This seems to be the mentality behind much of the green marketing out there, specifically in the construction industry. Marketers are scrambling to find originality in green marketing and in their frenzy produce sub-standard creative that either offends because it’s greenwashing or because it’s just poor creative.
As a marketing professional and believer in the green movement, it’s hard for me to determine which is more offensive. I think the core problem with green marketing is that manufacturers of ‘green’ products have an ultimate misunderstanding of what their audiences want. This, of course, can then be tracked back to a lack of knowledge about what their audiences really know.
For example, what’s the difference in general green IQ between an architect and contractor? How about a designer and builder? Engineer and inspector? Judging by a quick flip through any trade pub, most do not understand the differences. As a result, we end up with poorly targeted ads that completely miss their audience’s interests.
Architects may not be as focused on the bottom line as a builder. And a builder might not be as concerned with aesthetics as an architect. It’s as though the green movement started and marketers completely forgot everything they knew about the audiences they try so hard to reach.
So instead, we are the recipients of grossly overgeneralized marketing that sets out to cover everything green. Have a green product? Throw a leaf in your logo and show a meadow in the background of your print ads and you’re good to go.
Screw it, it’s green.
Yesterday a co-worker and I had the pleasure of attending a USGBC sponsored workshop covering LEED Core Concepts and Strategies. I use the word pleasure sincerely, as the full-day event was well-executed, informative and well worth the cost.
Before attending the event, I searched online for reviews of the LEED workshops, wondering if they were worth the course and travel costs. As someone who isn’t an architect, engineer, designer, builder or contractor, I was unsure of how I would fit in or benefit from the classroom sessions.
I didn’t find much help online, so here’s some highlights and my thoughts on if you should attend similar workshops.
- There was only one architect in our workshop, the rest were mostly engineers and contractors. Is this because architect’s have already jumped on board the LEED AP wagon or are they beyond this workshop’s knowledge base? Is LEED now filtering down to the other members of the design/build process?
- The most informative aspect of the workshop was not the content presented (I was familiar with most of it), but instead the questions and comments of my classmates. The workshops was led by Paula Vaughan, co-director of the Sustainable Design Initiative, who did a great job encouraging participation and individual feedback based on everyone’s unique backgrounds.
- Can’t say enough about Hubbell Lighting, who hosted the event at their LEED Silver Certified building. The company is as green as it gets, to the extent of buying carbon credits to offset the emissions of shipping partners such as UPS. A few of Hubbell’s employees also sat in on the session and offered insightful advice on lighting’s role in LEED certification.
So, should you participate in a LEED workshop? I think so. If nothing else, you hear opinions and views from others in your industry that you may not normally be exposed to. Architects can learn from builders and vice a versa. I certainly learned from everyone.
I was pleased to be apart of the event, and want to thank the USGBC and Hubbell Lighting for putting on a well-executed workshop. If anyone has any questions about the workshop I attended, please feel free to leave a comment and I’d be happy to help.
Here’s the million dollar questions so many building product manufacturers are trying to answer: Where do architects go for green information?
The funny thing about green is that architects have in some ways surrendered expertise. Green building is expanding so quickly that one cannot expect the average architect to keep up with every new product, building method or certification.
Enter the emergence of third-party online resources. These are the people and sites propelling the green movement by providing up-to-date information on every green topic imaginable. But are architects using them?
We know you get Arch Record every month. Maybe you read Architect. But these pubs only focus on green one month out of the year. Maybe you’re now reading eco-structure, GreenSource or Environmental Design & Construction. But as quickly as the green building product industry and certifications continue to evolve, is an update once a month enough?
I still read these pubs each month, but I’m online everyday, looking for the latest news and best products. I suspect architects are doing the same. There is an endless list of online green resources, and sifting through it can be daunting and time consuming. But once you lock in on the best of the best, you have a constant, unrivaled up-to-date stream of all things green.
From product databases to blogs, when you need to spec a recyclable wall cladding or recycled countertops, nothing is more immediate or thorough as the internet. What separated print from online was the journalism behind in-depth case studies and industry profiles. However, blogs such as Jetson Green are quickly closing the gap, providing well-written articles of their own.
We know architect product libraries are becoming dated and unreliable, especially for green building. We know there are just too many benefits to the online world to deny it’s influence: downloadable specs, BIM, online continuing education. We also know that Google is where many architects turn for that first piece of information.
The question is, where are you going next?
If you’re in the real estate or construction industry, you’re feeling the economic strain. Most of you are figuring out ways to tighten the ship. For many companies, this means layoffs, hiring freezes and other cost-cutting tactics.
Even before resorting to these measures, many companies consider trimming or, in severe cases, eliminating their marketing budgets. I touched upon this topic briefly on KCast Episode 11 with Vik, and I’d like to explore recession marketing a bit further in this space.
So let’s start with the most basic question, should you cut your marketing budget to save costs during a recession? The answer? Yes, you probably should. But not in the way you may have thought.
Tough times should drive you to take a hard look at each of your marketing efforts. Here are some guidelines when reviewing your marketing tactics:
Find what strategies are giving you the best bang for your buck
Depending on how much money you invest in a given tactic, you may realize that public relations is giving you a much better return on investment than advertising. Can you move money out of advertising and get more out of your dollar by putting it to public relations? Efficiency is really the key word here. A new website would be great, but does your existing site serve the functions you need it to at zero cost?
Minimize risk
I’m a firm believer in social media and online marketing, but if you’re new to these markets and haven’t had proven results, maybe this isn’t the best time to enter the online market. If traditional advertising methods are a consistent and proven lead generator for your company, you may want to stick with it and leave the riskier tactics for the economic rebound.
Keep an eye on the competition
Your biggest competitors are in the same decision making process as you. Keep a close eye on them and try to figure out where they are cutting costs. Have they laid off sales teams? Are they pulling advertising or cutting PR? Identifying their weaknesses may influence where you continue to market. Less competition means your brand has the attention of more people.
Reuse and recycle
Do you have to have that brand new ad? Can you extend the life of an existing piece of creative for a little bit longer than planned?
Take the leap into social media
One of social media’s biggest benefits is that it’s flexible. You can spend as much or as little on this emerging trend as you’d like. While it can be one of the most cost-effective marketing options out there, this advantage is usually contingent upon a few variables. First, how much do you know about SM? If you’re just beginning and need expert help, social media may not be the best choice. However, the great thing about social media is that everything you need to know can be found online. With a lot of reading, listening and a little bit of common sense, social media can become an economic and effective tool for any company.
Why you shouldn’t cut your marketing during a recession
Cutting a large chunk of, or eliminating your marketing budget has different consequences. If your competition is smart, they aren’t hitting the panic button, leaving their brands to stand out among the decreased competition. Many studies have shown that brands who maintain a presence during a recession grow at a greater rate once the economy rebounds. In short, people remember you, your services or your product.
Also, you lose momentum. If you cut marketing efforts used to capture data about your audience and build email marketing databases, you’re essentially erasing history for the time these efforts cease to exist. What if there is an industry shift in preference or opinion? Will you lapse in data keep up with the latest trends? Efficient marketing provides consistent sales. If you trim marketing, you very well may also be indirectly trimming sales. You’re in a recession, you know what that can mean.