Great comments. I agree: media & message have to work together to entice consumers, and walk an even finer line of shifting behavior if we are ultimately going to have a greener world. That means buying less overall. I heard the head of one of the largest athletic clothing manufacturers say it at a conference – over 8 years ago!!!

Yes, sustainability is complex! The goals can seem very diffuse; and our knowledge-base, although gaining ground, is not adequate enough yet to “sell” the entire public on the value of behavior change.

I found your posts on greenwashing and segments very easy to grasp. Which is a great vehicle for change. It’s our job, as marketing agents, evangelists for these brands to keep every message honest and inviting, edgy or funny. Any particular brands or messages that you’ve found effective? Would love to hear them!

Which is the ultimate shade of green. Your blog has lots of useful information – especially the green washing post.

I believe it’s the combination of message + media that makes a product or service compelling. It’s particularly tricky when it comes to positioning a product under the sustainability/green light, and customer segmentation models definitely help marketing and advertising agencies walk on that fine line. We actually started a segmentation series on our blog, particularly oriented towards the green consumer – you should check it out.

More and more we’ll see honest statements take over shallow advertising claims, as consumers are growing inquisitive on where they put their money into.

Great topic – looking forward to your next blog post!