Want to make sure all the resources you devote to developing sound communications strategies pay off? Mind the gap, says Sandra Stewart.

The current success of CFLs is due to the innovation and commitment of a virtual "village" of manufacturers, designers, and marketers. By Jacquelyn Ottman and Sydnee E. Grushack

Sept. 2, 2008 - A new Ernst & Young report warns companies against relocating their manufacturing operations to certain developing countries - because lower environmental standards put them at risk for sinking reputations and costly product recalls.

Sept. 2, 2008 - Right back atcha: As government watchdog groups push back on companies' green marketing claims, an Aussie law firm blames vague and confusing eco-advertising on...vague and confusing environmental regulations, the Australian reports.

Aug. 28, 2008 - The Body Shop is rolling out a new advertising push that shares the stories behind its green products, BrandWeek reports.

Aug. 22, 2008 - Cement manufacturer Holcim has tapped a pair of branding firms to help highlight the company's green building products and services in a new U.S. communications push, PRWeek reports.

Aug. 11, 2008 - Wal-Mart's green products are selling so well, the retail giant is enlisting its suppliers to create more sustainable offerings - provided that customers will "get it," the [Arkansas] Morning News reports.

The principles of sustainability are changing the way companies communicate. At the same time stakeholders are becoming increasingly skeptical of the messages companies are sending. This guide, from marketing expert John Friedman offers five successful keys to unlock the full potential of your sustainability program by replacing "spin" with transparency. Download now (PDF)...

Companies that don't communicate their environmental and social progress will lose out to competitors that do. Here's how not to get left behind. By Coral Rose

July 23, 2008 - The majority of companies in the S&P 100 communicate their sustainability goals and progress via a microsite set up specifically for the purpose, according to a new study.

Admittedly "crunchy" Ben & Jerry's has 30,000 friends on Facebook, but can social networking sites really help engage consumers on corporate social and environmental efforts? A new report on green social networks says yes - and offers these do's and don'ts on using social networks to most effectively reach environmentally and socially conscious consumers.

Freewheeling ex-car owners? Skinny dipping conservationists? It's all in a day's work for Greg Owsley, chief branding officer at New Belgium Brewery. In this SLM interview, Greg explains how New Belgium taps consumers' sense of fun to get its sustainability message across. (To listen to our conversation with Greg, click here.)

Branding experts are stepping up in the clean tech, natural personal care, and green building sectors. But not all clients are well served. Ad campaigns laced with squishy terms like "renewable," "green," "environmentally friendly" are getting in the way of marketers' green messages, said Jacquelyn A. Ottman in her keynote address at Sustainable Brands '08.

June 18, 2008 - Nearly a year after launching lightweight pouch packaging for its wines, South African vintner Arniston Bay is taking its green message to the U.K., where supermarket chain Tesco is a useful ally in selling consumers on the bag-in-box approach.

The Clorox Company made headlines last year with a major brand buyout aimed at expanding the company's presence on the green-products market. At SLM's Sustainable Brands '08 conference in Monterey, Calif., Bill Morrissey, VP of environmental sustainability at Clorox, shared Clorox’s extensive research on what motivates consumer interest in the environment. By Ashley Braun