method products – bringing it home

I’m still quite entranced by this product. I just read some more on the environmentally stylish cleaning products and realized that I’m completely in line with their passion. After my blog, I actually had to give the marketing person there a kudos on a job well done. They kindly wrote back with thanks.

This interview is taken from an article from Scene and Heard.

“Traditional environmentalism is dead,” typed Balton in an email interview. “That approach to environmentalism focuses around sacrifice and trade-offs. What’s good for the environment is bad for the economy/business. I believe a trade-off is just a symptom of bad design, and this traditional approach is too stodgy, too dogmatic, and frankly, too depressing.” BANG ON.

…

She went on to type that the “new environmental movement will be led by entrepreneurs, not policymakers … Whether it’s a concentrated laundry detergent or a hybrid car, when an innovator dares to bring a product to market and make it successful, one that changes consumers’ perceptions of what a green product is, then change begins to happen. Little by little, environmental problems will be innovated away, not regulated away.” COULDN’T AGREE MORE. PUMP UP THE R&D! (and marketing maybe;) I’ll need a job… )   – however….I still think that we’ll need regulation for the late majority.

So, since my values are so inline with this company’s, I tried to order the starter kit online the other day, but who knew that the UPS Canadian Economy charged so much! Method’s $28 starter kit soon became $74 USD due to the high shipping charges. Same thing when I tried to buy my girlfriend the gDiapers. Here was their message

To our friends in Canada: On May 14, the US Postal Service changed their shipping rules and charges for packages going to Canada. As a result, the cost of shipping our product to you has increased dramatically, as you can see below. (The good news is that shipment will now reach Canada in less than 10 days.) Please understand we are working hard to find a new, more affordable option for you. In the meantime, the higher the dollar value of your order, the lower the shipping charges will be as a percent to the total. So combining orders or stocking up will help for now. Again, our sincere apologies for this inconvenience and know that we’re hard at work on a solution. – the team at gDiapers.*Canadian orders are subject to GST and PST in addition to a $5 Canadian handling fee to Canada Post.

Good news though. I believe you can buy method products at Shoppers, Home Hardware and Home Depot. Here’s hoping.

Not so smart marketing: David Suzuki and the Ontario Government

I tried to steer myself away from the two topics that I blog about most (environment and marketing) but I just can’t help this one.

Usually I’m the one sticking up for David Suzuki. My friends think he’s a hypocrite (mainly for his current stance on nuclear power) or just too righteous — however, I’ll be the first to give him a slap on the back for a job well done. He’s a man with a message and he’s gone great lengths to be heard.

However…. I have some issues with his current marketing campaign.

First and foremost, why was he naked for this season’ promo for the Nature of Things? I was extremely weirded out by that. Yes, I get it; it’s the naked truth about the environment… Holding the world on your shoulders while naked like a greek god (ahem, somewhat like a greek god) eh? That’s not too righteous at all…

But anyways, that’s not what I meant to talk about.  (But haha…I just put a pic of David Suzuki naked on my blog!) I’m talking about the huge marketing campaign his foundation is doing with Powerwise. If you’re in Ontario, I’m sure you’ve seen him. He’s plastered everywhere, holding the lightbulb. Here’s just a quick excerpt from his Foundation explaining the campaign.

That’s why I volunteered for an energy-conservation ad campaign for Powerwise, a partnership between local Ontario electrical utilities and the Government of Ontario. We’ve completed two television commercials and some (not some…LOTS!) print and outdoor advertising, all of which folks in Ontario can expect to see plenty of this summer.

For the local electrical utilities, their main goal is to reduce electrical consumption and avoid brownouts, where demand for power outstrips supply. California used similar public-awareness campaigns to successfully reduce its electricity consumption. I hope Powerwise has a similar effect in Ontario.

I don’t mind the TV ads, I don’t even mind the bulletin boards, and I like the message, however, my issue is with effectiveness. Do you think TV ads, print and outdoor advertising are the most effective adverstising mediums? The sheer magnitude of this campaign must be costly. TV ads are definitely not cheap and for the amount of bulletin boards out there, I don’t know if they’re much better.

For today’s marketing to be effective, I think that you need a better mix of mediums – better put, a web 2.o mix of mediums. Keep the bulletin boards, TV ads (still need to hit the seniors and not-so tech savvy baby boomers), just lessen the amount and add some other, more interactive ads.

Why do you think the Dove Campaign has done so well? They have a great message mixed with great marketing. They’ve combined the regular advertising with social media. Their campaign was one of the most talked about advertising strategies and continues to be today.

Yet, even as all these hooks are part of the campaign, the early part of the campaign was mainly driven by TV ads, and billboard ads featuring their “real” models. Now Dove is getting smart about social media, using it to drive even more interest online in the central theme behind the entire campaign. One of the most popular videos on YouTube right now is Dove’s Evolution of Beauty, a video also posted on their website.

Especially on something so expressive as the environment, I suggest that David Suzuki and the Ontario Government get a lesson on web 2.0. There’s a lot to discuss and a lot of interactivity that can be going on. People are already doing it. Treehugger was just bought by Discovery for $10 million. (Congrats- the founder is also a Carleton grad – woo hoo!)

So Mr Suzuki, I love the message, but put some clothes on get on board with the today’s marketing:)

Smart marketing for good products

It’s been a while since I last wrote, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re less than a month away from moving again…

Anyways, just a quick post on some cool products I checked out this morning.

1. method

I saw an ad for this on Treehugger and was compelled to click. (I usually never click on ads…)

method is made with naturally-derived surfactants. It works by absorbing dirt rather than chemically degrading it. And method is biodegradable so you can clean your home without flushing super-toxic chemicals down the drain into our rivers, lakes and oceans. We’re against that. Dirty doesn’t have to roll downhill.

Check out their website. They’ve got a clean (no pun intended), fresh and witty site with a great grasp on the whole “community”feel.   I’m a sucker for green products (our house tends to smell like vinegar on those cleaning days, so a change to ‘grapefruit pear’ or ‘cut grass’ could be pretty nice. )
2. gDiapers

I don’t mean to freak out family and friends – no babies are on the way! (But I will be attending my first baby shower for a friend this afternoon) 

Anyways, I’ve thought about this concept too – diapers are such a waste. Watch the video here about how they decompose.

Once again, stylish, eco-friendly products with a great web 2.0 website. As for price, I don’t know too much about diapers but the prices don’t seem exorbitant.  Funny though, I did a quick search on Wal-Mart’s site to check out diaper prices and first diaper to pop up? Eco-friendly ones.   Haha, oh my love-hate relationship with Wal-Mart continues….

Anyways, as I’ve said before, I love good products that have value mixed with great marketing.

I think I’ve turned into a yuppie.