Comments on: Marketing for Environmentalists: Sell Benefits, Not Features http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/ Saving Earth one dollar at a time Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:56:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Beth http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-725 Beth Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:22:04 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-725 What an excellent post, Tyler. I, too, am a Naomi fan -- her advice is spot on, in my experience -- but I must admit, I hadn't considered explaining (defending?) a green life as marketing. It really is, though. In a way, I do this on my blog. Most of my posts about taking steps towards a greener life are all about how people will save time and money if they do so, but I hadn't really thought about it as benefits marketing. Great concept to apply to the "business" of living more sustainably. What an excellent post, Tyler. I, too, am a Naomi fan — her advice is spot on, in my experience — but I must admit, I hadn’t considered explaining (defending?) a green life as marketing. It really is, though. In a way, I do this on my blog. Most of my posts about taking steps towards a greener life are all about how people will save time and money if they do so, but I hadn’t really thought about it as benefits marketing. Great concept to apply to the “business” of living more sustainably.

]]> By: ConsciouslyFrugal http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-723 ConsciouslyFrugal Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:07:24 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-723 Tyler, you know I can't stand people. ha! I think you're right in that the way we are (generally speaking) isn't necessarily bad or good, it just is. After all, if we didn't carry around some bit of selfishness, we likely wouldn't still be here as a species. The ol' give and take. That didn't sound like complaining. Mark your calendars! It's a first. Tyler, you know I can’t stand people. ha!

I think you’re right in that the way we are (generally speaking) isn’t necessarily bad or good, it just is. After all, if we didn’t carry around some bit of selfishness, we likely wouldn’t still be here as a species. The ol’ give and take.

That didn’t sound like complaining. Mark your calendars! It’s a first.

]]> By: Tyler http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-722 Tyler Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:52:51 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-722 Charles, thanks for commenting. Just like any other thing in life, preventative maintenance is always cheaper than emergency fixes. Aldra (#4), I think you just proved my point! Obviously, this post wasn't optimized to market to your needs. It sounds like you do these things because it's beneficial to others. Based on that, can I assume that you enjoy and feel good about doing things that help other people? Based on that assumption, a more effective marketing strategy for you might be to highlight how making these changes can help others. Sure, you're doing it for "us" but you get something out of it, too. I think it's human nature to be selfish. That's not necessarily bad or good, it just is. It's all in what causes we channel that selfishness into. It can be used to accomplish great things for mankind and ourselves. P.S. I'm happy to have you as my resident bitcher. It keeps my brain nimble. :) Charles, thanks for commenting. Just like any other thing in life, preventative maintenance is always cheaper than emergency fixes.

Aldra (#4), I think you just proved my point! Obviously, this post wasn’t optimized to market to your needs. It sounds like you do these things because it’s beneficial to others.

Based on that, can I assume that you enjoy and feel good about doing things that help other people?

Based on that assumption, a more effective marketing strategy for you might be to highlight how making these changes can help others.

Sure, you’re doing it for “us” but you get something out of it, too.

I think it’s human nature to be selfish. That’s not necessarily bad or good, it just is. It’s all in what causes we channel that selfishness into. It can be used to accomplish great things for mankind and ourselves.

P.S. I’m happy to have you as my resident bitcher. It keeps my brain nimble. :)

