CleanTech Communications & Traditional Value Propositions: Interview with William Brent
Thu, 05/28/2009 - 11:40am — SB Conference B...
People are wired to first consider their wallet when making a purchase. In working with cleantech companies, what I’ve found interesting is that even though they have perhaps the strongest sustainability message of any companies out there, many of them position themselves around financial cost ahead of environmental benefit. That is ironic. On the one hand you have large multinationals – oil companies, retailers, consumer goods companies, IT giants – who go out of their way to proclaim themselves green, when such claims are often a stretch. On the other hand you have a new breed of innovators – involved in sustainable building materials, clean energy technologies, low carbon transportation solutions – who have the most sustainable products out there, yet they have a complicated relationship with making those claims because they also want to be seen as cost competitive with traditional solutions. Sustainability can get you into the conversation, but its cost that more often than not closes the deal, especially in this economy.
A lot of great modern branding comes through great user experience design. In your field and degree of influence, it's the education, awareness, and marketing promotion factors that matter most, no? What is the unique value a firm like Weber Shandwick provides to the industries it serves?
Weber Shandwick is filled with smart people who understand branding, digital media, communications, etc. So are a lot of other agencies. What Weber Shandwick has to offer cleantech companies that others may not is a deep understanding – one that we’ve built over many years and through a wide network of relationships – of the issues underlying cleantech, including energy, building, transportation and water to name a few, as well as the government policies that govern them. It’s not enough as a marketing consultant to be a good practitioner of marketing. In a world of ever increasing sophistication and specialization, in-depth knowledge of an industry and its key drivers is essential to success. For cleantech companies, that means a deep understanding of underlying technology, cultural perceptions, policy… . Moreover, there is an interconnectedness in cleantech that doesn’t exist in other areas of the economy, so having the visibility to stay out of silos and to think across systems is another value-add.
Do you have an example or two of what you've found to be great energy branding or marketing campaigns? Perhaps from your firm, nonprofits, or NGOs.
I admire a company whose brand either defines a space or comes from nowhere to fill a space. Vestas is synonymous with clean energy. When people conjure an image to represent clean energy, they think first of a wind mill. When they think of a wind mill, they think of Vestas. Few if any clean energy companies have comparable brand equity. A company that fits into the second category is Tesla. While the big auto companies snoozed, this audacious Silicon Valley start-up decided to prove that the concept of a viable, high-design electric car was actually a reality. Daimler’s recent decision to take a position in Tesla is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.
BTW, neither of these companies are my client.
Although I haven't personally experienced it, a couple smart friends of mine have noted a degree of greenwashing, misinformation, and propaganda out there surrounding the way "things currently are" and what clean energy promises. Have you seen this at all? As a marketing communications professional, it's sometimes part of your goal to engage detractors and set the record straight through objective communications, and responsible promotion. Nobody likes hearing negative scenarios, and as communications people it's within our collective interest to accentuate the positive. What do you think?
Any good communicator involved in sustainability today will tell you that transparency is important. If you’re not perfect, it’s important to acknowledge that you’re not perfect and seek input for becoming better. In the case of cleantech, even technologies that are largely beneficial in achieving a clean energy future require extraction of natural resources. For example, most forms of solar technology require silicon and many types of batteries require lithium, and that means someone, somewhere is moving dirt. But when viewed as a whole, the benefit of these technologies will greatly outweigh the environmental cost. Responsible communication, to me, is also about giving specificity to the subject matter at hand. Market sophistication is growing, and people want specifics, not just generalizations about “going green” that have less and less meaning.
What excites you about sustainable energy and communications?
Whether its solar energy, water, building materials or something else, what excites me is that communications, engagement and advocacy have a significant role to play in making sustainable technologies and services more desired by businesses and consumers. We are in the early stages of adoption and have a long way to go. Communications and engagement will continue to be key bridges for connecting technology to that adoption, hopefully in an accelerated way. The other thing that excites me is the community of people involved in cleantech. It’s a community that appreciates the challenge of waking up every day and creating value that is both environmental, social and financial – which is ultimately the only sustainable path forward.
