Eco-Iconic Examples - Cars (Part 1)

And now for some more examples of ECO-ICONIC - this time the focus is transportation.













Source: CNW Marketing Research

Now the chances are that when asked to name iconic products, green or not, cars will come to mind first, with (for now) Toyota’s Prius taking the ECO-ICONIC prize (even though for most people this is a very un-sexy car). As The New York Times put it: “Why are Prius sales surging when other hybrids are slumping? Because buyers want everyone to know they are driving a hybrid."

No wonder then, that most other car manufacturers are keen to give their ‘clean(er)’ cars a distinctive, if not iconic look. First, let's look at two, by now well-publicized, ECO-ICONIC runner-ups:















Honda’s FCX Clarity is a fuel cell vehicle that runs on electricity powered by hydrogen, and emits only water vapor and heat. Honda is also developing a Home Energy Station for refueling the FCX Clarity, which it has been testing in Torrance, California, since 2003. A modest roll-out in the US is scheduled for this summer, with Japan following in the fall. Honda is supposedly also working on a dedicated 'global hybrid' family car (meaning that like the Toyota Prius, there won't be a non-hybrid version) which is scheduled for launch in 2009.








First unveiled as a prototype in July 2006, Tesla Motors began regular production of its electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster, in March 2008. The 2008 model is already sold out and Tesla is currently taking reservations for the 2009 model. The 2008 Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, has a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h) (limited for safety) and has a base price of USD 98,000. There are already plans to introduce a sedan, competing with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6.








For more electrical sports cars and sedans in the making: check out 2008 Electrum Spyder and the Venturi Fétish. And sedan-wise, let’s not forget the 2008 Dodge Zeo (Zero Emission Operation) concept car, the Chevrolet Volt, the Loremo… (Source: Trendwatching)

The Green Marketing Manifesto

Ever been annoyed with the myriad of marketing claims of a product's sustainability credentials? Wondered if they really meant anything or they were simply just trying to squeeze more money out of consumers by triggering the guilt reponse?

Well, the answer may lie in the hands of John Grant! In his recently launched book “The Green Marketing Manifesto”, Grant explores marketing strategies, through an extensive use of case studies from the likes of Marks&Spencer in the UK & Toyota, that don't just pretend to be financially responsible but are based on a authentic belief in the power to do good. It's a down to earth practical guide that's a true source for inspiration on how organisations can find an approach to corporate social responsibility that actually affects business strategies and the triple bottom line.

Check out John talking about this at the Green Marketing Manifesto book launch:

Eco-Iconic Examples - Cleaning

As promised, let’s move on to the examples. Here’s how brands from around the world are already making the most of ECO-ICONIC, as well as a few examples of brands that aren't getting it (yet).

CLEANING
In an ECO-ICONIC world, visibility counts, for big and small products alike. Which, in the case of cleaning products, means exposure will start the moment others check out your shopping basket or cart. Will that bottle of washing-up liquid scream 'green!'? Some examples:











New-Zealand-based Beauty Engineered Forever produces a range of environmentally-friendly household cleaning products from natural ingredients and essential oils that are not harmful to the environment and safe for consumers. The packaging has been designed to connect with the customer on a personal level with playful and cheeky pick-up lines, such as “I’ll do your dirty work” and “I’ll make it all white.” And yes, it’s different enough to be easily recognizable to visitors of one’s kitchen!









Belgium-based Ecover makes a range of domestic and professional cleaning products like washing-up liquid, laundry detergents and bleach. As a matter of policy, all ingredients are from renewable sources and of the "highest possible biodegradability."












Daub & Bauble hand wash, hand lotion and dish detergent comes in three scents: Sorrento Lemon & Ginger, Mission Fig & Thyme and Tarocco Orange & Clove. Packaging features limited-edition patterns designed by Wink (of Target, Macy’s, American Eagle Outfitters and The Limited fame, among others). Daub & Bauble products use only natural ingredients and the bottles are fully recyclable. Prices: between USD 8 and 10. Tagline: “Aesthetics with Ethics.”










And no, we didn't forget about Method, which was started in 1999 and whose eco cleaning products line now extends to laundry, specialty surfaces, dish, hand & body wash and all-purpose cleaners. Method’s very recognizable design makes it the leader in ECO-ICONIC cleaning.









Not so iconic: Clorox Green Works is at least 99 percent natural and made from ingredients derived from coconuts and lemon oil, and the products are formulated to be biodegradable, non-allergenic, packaged in recyclable bottles and not tested on animals. However, the design is far from different, and worse, the Clorox name will forever be associated with chlorine bleach.