]]> By: ConsciouslyFrugal http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-721 ConsciouslyFrugal Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:56:20 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-721 Sadly, I have to admit that this is one of the reasons why I chose to sign up for the No Impact Project's week-long experiment. Beaven said that his year-long adventure led to more happiness. Well, hell, that sounds good to me! But I'm also disturbed by how hyper-individualized our culture is and that everything must somehow be about YOU (AKA me). Have you noticed this in most all marketing and advertising these days? I want there to be a little more "us" in our discussions (like Charles up there) and reasoning for doing the right thing. Sometimes, there really are no personal benefits to doing the right thing. For me and the 100+ people living in my building, recycling doesn't cut our disposal costs. I don't receive any money for my recycling and it's a pain in the ass to haul in. Yet, I do it anyway, because it ain't just about me. Anyway, I don't think all marketing mavens are evil, but I do think we need to stop and question conventional wisdom, even within the environmental movement. We often just adopt the tools of the dominant paradigm and those tools are frequently toxic. Yes, they're based on psychology and prevalent behaviors, and that's what scares me the most. Are we really so selfish that we must be provided benefits before we’ll change our behavior? (Dude, at some point I'm going to comment without bitching. I swear.) Sadly, I have to admit that this is one of the reasons why I chose to sign up for the No Impact Project’s week-long experiment. Beaven said that his year-long adventure led to more happiness. Well, hell, that sounds good to me!

But I’m also disturbed by how hyper-individualized our culture is and that everything must somehow be about YOU (AKA me). Have you noticed this in most all marketing and advertising these days? I want there to be a little more “us” in our discussions (like Charles up there) and reasoning for doing the right thing. Sometimes, there really are no personal benefits to doing the right thing. For me and the 100+ people living in my building, recycling doesn’t cut our disposal costs. I don’t receive any money for my recycling and it’s a pain in the ass to haul in. Yet, I do it anyway, because it ain’t just about me.

Anyway, I don’t think all marketing mavens are evil, but I do think we need to stop and question conventional wisdom, even within the environmental movement. We often just adopt the tools of the dominant paradigm and those tools are frequently toxic. Yes, they’re based on psychology and prevalent behaviors, and that’s what scares me the most. Are we really so selfish that we must be provided benefits before we’ll change our behavior?

(Dude, at some point I’m going to comment without bitching. I swear.)

]]> By: Charles at Ethical Marketing http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-720 Charles at Ethical Marketing Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:39:05 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-720 Saving the environment means that your children and your children's children, won't need to pay to fix it. Fixing the world's environment at the point where it is obvious to everyone that immediate repair is critical will prove to be VERY expensive. The only kind of marketing that can save the planet is ethical marketing. Charles Saving the environment means that your children and your children’s children, won’t need to pay to fix it. Fixing the world’s environment at the point where it is obvious to everyone that immediate repair is critical will prove to be VERY expensive. The only kind of marketing that can save the planet is ethical marketing.

Charles

]]> By: Tyler http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-719 Tyler Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:01:20 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-719 Hi Jackie. Thanks for your input. You're right about evangelism. I think it's important to be able to gauge the interest of someone you're trying to market your ideas to as well. If they're naturally interested in what you have to say, then going a little over the top could be really encouraging to them, but if they're just kicking the tires and trying to figure out if it's something worth doing, then an over-the-top approach is likely going to turn them off. Matching the attitude/energy of your message with your intended recipient is the key, I think. Hi Jackie. Thanks for your input. You’re right about evangelism. I think it’s important to be able to gauge the interest of someone you’re trying to market your ideas to as well. If they’re naturally interested in what you have to say, then going a little over the top could be really encouraging to them, but if they’re just kicking the tires and trying to figure out if it’s something worth doing, then an over-the-top approach is likely going to turn them off.

Matching the attitude/energy of your message with your intended recipient is the key, I think.

]]> By: Jackie http://frugallygreen.org/marketing-for-environmentalists-sell-benefits-not-features/#comment-718 Jackie Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:23:08 +0000 http://frugallygreen.org/?p=1144#comment-718 I think marketing is an important part of any "job", but it's especially important for causes we are passionate about. It's also good to stay on the marketing side of things and not slip over into heavy-duty wild-eyed evangelism, because people tend to dismiss that sort of thing. And I definitely agree with you about benefits, they are much more powerful than features. I think marketing is an important part of any “job”, but it’s especially important for causes we are passionate about. It’s also good to stay on the marketing side of things and not slip over into heavy-duty wild-eyed evangelism, because people tend to dismiss that sort of thing. And I definitely agree with you about benefits, they are much more powerful than features.

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