At the heart of every successful branding effort is effective communication, and the Internet offers a sturdy, relatively low-cost platform for sharing your company's core competencies and goals. Nobody knows this better than Sun Microsystems the Silicon Valley giant has built up a strong online presence dedicated to the company's commitment to corporate social and environmental responsibility. We spoke to Susan Space, Sun's Director of Branding and Advertising, about transparency, changing consumer expectations, and the art of branding on the web.

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SLM: Expectations for producer responsibility in the areas of electronics recycling and toxics reduction are a lot higher now than they were when you started out in 1988. How has that changed the way tech companies market their products?

Susan: There's a much greater consumer demand for transparency now than there was 20 years ago, and companies are really trying to let the public know they're doing their part. Thanks to the Internet consumers now have the ability look at the entire value chain, from suppliers to end of life, when deciding to buy a particular product. In response, Sun's commitment to eco-responsibility has become part of our brand language. Rather than an adjunct to our product design or business operations, eco-responsibility is a pillar of our brand.

SLM: Most major companies now post environmental responsibility information on their corporate websites, but Sun Microsystems has one of the most robust I've seen. Tell us about Sun's Eco Center.

Susan: Sun's Eco Reponsibility initiative formally began with the launch of our Eco Center web pages in November of 2005, at about the same time that we rolled out our first energy-efficient servers. But it was part of a company-wide eco-responsibility push that stretched beyond our products to include Sun's day-to-day business operations, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency and carbon emissions. We instituted Open Work and flextime programs so employees could work from home instead of driving to the office. In addition to reducing commuter air pollution, these teleworking programs allowed us to downsize our real estate portfolio having fewer employees to accommodate meant we needed fewer buildings. And fewer buildings meant significant reductions in energy use. Finally, we took a look at indoor materials such as paints and plastics, reducing the number of plastic bottles in the cafeteria, for example.

Since then, the our eco-presence on the web has evolved as a platform for communicating our company goals to "innovate, act, and share." The site shows how we innovate in our products and business practices and act on our commitment to eco-responsibility, and enables us to share our success stories and best practices. In fact, we've just added new features and functionality to attract more consumers.

SLM: Like what?

Susan: As with any website you have to drive people there. We realized we needed more of the kinds of information that will motivate people to take action. The new Eco Innovation site takes more of an educational tack, including tips on cutting energy costs, increasing server efficiency, and consolidating data centers. In essence, we're saying "What can you do to be an IT hero?" We've added more interactive features like calculators and podcasts, plus additional best practices for data center managers. The site also walks you through the three-step process of assessing, optimizing, and virtualizing your data center.

SLM: Who do you think is looking at this information?

Susan: There are two basic types. The first is the person who sees his or her company's energy bill each month. Look at Wall Street, for example. These companies have huge server needs, data centers that produce so much heat that they need air conditioners on the rooftops to cool the rooms down. But even as energy prices go up their capacity continues to grow. That's when you generate a real interest in sustainable computing solutions. Our Products & Services page provides information on our energy- and space-saving servers, plus emerging technologies like project Blackbox.

The second type of user is the person who's interested in the value chain, in knowing where our products come from and where they'll be going at the end of life. Our corporate social responsibility and eco-responsibility web pages are really geared toward meeting this consumer's demand for transparency. We just launched Eco and CSR blogs, and our CEO writes a blog as well. Even our financial statements are posted online at the moment they're released to investors. Openness has really become part of our brand.

SLM: Is there such a thing as too much transparency?

Susan: We're a public company aren't we suppose to be transparent? Nobody's perfect, but we want people to know that we're making the effort.