Comments on: The challenge of green marketing http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/01/21/the-challenge-of-green-marketing/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:38:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/01/21/the-challenge-of-green-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-272 Anonymous Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:37:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/01/21/the-challenge-of-green-marketing/#comment-272 Thaaaank You for pointing out what is the weak point so far in green marketing. It is the price differential of green products. There are SOME products that should get a price premium. Oganic milk is a good example. The reason it is organic is that the dairies don't employ factory farming techniques. In Austin, TX, I pay $5.45 for a gallon of Horizon Organic, when I could purchase the non-organic store brand for $3.35. I clench my teeth every time, but I understand. My business is socially responsible investing. Many of the funds in this space charge management fees 50 - 100 percent more than a non-SRI fund. Why? They like to claim it is a size issue, but I doubt that. After a few hundred million, there are no more benefits to economies of scale. How about banking? I've gotten pleas from my bank and credit card companies that persuade us to get paperless statements to save trees, but then charge a fee for accessing your statement via software. Huh? How about hybrids? It does not cost an extra $4,000 to equip a hybrid, yet not only are they charging (and getting) this premium, you can't begin to get discounts off sticker. The premium completely wipes out the benefit of gas savings for most drivers. We, as an industry, need to do better. Mark Brandon Sustainable Log - News and Views for Socially Responsible Investors http://sustainablelog.blogspot.com http://www.firstsustainable.com Thaaaank You for pointing out what is the weak point so far in green marketing. It is the price differential of green products. There are SOME products that should get a price premium. Oganic milk is a good example. The reason it is organic is that the dairies don’t employ factory farming techniques. In Austin, TX, I pay $5.45 for a gallon of Horizon Organic, when I could purchase the non-organic store brand for $3.35. I clench my teeth every time, but I understand.

My business is socially responsible investing. Many of the funds in this space charge management fees 50 – 100 percent more than a non-SRI fund. Why? They like to claim it is a size issue, but I doubt that. After a few hundred million, there are no more benefits to economies of scale.

How about banking? I’ve gotten pleas from my bank and credit card companies that persuade us to get paperless statements to save trees, but then charge a fee for accessing your statement via software. Huh?

How about hybrids? It does not cost an extra $4,000 to equip a hybrid, yet not only are they charging (and getting) this premium, you can’t begin to get discounts off sticker. The premium completely wipes out the benefit of gas savings for most drivers.

We, as an industry, need to do better.

Mark Brandon

Sustainable Log – News and Views for Socially Responsible Investors

http://sustainablelog.blogspot.com

http://www.firstsustainable.com

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