Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet

Authors: Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz

ISBN: 978-0-470-40951-0

Paperback; 236 pages

Published in Jan 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: S$38.47 incl. GST

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green is a practical book on marketing strategies for companies that wish to be green and ethical. The authors emphasise that success in business is based on ethics, social and environmental responsibility, providing value to others, and people-centered marketing.

The book discusses the new marketing mindset, which includes:

• The effectiveness of marketing messages depends on relevance and quality (and not only on frequency)
• Think in terms of abundance (the pie is infinite and helping others is helping yourself)
• Build alliances with competitors, customers, suppliers, non-profits, and businesses in different markets
• Be the early movers in green marketing and make the message believable and genuine (avoid greenwashing)

The authors also offer some hands-on marketing tools using a range of traditional and social media (including social media press releases and social networking), developing creative partnerships with retailers, and being a writer and speaker.

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Co-opportunity: Join Up for a Sustainable, Resilient, Prosperous World

Author: John Grant

ISBN: 978-0-470-68436-8

Hardcover; 350 pages

Published in March 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: US$27.95 / S$49.17 including GST

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

John Grant, the award winning author of The Green Marketing Manifesto, is back with his latest book called Co-opportunity, which explores “what co-operative solutions to sustainability challenges could look like.” He explains that the possibility to “co-operate may lead to a better human society”.

The book tackles five key sustainability challenges, introduces co-operative solutions through case examples in practice, and suggests tactics for application:

1. Creating a climate for change: Engaging the public to recognise the problems and take action together

… ideas about new forms of social organisation and campaigning, beyond passive media audiences.

2. Relocating the dreams: Going beyond consumerism and exploring a better future

… ideas about creating desire for brands, campaigns, movements that heal the world.

3. Making organisations accountable (and hence responsible for wellbeing): Being more transparent and taking responsibility

… ideas about new kinds of eco-label, social change campaigns or consumer co-operatives to create change through what they buy.

4. Economic resilience: Rethinking economic growth and switching to co-operative economic systems

… ideas for anything from restoring trust in banking, to a community scheme to support renewable energy.

5. Abundance rather than ‘lean and mean’: Shifting from productivity to wellbeing return on resources

… new ways of organising for service or supply systems – or equally use it to think differently about the design of the organisations themselves.

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The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business

Author: Giselle Weybrecht

ISBN: 978-0-470-74114-6

Hardcover; 416 pages

Published in November 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: US$34.95 / S$62.01

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

The Sustainable MBA is for managers and business leaders who wish to learn and apply sustainable practices in their business. The author introduces green trends, explains various aspects of greening businesses, and shares a wide range of concepts, tools and guidelines.

The book is organized like a typical MBA programme with the coverage of core topics such as:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Entrepreneurship
• Ethics and corporate governance
• Finance
• Marketing
• Operations
• Organizational behaviour
• Strategy

This is a comprehensive book that would give you a good overview of sustainability practices and tips on how to green your business.

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Good to Green: Managing Business Risks and Opportunities in the Age of Environmental Awareness

Author: John-David Phyper and Paul MacLean

ISBN: 978-0-470-15942-2

Hardcover: 464 pages

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Good to Green provides an in-depth analysis and guide for companies that wish to change and become a sustainable company. The authors provide comprehensive knowledge, trends and cases studies on sustainability based on their years of experience, and they managed to cover the various topics hot on the green agenda.

Some topics covered include:

In developing a green strategic plan, the authors emphasized the need for leadership and ongoing planning. The senior management must believe in fundamental change in how the company conducts business, and monitor the results of the strategic plan continuously. A green plan is not a one-time event nor is it about “cosmetic environmentalism”.

The company’s environmental management system should also be embedded into the general management systems and business software solutions, and not become isolated from other aspects of the business.

On eco design, companies should adopt a motto of “zero waste” to reduce costs and improve the environment. Companies also need to avoid toxic chemicals and manage the supply chain to reduce environmental risks.

For green marketing, the authors recommend that the product should be aligned with company values, and the focus should be making green normal. Companies should communicate their values through real action and not just talk about it.

