Let’s face it — people are starting to burn out on all the “going green” talk, especially from the brands that aren’t putting their money where their mouth is. Confused by a whole new green vocabulary and fed up with being told what to do (or more often, what not to do) consumers are quickly becoming eco-fatigued. But in this economic climate where consumers are making a lot more decisions by the numbers, there is a unique opportunity for the brands that allow people to calculate their impact on the environment and their pocketbook at the same time. Trendwatching coined the term “eco-metering” which can be defined as calculating, counting and comparing people’s environmental impact. And by making it more fun, sharable, tangible, and, erm, “eco”-nomical, people might find it a whole lot easier being green.
Eco-metering, however, shouldn’t been seen as just a measuring tool, but as a compelling way for brands to express their green efforts. It can trigger people’s energies and resource-saving impulses, while helping to address the uncertainty of individual actions making a difference. Eco-metering allows marketing to provide value, turning just another green product into one that people actually believe in. The upside is that consumers are more willing to buy them, even with the economic uncertainty, and they’re seen as more innovative, trustworthy and socially responsible.
Fiat: Calculating
Fiat’s eco:Drive is the world’s first plug-and-drive USB device that monitors and analyzes one’s driving style based upon acceleration, deceleration, gear changes and overall speed. The eco:Index uses the collected data and tracks your progress over time, helping you improve fuel consumption, reduce CO2 emissions and even save money (up to 15%). Users are also able to upload their driving data to the eco:Village online community and see how their driving habits measure up.
MINI: Comparing
MINI’s Carfun Footprint Calculator shows that drivers don’t always have to sacrifice fun for the sake of going green. The Carfun Footprint score equally weighs the fun-to-drive factor and the green factor of your vehicle and compares it with 197 other rated models. The ratings are based on legitimate third-party sources, lending it more credibility as MINI tops the competition and brings the brand’s philosophy of “minimizing one’s impact while maximizing enjoyment” to life.
RecycleBank: Counting
RecycleBank promotes going green with positive reinforcement. Using RFID chip technology, RecycleBank counts your recycled material and converts it to points that can be redeemed for gifts and discounts. In addition, RecycleBank tracks your progress and shows you how many trees/gallons of oil your recycling has helped save. Partnering brands such as method also reap the benefits associated with going green and are able to connect with new customers in a unique way.
- This newsletter was first published in January 2009. Media Arts Mondays is produced by Media Arts Lab. You can subscribe to Media Arts Mondays here or download this newsletter here.
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