price.

Cleaner Cities

Ethanol does not require more energy to produce than it delivers as a fuel. According to the Argonne National Laboratory, the “net energy balance” of making fuel ethanol from corn yields about one-third more energy for automotive fuel than is used to grow the grain. And the USDA says next-generation cellulosic ethanol produced from switch grass generates 540 percent more energy than consumed in production. Think about these facts:

(more…)

Unplugged

kkitson — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:27:28 +0000

It really doesn’t take much extra energy to save energy.

Last night as I was leaving the office in a rush, I pushed the silver button to shut off my screen rather then taking the 2.5 seconds to shut down my computer. It’s an easy habit to fall into, but as National Geographic’s green guide’s response to a reader mentions, “the only way to make sure a device isn’t sucking needless energy is to pull the plug out of the wall.”

Granted not every electronic at home or work can be disconnected everyday, so try disconnecting those devices that can. Although myths tell us shutting off electronics can harm the life span, experts from Energy Star and Consumer Reports disagree.

National Geographic recommends using power strips for ease.Check out National Geographic’s green guide for additional energy saving tips.