Good News, Kermit: it's getting easier to be green & guilt-free.

It's not that consumers don't want to be earth-friendly--it's that we don't want to drastically change our habits in order to do so. Look how long it took to get recycling underway. However minuscule a portion of the diaper-toting population, I'm in awe of moms who don't use disposable diapers (but I do wonder if the energy usage from all those extra loads of laundry offsets the benefit to our landfills).

I'm always delighted when marketers attack this problem from the angle of making it convenient to enact positive change, rather than sounding the fire-and-brimstone bell. Make us change as little as possible. Ask us to do so in itty-bitty, easy-breezy ways. Don't play upon our guilt (that'll last as long as a NY minute). Focus on breaking the barriers to market entry and acceptance, instead of forcing your religion upon us (yawn).

Speaking of dirty diapers, here's a kid-friendly example: take Fresh Baby, a company that develops feeding accessories. Their latest innovation on the right, called "Good Clean Fun", gave me a giggle. They're a lot like other place mats, you even (yikes!) toss them after use. But these color-on place mats are made from plastic...that's made from corn...with crayons made from soy. So they're biodegradable and easily renewable--while money doesn't grow on trees, corn does (sort of).

Point is, you've got the same kid, same meal, same table, same trash can, same exhausted parent. No new routines or rules--only a quick decision to be made at the point of purchase. Bye-bye guilt, bring on the green. Got any green examples to share? Or initiatives pushing the positive play, rather than serving up the guilt card?

Fresh Baby green marketing

Comments

[Mack Collier]

"I'm always delighted when marketers attack this problem from the angle of making it convenient to enact positive change, rather than sounding the fire-and-brimstone bell. Make us change as little as possible. Ask us to do so in itty-bitty, easy-breezy ways. Don't play upon our guilt (that'll last as long as a NY minute). Focus on breaking the barriers to market entry and acceptance, instead of forcing your religion upon us (yawn)."

Bingo! Make it as easy as possible, and make sure the BENEFITS are your focus, not the threats of 'what will happen if you don't'. Show me why I should listen to you, don't tell me why I HAVE to listen to you!