The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands

"Green" has gone mainstream, and for many companies caring for the environment is not just a philosophy, it's a marketing strategy. So how does a company that's genuinely committed to green principles differentiate itself from its greenwashing competitors?Brand expert Richard Seireeni interviewed more than 30 "eco-capitalists" from a broad range of industries--home improvement, transportation, household products, food and beverage, energy, real estate, finance, and fashion. The collective experience of leaders such as Gary Hirschberg of Stonyfield Farms, Jeffrey Hollander of Seventh Generation, and the grandsons of Dr. Bronner, as well as other green experts, are a rich source of wisdom for green businesses getting off the ground or for any business aiming to improve its environmental performance.The result of these interviews is the "Gort Cloud"--a term coined by the author that describes the vast and largely invisible network of NGOs, trendspotters, advocacy groups, social networks, business alliances, certifying organizations, and other members of the green community that have the power to make or break new green brands.Integrating the Gort Cloud into brand development and marketing strategies is critical to the success of any aspiring green brand. This "green community" can supply technical assistance, venture capital, the first line of core customers, and tremendous "echo effect" in getting the word out quickly and inexpensively. Creating a cause, building credibility, developing a simple and compelling message, identifying core customers and sales channels, deftly playing the green alternative media, and fending off second-to-market competitors are all required to build a green brand. How these skills are put into practice will vary for each business, but Seireeni's research points toward a set of shared characteristics and basic tenets that every business can use to build a credible and successful green brand.

"In this detailed market report, veteran brand consultant and creative executive Seireeni maps out the network of experts, activists, tastemakers, special interests, consumers and others who guide the fate of rapidly proliferating 'green' businesses. Meting their influence online in clusters of similarly-concerned Web sites, these disparate sources of opinion and information-from government organizations to bloggers to green shopping sites-form a 'simultaneous source of credibility, endorsement, and echo effect' for an ever-growing audience. In 12 case studies, Seireeni examines the cloud's make-or-break abilities, particularly to reject, fairly or not, claims of eco-utility as 'greenwashing'-as happened to the Swiffer disposable mop in 2007, when 'people simply weren't buying the trade-off between less water use and more landfill waste.' Seireeni's focus is on 'exactly how others have built green brands' with loyal followings; among others, he covers Seventh Generation cleaning supplies, Tesla Motors electric cars, Stonyfield Farm dairy, the financial institutes 'creating Green Street,' and Southwest Windpower. Though textbook-like in style, Seireeni's clear thinking and compelling examples will prove valuable for anyone looking to make hay in the growing green movement." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)