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Conversations with Green Gurus: The Collective Wisdom of Environmental Movers and Shakers

Author: Laura Mazur and Louella Miles

ISBN: 978-0-470-71431-7

Hardcover: 326 pages

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 70.57 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Conversations with Green Gurus introduces various environmental pioneers from different sectors, including business, government, academics and non-governmental organisations:

• Ray Anderson (Founder of Interface, Inc)
• James Cameron (Founder, Executive Director and Vice-Chairman of Climate Change Capital)
• Paul Dickinson (CEO of the Carbon Disclosure Project)
• John Elkington (Founding Partner and Director of Volans)
• John Grant (Author of The Green Marketing Manifesto)
• Denis Hayes (President and CEO of The Bullitt Foundation)
• Gary Hirshberg (President and CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm)
• Tony Juniper (Former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• Professor Sir David King (Former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government)
• Amory B. Lovins (Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute)
• Professor Wangari Maathai (Founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Peace Prize Winner)
• Ricardo Navarro (Founder and Director of the Salvadoran Centre for Appropriate Technology)
• Dr Vandana Shiva (Physicist, Environmental Activist and Author)
• Jeffrey Swartz (President and CEO of Timberland)
• Sir Crispin Tickell (Diplomat, Academic and Environmentalist)

These leaders share insights on their professional and personal lives, and their current views on sustainability. The book gives a concise overview of how these green gurus started their green journey, and their wish to see a more sustainable world.

Here’s some thoughts from the gurus:

Well, it’s easiest to start with the first principle of natural capitalism: radical resource efficiency. Just look for muda, that wonderful Japanese word that means waste, purposeless and futility. Look for any measurable input that produces no customer value, and set a goal of reducing it to zero. – Amory B. Lovins

So sustainability really can and should be at the core of what companies are now planning, in terms of, for example, where markets will go and what will be some of the future risk factors. At that fundamental level sustainability, for a company, is about being able to continue in business. – Tony Juniper

The beautiful thing about business is that it doesn’t have any ideology except to make money. If you can demonstrate that you make more money by saving the world, then businesses will save the world really quickly. And so all we have to do is wake up the consumer to stop putting money into their own endangerment. And that shouldn’t be very difficult. – Paul Dickinson

I think the biggest problem, which I must admit I’m still dealing with, is the fact that very many people do not see the environment as something that is integral to our daily lives. It tends to be seen as an outside issue, often associated with scientists and academics, but in fact it is very, very central to our lives. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat – all these things that we cannot live without. – Professor Wangari Maathai

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Smart Green: How to Implement Sustainable Business Practices in Any Industry – and Make Money

Author: Jonathan Estes

ISBN: 978-0-470-38779-5

Hardcover: 224 pages

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Smart Green is a green resource guide for entrepreneurs and business leaders interested in creating sustainable businesses. There is no single definition of a green company or what sustainability means for every company, but the author managed to describe the steps for a company to become Smart Green, which includes the following:

Smart Green companies must first reflect on what it takes to be green and be aware of sustainability issues. They should become green-aware; bio-aware; socially-aware; energy-aware and regionally-aware.

Smart Green companies conduct a needs analysis through footprint analysis, product life cycle analysis, business relationship analysis, and cash flow analysis. The outcomes help in the preparing of a green mission statement, which includes goals and objectives, desired outcomes, and involving stakeholders.

When Smart Green companies work on their strategic planning, they understand the seven tiers of Smart Green growth:

1. Awareness of the Need for Change
2. Recognition of Implications
3. Analysis of Current State
4. Applying a Systems View Approach
5. Planning and Implementing a Strategy
6. Analysis of and Reflection on Outcomes and Impacts
7. Innovation, Creativity, Growth, and Meaning

Smart Green companies also measure sustainability outcomes based on the analytics approach that looks at financial outcomes, long-term strategies, return on investment, continuous growth and best practices.

Smart Green companies are led by leaders who are aware of environmental, social and economic indicators, and measure success on profit and the extended footprint of the company.

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Green Business Practices for Dummies

Author: Lisa Swallow

ISBN: 978-0-470-39339-0

Paperback; 384 pages

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 38.47 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Green Business Practices for Dummies is a practical and hands-on guide to help your company implement green practices throughout your organisation. It covers the creation of a sustainability vision and plan, the implementation of sustainability practices, involving stakeholders in your efforts, and measuring and reporting the results.

First, you will learn about the business case for sustainability, and understand the opportunities and challenges in going green. The book also helps you develop a sustainability plan for your company, including conducting a SWOT analysis, creating green goals, and planning initiatives to reach them.

Second, the book shows you what is needed to start implementing the green practices in your company. It includes greening your daily office practices, product development, production processes, building and facilities, and accounting and investment practices.

Third, you will learn about involving relevant stakeholders in your sustainability efforts, how to market to green consumers and promote your green products or services, working with non-profit organisations, and engaging your employees with green HR practices.

The last part of the book discusses the relevant standards and certifications available in the green market, shows you how to gather data and measure your organisation’s progress, and prepares you to create a sustainability report for your stakeholders.

