Green Options

By Contributing Writer Melissa Chungfat | Part of Green Printer’s ‘Design Goes Green’ dispatch.

While more people are cutting back during the recession, green sales still remain strong with companies that have positioned themselves well in branding and marketing. It’s a topic that the much anticipated April 20th PSFK “Creativity for Change, Ideas to Make Things Better” conference in New York City will be speaking about as part of their sustainable and socially conscience agenda.

Recently, GreezBiz.com reported on a survey that revealed, “68 percent of consumers say that even in a recession they would remain faithful to a brand if it supports a good cause; nearly seven in 10 would be prepared to pay more for eco-friendly products.” Buyers plan to remain loyal to products that they perceive to have strong social value.

I am not a huge fan of box stores, but I am even less of a fan of the idea that my kids could cuddle up with a stuffed animal that has a ton of chemicals that I probably would stutter pronouncing.  This is something I contemplated recently when a very kind nurse offered me a stuffed animal for my daughter when she was in the hospital.  Especially when a kid has a respiratory infection, the last thing I would want to do is expose their delicate lungs to chemicals from an innocent looking teddy bear.  But there is some good news for those of us strapped for cash during these tough economic times that do not want to sacrifice our children’s health.

Very rarely do brands get it right when inserting themselves into historic moments in time. Brand-building generally only works around events where advertising is expected and even then it is, at best, tolerated as part of the environment.

Trips to Target are an inevitable guilty pleasure in my life.

I love Method cleaning supplies, candles and laundry products, was looking forward to the organic collection designed by Rogan all spring and was thrilled to find ADORABLE baby clothes, crib bumpers and a number of other supplies there in the “eco-friendly” shopping section of their website.

Finally, a mass-merchandiser who get’s it and is offering [...]

The rise of social entrepreneurship has led to an increased interest in cause-related marketing by bigger and bigger firms. At this year’s Halo Awards, major retailers shone in the spotlight.

The Halo awards, presented by The Cause Marketing Forum are awarded to the best crafted cause marketing campaign and include a variety of categories to recognize different achievements.

· Best Transactional Campaign (generates donations via consumer activity)

· Best Joint Message Promotion (a cause partnership that shares an important message)

· Best Health-Related Campaign

· Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign

· Best Social Service/Education Campaign

· Best Cause Marketing Print Creative
(magazine, newspaper or FSI)

· Best Cause Marketing Event
(fundraising or message-driven consumer events)

· National/Local Integration: A campaign that successfully integrates local chapters and/or business units into a national cause-related campaign.

Pictured here is American designer Rogan Gregory and one of his new organic designs for a partnership with Target that is set to create the next limited-edition collection for GO International, ® an innovative program designed to provide affordable fashion created by world-renowned designers.

Starting this week Barneys New York, will showcase an affordable Target collection from eco-conscious designer Rogan Gregory ~ Rogan for Target. The collection will be preview at Barneys New York in Manhattan from May 9 – May 11 and in Beverly Hills from May 16 – May 18. All cotton used in the collection is 100% certified organic.

Previously we highlighted a Loomstate event at Barneys. Rogan was actually once a designer for Loomstate, Edun, and his own CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund award winning line.