William will be speaking June 1st on:
Getting the Mix Right: Balancing Green Messaging with Traditional Value Propositions
Learn more about Brent and Weber Shandwick at:
http://www.webershandwick.com
Questions by Mario Vellandi - Writer & SB09 Online Community Manager; Twitter: @mvellandi
William Brent
Head of Cleantech Practice, Weber Shandwick
People are wired to first consider their wallet when making a purchase. In working with cleantech companies, what I’ve found interesting is that even though they have perhaps the strongest sustainability message of any companies out there, many of them position themselves around financial cost ahead of environmental benefit. That is ironic. On the one hand you have large multinationals – oil companies, retailers, consumer goods companies, IT giants – who go out of their way to proclaim themselves green, when such claims are often a stretch. On the other hand you have a new breed of innovators – involved in sustainable building materials, clean energy technologies, low carbon transportation solutions – who have the most sustainable products out there, yet they have a complicated relationship with making those claims because they also want to be seen as cost competitive with traditional solutions. Sustainability can get you into the conversation, but its cost that more often than not closes the deal, especially in this economy.
A lot of great modern branding comes through great user experience design. In your field and degree of influence, it's the education, awareness, and marketing promotion factors that matter most, no? What is the unique value a firm like Weber Shandwick provides to the industries it serves?
Weber Shandwick is filled with smart people who understand branding, digital media, communications, etc. So are a lot of other agencies. What Weber Shandwick has to offer cleantech companies that others may not is a deep understanding – one that we’ve built over many years and through a wide network of relationships – of the issues underlying cleantech, including energy, building, transportation and water to name a few, as well as the government policies that govern them. It’s not enough as a marketing consultant to be a good practitioner of marketing. In a world of ever increasing sophistication and specialization, in-depth knowledge of an industry and its key drivers is essential to success. For cleantech companies, that means a deep understanding of underlying technology, cultural perceptions, policy… . Moreover, there is an interconnectedness in cleantech that doesn’t exist in other areas of the economy, so having the visibility to stay out of silos and to think across systems is another value-add.
Do you have an example or two of what you've found to be great energy branding or marketing campaigns? Perhaps from your firm, nonprofits, or NGOs.
I admire a company whose brand either defines a space or comes from nowhere to fill a space. Vestas is synonymous with clean energy. When people conjure an image to represent clean energy, they think first of a wind mill. When they think of a wind mill, they think of Vestas. Few if any clean energy companies have comparable brand equity. A company that fits into the second category is Tesla. While the big auto companies snoozed, this audacious Silicon Valley start-up decided to prove that the concept of a viable, high-design electric car was actually a reality. Daimler’s recent decision to take a position in Tesla is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.
BTW, neither of these companies are my client.
Although I haven't personally experienced it, a couple smart friends of mine have noted a degree of greenwashing, misinformation, and propaganda out there surrounding the way "things currently are" and what clean energy promises. Have you seen this at all? As a marketing communications professional, it's sometimes part of your goal to engage detractors and set the record straight through objective communications, and responsible promotion. Nobody likes hearing negative scenarios, and as communications people it's within our collective interest to accentuate the positive. What do you think?
Any good communicator involved in sustainability today will tell you that transparency is important. If you’re not perfect, it’s important to acknowledge that you’re not perfect and seek input for becoming better. In the case of cleantech, even technologies that are largely beneficial in achieving a clean energy future require extraction of natural resources. For example, most forms of solar technology require silicon and many types of batteries require lithium, and that means someone, somewhere is moving dirt. But when viewed as a whole, the benefit of these technologies will greatly outweigh the environmental cost. Responsible communication, to me, is also about giving specificity to the subject matter at hand. Market sophistication is growing, and people want specifics, not just generalizations about “going green” that have less and less meaning.
What excites you about sustainable energy and communications?
Whether its solar energy, water, building materials or something else, what excites me is that communications, engagement and advocacy have a significant role to play in making sustainable technologies and services more desired by businesses and consumers. We are in the early stages of adoption and have a long way to go. Communications and engagement will continue to be key bridges for connecting technology to that adoption, hopefully in an accelerated way. The other thing that excites me is the community of people involved in cleantech. It’s a community that appreciates the challenge of waking up every day and creating value that is both environmental, social and financial – which is ultimately the only sustainable path forward.
William will be speaking June 1st on:
Getting the Mix Right: Balancing Green Messaging with Traditional Value Propositions
Learn more about Brent and Weber Shandwick at:
http://www.webershandwick.com
Questions by Mario Vellandi - Writer & SB09 Online Community Manager; Twitter: @mvellandi
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