Beware of Greenwashing

Hi all.

A word to the wise: don't make claims that aren't true or at least strain credulity. Don't tell the world your products and services have a "green" component unless they in fact do. Case in point -- the new radio ad I just heard for the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid -- yes, that monster SUV with the $51,000 starting pricepoint (more for the 4x4) with the lovely green "H" (yes for Hybrid) logo. Get this -- despite the hybrid engine, it only gets 21 miles to the gallon. And that's right out of the factory with the tires properly inflated and the engine in perfect tune.

I shudder to think what the non-hybrid version gets -- even my rust-bucket 1971 Pontiac Firebird (how cool was I in high school?) got 10 miles to the gallon, and the same auto company has had 37 years since then to improve their performance. Chevy's ads come dangerously close to what many marketers are now wisely calling "greenwashing" -- the claiming of being better for the environment or even contributing to a solution to global warming. Many products now have green claims that frankly strain credulity -- and there are now even watchdog groups such as CorpWatch that have formed to hold people to task.


Some advice as you market your small business -- don't rush to be hoisted onto this bandwagon. Not unless you have a genuine environmental message. I'm still struggling with a bottled water company that is now touting it's "environmentally friendly" new bottle shape that allegedly cuts down on the amount of plastic per bottle. I know -- stop making the little bottles, which get tossed (NOT recycled) by the millions everyday.


Trust me, the day is soon coming when many of these marketers will be taken to serious task. As well they should be -- whther they have a big green "H" on the fender or not.

Small Business Week in SF

Hi all. Kicked off Small Business Week in San Francisco last night at a HUGE event at City Hall. Keynoted by Mayor Gavin Newsom, there were easily a couple thousand small biz owners there (could it have been all the free food from local restaurants?!). The highlight of the night was the ribbon cutting of the new Office of Small Business at city hall -- designated staff to help chaperone you through what can be a maze of disparate taxes, regulations, permits and more that can scare even the toughest of veterans. Pretty cool -- the voters last year approved Proposal I which mandated creation of the center. Today I had lunch at the Chamber of Commerce with Brajah Norris, the office's director. Great guy who seems like a genuine advocate for small business.

Another cool development -- I met the folks from the San Francisco district of the Small Business Administration. Turns out some of their classes -- a great lineup and a real bargain if you've never attended any-- will soon be videotaped and featured on Comcast's On Demand. Now that's what I like -- the ability to learn more about running my business when I don't have to worry about rushing downtown, parking, etc. And that Rewind feature means I can go over the parts that I need to take good notes on....

Happy Small Business Week!

Email-Marketing Dos and Don'ts

Hi all. Helpful tips on email marketing in the current edition of PCWorld magazine. Among them:

Do: Create a snappy subject line that doesn't sound like an ad. People are more likely to open e-mail that has a simple, newsy, and direct header.

Do: Use HTML rather than plain text. A well-designed newsletter or pitch containing product photos will help you get your message across.

Don't: Fail to include an unsubscribe link and a physical mailing address with your message, as required by federal antispam law. Consider including a link to your company's privacy policy, too.

Don't: Send at the wrong time. The best days for business-to-business mailings are Tuesday through Thursday before 3 p.m. For residential customers, evenings and weekends work best.

Read the full article.

Bad economy a good time for startups?

Hi all. A decent article in Friday's Orange County Register on startups, including a teaser for a small biz/startup conference May 3 in Costa Mesa.

Writes Jan Norman ... "Roughly 8 percent of the population owns at least one business. The truth is that starting and sustaining a small business is tough. Yet business ownership rises when the economy and employment fall."

Good tips and an affordable day of workshops if you're in the area. Check it out...

A divine local campaign

Hi all. I was riding the BART train the other day and saw a poster for a religion-related campaign. It said, "Are science and religion compatible? Join the discussion," and offered a web address, http://www.godridesbart.com/. Once it sunk in what was happening I realized what a brilliant thing they'd done. Subject matter aside (this could easily have been promo for a dry cleaner), the technique was the thing. Here's why:

1) The organization bought transit ads on a specific train line -- affordable and a great way to target very specific geographic zones. In this case I was on the train that ran from Fremont (eastern suburb of San Francisco) to downtown SF.

2) They created a Web address that spoke directly to people on the train: godridesbart.com. When you key it in it redirects you to http://www.godrides.com/.

3) There was a specific call to action: go to their web site and discuss your religious beliefs with others. You know exactly what to do with the information. Their tagline with their logo supports this: "think. discuss. connect."

4) They can track results. Based on how many people use the BART address they can compare how their message is penetrating, compared to a specific address they might use for similar ads on the buses or the ferries. By slightly customizing a URL they have a campaign-specific tracking method ready to go. And that information can lead to new, tailored outreach later.

For small businesses this is a wonderful idea to think about. Transit ads can be much more affordable than you think and as this campaign shows, you can call people to action in a way that speaks to them directly rather than just being generic.

You can book transit ads to run in specific, local neighborhoods for a short or long duration. Transit can include busboards (inside or out), bus shelters, train stations, benches, you name it. If you've got some more budget you can take over an entire station. A key to success here is being clear on who you're likely to reach -- and keeping it simple. In the case of busboards, for example, less is more. Remember someone may only see your ad for a couple of seconds, so keep the copy to a minimum. Your local transit agency can tell you what their rates and technical requirements are, as well as offer tips on what's most successful.

Have fun and see you on the road...

Q & A with the SBA Chief

Hi all. Here's a link to the Q/A transcript from this morning's online chat with Steve Preston, head of the Small Business Administration, moderated by Sharon McLoone of the Washington Post. Interesting range of questions addressed, from free trade to lending, economic stimulus and patents.

Enjoy.

Monday: Ask the SBA Chief

Hi all. Have a burning question for the head of the SBA? Join Sharon McLoone of the Washington Post on Monday (10 a.m. EDT) for a Web chat with Steven Preston. He'll be online to answer your questions about the current climate for small businesses and to preview National Small Business Week, Apr. 21-25. You can submit questions in advance here .