value
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.
Target redefines value brands
image source: mypbrand.com
Target has gone and changed the game in what I have always seen as a bit of a mystery in the retail space—value brands. Their new up&up rebrand puts a new face on their typically bland value brand product line. This clean and modern rebrand instantly elevates the perceived quality of these products.
The interesting part of this rebrand, to me, is the potential to change consumers’ opinion on value brands across the board. If up&up stays perceived as a value brand, Target now has a substantial leg up. In a time where lots of consumers are actively seeking better prices and value, up&up now looks like a better quality brand priced at the same low price. Given the choice between this and any other similarly priced value brand, I would always choose the better presented up&up brand.
I look forward to seeing what kind of success Target sees with the re-brand—more interestingly if other value brands will follow suit.
See more pictures after the jump.
