NYT: As Consumers Cut Spending, ‘Green’ Products Lose Allure
Since it’s Earth Day, and time for my Lip-sticking post…and most household products are still purchased by women…the above headline immediately caught my attention.
“While farmers’ markets and Prius sales are humming along now, household product makers like Clorox just can’t seem to persuade mainstream customers to buy green again.”
Good news about farmer markets. Bad about those green products…or is it, really? Could part of the problem be that we “mainstream customers” suspect that the companies slapped green labels on slightly tweaked products (Nature’s Source Scrubbing Bubbles?! What? What?) and are charging premiums? Nahh, that’d never happen.
Maybe we don’t really trust those big corporate brands.
“According to the American Marketing Association, green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe.[1] Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising.”
On the other hand, the companies that have always been green – different story.
“…the market shares of green products generally were down from their peak — especially those offered by the big consumer-products companies. But the market share of the independent brands, like Method and Seventh Generation, is starting to increase relative to the shares of traditional brands’ green products in categories where they compete.”
Then we come to this:
“Heidi Dorosin, vice president for marketing for the cleaning division of Clorox, said Green Works’ sales had been battered by the recession and inconsistent pricing. The company has lowered its prices and made them more consistent, she said.”
Inconsistent? Or, trying to get that premium? Hmmm…
So here we are, at another Earth Day, and most of us try to be green. However, it’s impossible to be completely pure. It could be a full-time job reading the fine print on labels and researching corporations that sell all those green labels.
Here’s how I simplify. I stopped reading the labels. Sounds irresponsible, doesn’t it? Well, I also stopped buying just about all “cleaning products.” (Instead, I use vinegar. I’ve been doing this for years. Vinegar is THE all-purpose disinfectant and cleaner. Mix with a little baking soda to unclog drains.)
P.S. I also did the research and found it was “greener” for me, bottom line, to keep driving my 10-year-old Jeep than to buy a new Prius. It ain’t easy being green…;-)
Read More: The Sins of Greenwashing
Happy Friday – and Earth Day – to all.
By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
