materials

Sometimes I get a little too wordy when I write a post, and I don’t have the time or space to point to some of the places I have found information. Other times I come across something relevant just after I post and wish I could add it in without the awkwardness of an “update”. Still other times I simply forget to add all the links I want. When any of these things happen I will write one of these “Lost Links” posts to point you faithful readers toward other writers with similar thematic thoughts. So, here are the Lost Links for 10 Don’ts of Green Marketing.

First, the obligatory Wikipedia entry. I know, it’s just Wikipedia. You’ve already seen it. It isn’t reliable, but hey, I’m not all that reliable or original myself and you’re still reading. You are still reading aren’t you . . . aren’t you?).

Second, some articles from J. Ottman Consulting Inc. which, while interesting, would appeal to me more in a different font (picky, picky). Either way, there is some interesting conversation fodder in this list. Take a look and let me know what grabs you.

Third, a little bit older piece from Make Marketing History.  This article claims to be Green Marketing 101 but it is more Marketing 101 with a hint of green. That said, it is a very nice little list of points that every marketer should understand. Consise, well written and in every way unlike my rambling.

Lastly, a message from the maven on the coming backlash over green marketing. Some “green marketing” (in quotes because the example doesn’t necessarily fit my definition) doesn’t add up, and Seth Godin sees a dawning realization on the horizon. Companies abusing green messaging may drag valid green marketers with them. How can we avoid this? Provide tangible benefits to buying green. Seth’s suggestions sound quite a bit like something I once said don’t they? If only that happened more often.

Nic Darling is forgetful. That is why he writes things down . . . when he remembers.

Here are some pics from my recent trip to Barcelona of some cool, modern design elements that caught my eye. I didn’t get to spend as much time exploring as I’d have liked as I was on business but it was still a lot of fun. I love exploring the modern cities of Europe as they always impress me with how far ahead of the US they are in terms of widely accepting modern design and fashions.

It was also great to see a city with so many scooters, bikes and motorcycles. They were everywhere and had plenty of parking for them on roads and sidewalks. It’s refreshing as I probably get 1-2 tickets a month trying to find places to legally park my wife’s scooter or my motorcylce in downtown Philly. Sometimes I feel it’s easier to park a Hummer without getting ticketed that it is a motorized two-wheeled transport!

Full Flickr Set (19 pics)

Here is the first article I’ve seen on the new green home stores I wrote about in this post a few weeks ago. It gives a bit more background on the founders.

http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/15528

There has been lot of talk about Philadelphia becoming a greener city lately to catch up with the likes of Chicago and NYC. One good sign of late was the opening of three new environmental home stores in the Philadelphia area. Below is a brief description of each in no particular order and I plan to have pictures or each store’s show rooms soon.

The first store is The Environmental Homestore which just opened its second location in Mount Airy. Todd Ballantyne is the owner and started this store at his home in Lansdale, PA by converting his garage into a show room.

I visited Todd about 2 months ago on a green home tour and he toured us around both his home and the garage show room. Both looked great and proved that Todd had gotten his hands dirty and tested most of the products himself.

Todd is very knowledgeable about sustainable building and home products. He has clearly done his research on all of his products and can go into great detail about such issues as what makes one low-VOC paint much “greener” than another.

I recently bought some low-VOC stain and sealer for my first green project in our new loft apartment and was very pleased with the service and product. Tracy helped me pick the stain I needed and knew that the ebony Bioshield stain I ordered needed additional tinting in order to come out black rather than simply dark brown.

I’m looking forward to checking out their new Mount Airy store which just opened and is quite a bit closer to me (I don’t like to leave the city if I don’t have to).

The next store is Greenable who has been in the planning stages of opening a store for a number of months. They just opened their store last weekend and I was fortunate enough to attend their grand opening party last Friday. I say fortunate because they supplied free beer, wine and food which scores points in my book every time.

The best part about their store for me is the location in Old City on Market St. in between Front and 2nd. This is less than a block away from where my wife works and only three train stops from our home.

The store is still coming together and they claim to have the widest selection of green products in the Philadelphia area. Another nice thing about Greenable is that they offer services as well as products. They have an interior designer on staff to help you with your green decorating or remodel and have a good network of consultants and architects as well.

Finally there is the Green Depot which has a nice online store and has recently opened a new store in Philadelphia. This is their third physical location with the first two being in Brooklyn and Massachusetts.

I can’t tell you a lot about their store as I have not had the opportunity to visit any of their locations or speak with the owners. The certainly have a nice online presence with a very wide selection of products for both residential and commercial use. When I find out more I’ll let you know.

So Philly, now you don’t have an excuse for not using sustainable and green materials in your home. You have three new stores to choose from and I can guarantee you that you’ll find much better service at all three than you would at any local Lowes or Home Depot!