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The Green Marketing Manifesto

Author: John Grant

ISBN: 978-0-470-72324-1

Hardcover: 320 pages

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

John Grant is the co-founder of the St Luke ad agency and has worked with clients such as IKEA, LEGO, Body Shop and innocent on green marketing and sustainability. His experience and thoughts can be summarised in The Green Marketing Manifesto, which articulates a green marketing strategy grid  with 9 different approaches to green marketing.

The green marketing strategy grid is made up of three marketing objectives:

A. Green: Setting new standards in responsible products, policies and processes

B. Greener: Sharing responsibility with customers

C. Greenest: Supporting innovation – new habits, services, business models

And three levels at which marketing can operate:

1. Personal: Product/benefits/individual

2. Social: Brand meanings/herd instincts/tribes/communities

3. Public: Company as credible source, as cultural leader or partner

This 3 x 3 grid results in nine strategies that companies can adopt for their green marketing:

A1: Set an Example (Framing vs Pointing)

A2: Credible Partners (Eco-label vs Cause-related)

A3: Market a Benefit (Less vs More)

B1: Develop the Market (Educate vs Evangelise)

B2: Tribal Brands (Exclusive vs Inclusive)

B3: Change Usage (Switch vs Cut)

C1: New Business Concepts (Social Production vs Property)

C2: Trojan Horse Ideas (Tradition vs New Cool)

C3: Challenging Consuming (Treasuring vs Sharing)

Besides the green marketing approaches, John explains that companies need to go beyond image marketing to create sustainable brands. Companies should not make normal products seem green (greenwashing), instead they should make green products seem normal and acceptable. His vision is:

Green (and sustainable) products are not just responsible. They are better: more durable, cheaper, nicer, healthier, more thoughtful, offering extensions into social communities, belonging to something. The green products, services and businesses of the future are creative, in a sparky, thrilling way.

The Green Marketing Manifesto is an essential guide on green marketing for companies with green products and services, marketing executives and CSR professionals.

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Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage

Authors: Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston

ISBN: 978-0-470-39374-1

Paperback: 408 pages

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 35.26 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Green to Gold is a must-read for every CEO and business leader who wishes to include environmental thinking into the company’s strategy and achieve competitive advantage.

The authors first give a concise summary of the Green Wave that is sweeping the business community, the environmental problems and challenges companies faced, and the stakeholders involved in shaping environmental strategies.

Next, to help companies integrate the environment into business strategy, the authors introduce a toolkit including the Eco-Advantage Mindset, Eco-Tracking, Redesign and Culture.

Companies that have an Eco-Advantage Mindset usually:

• Look at the forest, not the trees
• Start at the top
• Adopt the Apollo 13 Principle
• Recognize that feelings are facts
• Do the right thing

The toolkit includes Eco-Tracking elements such as the AUDIO analysis to help companies understand their environmental impacts by looking at various categories: Aspects, Upstream, Downstream, Issues and Opportunities.

Companies should also Redesign their products and processes by adopting Design for the Environment (DfE) and closed-loop systems, and support the building of an eco Culture that promotes green thinking and innovation.

Besides the toolkit, the book helps companies to achieve Eco-Advantage by mapping out eight Green-to-Gold Plays, which are business strategies that reduce cost and risk, and increase revenue and intangible value:

Costs

1. Eco-efficiency – Improve resource productivity

2. Eco-expense reduction – Cut environmental costs and regulatory burden

3. Value chain eco-efficiency – Lower costs upstream and downstream

Risks

4. Eco-risk control – Manage environmentally driven business risk

Revenues

5. Eco-design – Meet customer environmental needs

6. Eco-sales and marketing – Build product position and customer loyalty on green attributes

7. Eco-defined new market space – Promote value innovation and develop breakthrough products

Intangibles

8. Intangible value – Build corporate reputation and trusted brands

It’s time for businesses to go green and Green to Gold is a valuable guide to help business leaders make profits while benefiting people and the environment. The book addresses both strategic thinking and practical actions that companies can adopt immediately to build an Eco-Advantage.

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Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World

Gary Hirshberg is the CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm, which is the largest organic yogurt manufacturer in the world. In his book, he describes how his company incorporates environmental principals and embraces sustainability, while making money at the same time.

He also shares similar environmental efforts by other companies such as Whole Foods, Timberland, Wal-Mart, Patagonia, Seventh Generation, Honest Tea and Terracycle.

It is possible to go green, save money and increase profits. Learn more about the book and read reviews from the AsiaIsGreen Bookstore.

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