There are obviously many more cleaning brands out there that fit the ECO-ICONIC bill but the one's mentioned above (thanks to Trendwatching) will help paint the 'pretty green picture'.

From Status Symbols to Status Stories

You may recall that a few days ago I mentioned status symbols and stories (first highlighted in the Trendwatching April briefing paper). Well it's time to explore these ideas a little further.....

What more could possibly be said about storytelling - it's yet another holy grail in the wonderful world of marketing. What's new in this field? How about companies no longer inundating consumers with their 'brand stories', but instead helping customers tell a story to other consumers. Not to promote that particular brand, but to make those customers more interesting to others. Curious?

Brands have been telling their stories for decades now. Typically, in a mass-advertising, mass-branding world, the 'telling' has involved reaching (and impressing) as many consumers as possible. Those who literally bought into these storied brands then gained the respect and admiration of other brand-exposed consumers.

Example: if you're Jaguar, and your (expensive) story is about old money with a dollop of English eccentricity and the whole world is aware of this, then consumers craving recognition from anyone impressed with this kind of lifestyle only need to buy one of your cars to bask in the glow of their peers' admiration.

However, while well-known, storied and very visible STATUS SYMBOLS will dominate consumer societies for years to come, they will face increasing competition from STATUS STORIES:

STATUS STORIES: As more brands (have to) go niche and therefore tell stories that aren't known to the masses, and as experiences and non-consumption-related expenditures take over from physical (and more visible) status symbols, consumers will increasingly have to tell each other stories to achieve a status dividend from their purchases. Expect a shift from brands telling a story, to brands helping consumers tell status-yielding stories to other consumers.

No, not everyone cares!

It may at first appear that everyone is starting to wake up and smell the polluted roses...... But not everyone gives a hoot!

As Trendwatching points out, its often enough that hundreds and hundreds of millions of consumers, from the poor to the somewhat rich to the truly rich, don’t really care that much about the environment. Either because they don’t have the luxury of fretting over carbon emissions while trying to survive, or because they are too addicted to living large, from SUVs to McMansions to jetsetting around the globe. Take cars: the only thing that seems to (somewhat) influence the prosperous eco-unwilling is high fuel prices. But even then:

• In 2007, US sales of small SUVs totaled 301,625 year-to-date through November, an increase of 22.7% vs the year-ago period, according to AutoData.
• BMW saw its 2007 profits up by 9%, in part because of higher sales of its popular X5 SUV.
• In 2007, 341,798 SUVs were sold in China, up 49.1 percent compared to the 229,182 SUVs sold in 2006. And in the first two months of 2008, sales of sport utility vehicles in China were up 38 percent, while sales of luxury cars climbed 30 percent compared with the corresponding period a year ago.
• In Australia, sales of new SUVs jumped 4.6% in October 2007 compared to September 2007.

Last but not least, many consumers are deeply skeptical about large corporations claiming to go green, as very few companies are seen as honest to begin with. This is what is known as 'greenwashing' and I'll be covering this area in future blogs so keep an eye out!

However, as stated before, a large enough eco-conscious audience now exists to make it worthwhile for brands to join the ECO-ICONIC fray. Just seek out the eco-minded middle classes around the world and you will be off to a good start. For the next 12 months, at least!

Iconic 101

Just in case you forgot, this should jog your memory:

“An icon is an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it, or by analogy, as in semiotics; in computers an icon is a symbol on the monitor used to signify a command, file or record; by extension, icon is also used, particularly in modern popular culture, in the general sense of symbol — i.e. a name, face, picture, edifice or even a person readily recognized as having some well-known significance or embodying certain qualities." (Source: Wikipedia.)

In brand and design terms: the iPod, the Mini, Coca-Cola bottles and Havaianas flip-flops. Or, as StepInsideDesign puts it:

“Icons offer people idealization and identification. They are the ultimate manifestation of our collective desires. Modern icons are products of our culture, coming out of our desires and going on to pave the way for everyone else to follow -- becoming the benchmarks by which we judge all other brands.”

Now translate the above to the eco-sphere. According to Trendwatching, in order to create eco-icons, creating a eco-friendly version of an existing product and sticking a ‘hybrid’ or green label on it may work in some cases, but will most likely prove problematic, as it will either be (literally) invisible, or will still be associated with the polluting version. The Volkswagen Golf Hybrid—more on that later—is a good example. Instead, the solution is to make it new, bold and above all, to make it look very different from existing non-green offerings. Like, yes, wait for it: the Prius.

Want examples that aren't as overused? I'll start with cleaning products so keep an eye out for these in future blogs......

