Carbon footprint, take that!
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- While participants in the National Green Industry Summit are grappling with how to structure a marketing program for the highly fragmented green industry – a message that would appeal to retail florists, tree nurseries and landscape design-build companies alike– one industry thinker believes he has a bulletproof concept for a consumer-facing message.
Steve Cissel, CEO and founder of 10-20 Media, proposed building a national marketing campaign around the “oxygen footprint,” an antidote to the carbon footprint concept that every third-grader has become familiar with by now.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. It is meant to be useful to conceptualize your personal impact in contributing to global warming.
Cissel is so gung-ho about the oxygen footprint idea that he already has purchased several Web domains: oxygenfootprint.com, oxygenfootprint.org, O2footprint.com. “Every which way you can configure it, I have it,” he said.
He has talked with a University of Maryland researcher who says that coming up with a way to measure our oxygen footprint would be a cinch.
He envisions a well-funded promotional campaign that will result in everyone knowing the answer to “What’s your oxygen footprint?” just like they know the answer to “What’s your e-mail?”
“Carbon footprint is a kitchen-table term,” Cissel said. “We need to make oxygen footprint a kitchen-table term, too. ANLA, PLANET, SAF, turf groups, golf course superintendents, I don’t know of any green-industry organization that couldn’t get behind this,” he said.
I’m intrigued.
-- Kevin
Kevin,
There is no question that there is an opportunity to enter the minds of consumers with an 'Oxygen Footprint' message because of its positive nature and because 'Carbon Footprint' has already paved a path to follow.
The 2nd part of the message is changing the wording from 'Greenhouse Gases' to 'Global Warming Gases'.
I do not think that 'Oxygen Footprint' is the magic-bullet, but am confident that it is an ingredient of the soup.
Glad you were in MN for the meeting.
It is going to take products, services and media collectively to make a positive change for our industry.
Steve Cissel
Posted by: Steve Cissel | June 16, 2008 at 07:34 AM
Fantastic Idea. I am tired of "Green Marketing" that creates new pollution, more consumerism and little hope.
This creates hope and real sustainablilty. Bravo.
Diane Meucci Gardensoyvey.com
Posted by: Diane Meucci | June 16, 2008 at 07:02 PM
Kevin/Steve,
Nice work. We have known for years we need to be pushing the environmental benefits of our industry. We have the perfect situation; we sell, install and/or care for plants. How much greener can one industry be? A concept that works on a 3rd grade level is to call plant material "carbon gobblers". Something fun with an action verb. Steve, your man Andy Hull in GA is awesome.
- Todd Hurt
Training Coordinator
UGA Center for Urban Ag
Posted by: Todd Hurt, UGA Center for Urban Ag | June 17, 2008 at 05:27 AM
Kevin/Steve,
Nice work. We have known for years we need to be pushing the environmental benefits of our industry. We have the perfect situation; we sell, install and/or care for plants. How much greener can one industry be? A concept that works on a 3rd grade level is to call plant material "carbon gobblers". Something fun with an action verb. Steve, your man Andy Hull in GA is awesome.
- Todd Hurt
Training Coordinator
UGA Center for Urban Ag
Posted by: Todd Hurt, UGA Center for Urban Ag | June 17, 2008 at 05:29 AM