Energy
To persuade…quantify value
While we all think about energy conservation now and then, it’s not top of mind for most. Businesses and consumers still take electricity for granted. 1E is out to change that. 1E is a software company that pioneered the concept of IT Power Management. They have a mission to address PC energy waste, and have developed products to address the issue.
But engaging energy buyers can be a real challenge for marketers. To get their attention, you have to quantify value, and when it comes to this, 1E is a true artist.
This company came to my attention when I started to wonder what it costs to leave my home computer on overnight. An online search turned up their PC Energy Report 2009. What an eye opener. In their report, you’ll learn that half of US employees don’t turn their computers off every night, and companies with over 1000 computers waste about $26,000 per year in energy. They project that if every single PC in the world was turned off for one night, we’d save enough electricity to power the Empire State Building – inside and out – for more than 30 years. Wow.
1E’s report draws from the research of Harris Interactive, and consciously speaks to the wide variety of individuals who may be in a position to influence a sale…the IT leader, general consumer, corporate energy buyer, social responsibility officer…every audience gets something functionally relevant. They use their research data to great persuasive effect, cutting through any conceivable objection or complacency.
By the time you finish the scannable 17-page report, you’ll want to join the cause and turn off your PC at night. But you’ll also have a model for a very persuasive whitepaper that uses research to quantify value…and elicit an almost visceral response.
Leafy Green Viral Marketing
Nissan has been pushing its latest technological breakthroughs in lithium ion powered cars with a video posted on YouTube. The name of the car is Leaf. It’s an interesting move that will hit car lovers, environmentalists and the general populace with equal emphasis. I like the simple, creative way the message is portrayed and the heightened sustainability prowess it gives Nissan. Viral works, to prove it, watch the video.
The carbon footprint in your wine
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Newsweek reports that if you’re a New Yorker, you leave a much smaller carbon footprint drinking a French wine shipped by sea over the Atlantic (2.93 pounds of carbon per bottle) than you would drinking a Napa vintage that was air shipped or trucked in (7.05 pounds per bottle). Interesting factoid, and a good reminder that the method of transportation matters as much as the distance when calculating carbon. Shipping by sea generates less than half the emissions associated with planes and tractor-trailers. Of course, this is not a problem when you drink locally-made beverages. Here in Chicago, we love our beer. CBDers have chimed in with our favorite Chi-town brews: Goose Island’s 312 and Matilda , Half Acre and Two Brothers. Though not a beer, my personal favorites are the amazingly delicious organic liqueurs made by Koval, a boutique distillery in the heart of the city. Chime in with your local favorites.
Dark clouds of crisis have a shiny silver lining called alternative energy
There are strong signs of a rebound for the alternative energy sector, but how soon will green jobs start impacting the U.S. job market? Though the U.S is surrounded by economic, security, and climate crisis – can green technologies really save us from ourselves?
Some say alternative energy could spark the next “industrial revolution”. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get dirty. Click here for a must-read article from Manufacturing.net that just may provide some fuel for thought!
Tweet, Tweet, What did I heat?
Does anyone recall the old Twilight Zone episode when a grouchy guy’s appliances were finally fed up enough to “get him”? Tired of getting kicked and beaten up, the mixer, the television, an electric razor … all conspired to drive him to madness while the typewriter (yes!) tapped out a final warning.
I guess they all had telepathy of some sort, but today, they could simply have tweeted that “it’s time”. At least if they were in Germany.
CBD Green Connects with White (House, that is)
CBD proudly supports Alliance for the Great Lakes, the oldest independent citizen organization that works to conserve and restore the world’s largest freshwater resource through policy, education and local efforts aimed at preserving the Great Lakes region as a national treasure. CBD’s very own Co-CEO Lori Coman is an active board member and close advisor to the AGL President Cameron (Cam) Davis. Lori is delighted that Cam has recently been appointed to oversee President Obama’s initiative to clean up the Great Lakes. Soon, Cam will leave for Washington to serve as a special advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency to help manage the Great Lakes Restoration. Congratulations to Cam for achieving national recognition to boost Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery.