Eco-iconic - It's About Symbols & Status

ECO-ICONIC is not about all green products, it’s about those products that through their distinct appearance or stories actually show that they're green, or at least invoke some curiosity from onlookers, and thus help their owners/users attract recognition from their peers.

How 'new' is this? Well, just take a look around: a surprisingly high number of green products and services, imagined and designed in a distant past when green was seen as a compromise, still try to hide their sustainable superiority by looking as much like 'normal', 'non-green' products as possible.

Now, ECO-ICONIC works both in the world of traditional status symbols (build a green brand/product, advertise the hell out of it and make it recognizable by the masses, which in turn makes it easy for buyers to get respect from strangers) and as part of the STATUS STORIES phenomenon, which involves providing buyers of little known/niche eco-brands with conversation starters and story details to get a status fix from their peers.... More on this in later blogs.....

The Scuppie Manifesto

What the hell is a Scuppie? It's stuck somewhere between a grundgy Hippie and a money hungry Yuppie...

The term Scuppie was coined by Chuck Failla, the president of a Manhattan-based financial planning firm.

“Gordon Gekko has gone green”, says Failla. “These days, more Americans not only want to live well, but want to also do good, or at least do no evil. They still love money and conspicuous displays of affluence. But now, the way to achieve status is to trade in the Beemer for a Toyota Prius, spend $50,000 putting solar panels on the roof, and acquire a chic new wardrobe fashioned entirely of hemp, soy fiber, and recycled tires.”

Failla coined the term Scuppie one day at his office when a co-worker overheard one of his phone conversations.

“She asked whether I had picked up a new client. When I explained that I was doing some pro-bono work for a homeless organization, she shot a skeptical glance at my Armani suit and Rolex, and responded, only half-jokingly, that she couldn’t believe a ‘Yuppie scum’ like me would do anything for free,” says Failla. “That momentarily threw me for a loop, but then I had an epiphany.”

Failla responded to his accuser, “Hey, it’s entirely possible to be socially conscious and desire upward mobility at the same time."

It is the unalienable right of every man, woman and child to wear stylish, 100 percent organic, sweatshop-free cotton apparel, and to feel befittingly righteous about it. Why? Because there should be no need to choose between a car’s speed and fuel economy; comfort and conservation; luxury and sustainability.

Looking, acting and being a Scuppie isn’t just for politically correct movie stars, shaggy-haired high-tech gazillionaires and those lucky few who can afford to endow entire hospital wings in Africa or convert their Porsche Cayenne SUVs to run on hydrogen. Neither is social consciousness only for impassioned ascetics who distain flush toilets, subsist on tofu and brown rice, and yearn for the eventual overthrow of the capitalist system. You don’t have to be a zealot or a dilettante, just somebody who wants to make the world a better place—and to be comfortable, well-fed and stylish while doing it.

Do Scuppies want to save the Earth? Sure, but, they certainly want to enjoy themselves while saving it -- they do not believe in compromise. Eco-friendly does not mean pleasure-barren. Impossible? Not at all...

Read more Scup-a-ganda and check out some funny Scuppie graphics at www.scuppie.com.

Goodbye Eco-Ugly, hello Eco-Iconic!

Earlier this year Trendwatching.com introduced ECO-ICONIC as one of the '8 trends for 2008'.

When applying the ever-widening global embrace of green products and services, the shift appears to look like this: we've gone from ECO-UGLY (ugly, over-priced, low-performance, unsavory yet eco-friendly versions of the ‘real thing’) to ECO-CHIC (eco-friendly stuff that actually looks as nice and cool as the less sustainable originals) to now ECO-ICONIC:

ECO-ICONIC | "Eco-friendly goods and services sporting bold, iconic markers and design, helping their eco-conscious owners show off their eco-credentials to their peers.

At the heart of ECO-ICONIC is a status shift (isn’t there always?): many consumers are eager to flaunt their green behavior and possessions because there are now millions of other consumers who are actually impressed by green lifestyles.”

And what does this all mean? Basically, the branding of eco-goods and services is entering a whole new phase...

How so? After all, what could possibly be added to the heaps of info out there dedicated to one of the world's biggest tasks at hand: moving from wasteful, polluting economies to sustainable ones?

Well, it appears that we have finally reached the so-called green 'tipping point' with ‘eco awareness’ being embraced not just by treehuggers and celebrities, but by sizable parts of the global middle classes. A tonne of consumer-oriented products are coming on to the market and over the next 12-18 months there will be a whole lot more opportunities opening up to dazzle and impress the design asthetics of the Scuppies.