Transformational Consumers are a fast growing $300 billion consumer market segment actively searching for products that align values with value. In response to getting hit in their pocketbooks with a new economic tax created by global warming plus health fears tied to unsustainable business practices, the Transformational Consumer is doing a major rethink on what they buy and who they buy from. With an “in me, on me and around me” focus they are searching for solutions tied to their home, personal finances and health.
Video sales path
The Transformational Consumers’ search for smarter, healthier and greener solutions is increasingly conducted using video. Americans view 11 billion video ads per month almost double the viewership levels of just a year ago. Every month YouTube has approximately 500 million worldwide viewers who watch 92 billion videos. Each month this represents 2.9 billion hours of viewership equal to over 325,000 years. The data is overwhelming, if your business is trying to sell smarter, healthier and greener products you must have a video presence. Continue reading →
Heat waves and droughts magnified by global warming are exacting an economic tax on America’s middle class through higher prices and increased health care costs. Now this global warming tax is hitting the stock valuations of American companies.
Global warming’s economic tax hits restaurant stocks
The most visible evidence of how global warming could impact a company’s stock price occurred on July 20 with sharp declines in restaurant stock prices. Led by Chipotle’s stunning 20+% stock drop all the major restaurant stocks including McDonalds took a hit as stock analysts incorporated global warming’s heat and drought impacts upon restaurant food costs, profit margins and sales if higher menu prices trigger a consumer search for lower cost options.
Other stocks exposed to global warming’s economic tax
It is only a question of time before global warming’s economic impacts fall on other companies. Farmers earning less on reduced crop yields will not be in a position to buy new farm equipment from companies like John Deere. A lower food supply means less food to process, impacting companies like Archer Daniels Midlands. Gasoline prices will rise since 10 percent of today’s gasoline is composed of ethanol principally derived from corn. We have already seen national gasoline prices go up by over 10 cents during the last three weeks due to Middle East supply risks combined with higher costs for ethanol. Gasoline price increases that curtail driving will hurt retail sales at large gasoline retailers like 76 Stations and others. Retail stores that depend on consumers driving to their location to shop will probably see reduced customer traffic. Continue reading →
Global warming can now be thought of as an economic tax on the middle class based upon a recent NOAA report found that 56 percent of the continental U.S. is currently experiencing drought. Drought enhanced by global warming is reducing America’s corn crop and sending the futures price for corn soaring by 34 percent over the last four weeks. This will generate a painful new economic tax on a middle class whose food supply is largely tied to corn as an ingredient and as animal feed. “Let them eat cake” is not an answer either as this drought has similarly damaged the U.S. wheat crop. To put this damage in perspective, consider that France is now positioned to exceed the U.S. in wheat exports!
Global Warming’s economic tax on consumer electric bills
An economic tax is now hitting the middle class as they open their electric bills following the recent heat wave. The middle class had to crank up their air conditioners to preserve their health and work performance during the recent extreme heat and humidity and will suffer higher electricity bills as a result. There is even a multiplier effect where the global warming’s induced extreme heat and humidity reduces the operating efficiency of air conditioning equipment that further increases consumers’ electricity demand and electric bills.
BMW is launching a completely new business model for the car industry. They call it BMWi. Their goal is nothing less than “Radical innovation in mobility.”
This video captures the excitement of the innovation BMW is pursuing: Continue reading →
Looking for answers on how to grow your business? These are the top five videos based upon viewer hits on the Earth 2017 YouTube Video Library:
#1 Trisha Jung, Pricing The Nissan Leaf
This video was taken at the launch of the Nissan Leaf. Nissan got it right on how to price a green innovation. Rather than try selling it and confront consumer resistance to buying a new technology they promoted leasing the car. Listen how many times Trisha says the word “green” in describing the Leaf. ZERO! Another best practice for mass marketing green products. Only about 15% of consumers are really motivated to buy based upon a product being green. Most want to hear what Trisha talked about: performance, fun, no risk, saves money, etc.
#2 Bill Roth, Acceleration At The Speed Of Electrons
Is it the Leaf or my cute dog Cooper that got this video of my Leaf test drive the second most views? It is probably me blasting away from a stop sign showing that acceleration at the speed of electrons is a lot of fun. This video also connects the dots on how sustainable cars and buildings are economic and environmental best practices.
#3 Lynn Jurich, SunRun “Cost Control” Sales Pitch
SunRun is a marketing pioneer in selling renewable energy. Their sales pitch is “Cost Control!” They arrange financing, installation and maintenance of a roof top solar installation for the home owner. They structure the deal so the home owner pays for the solar energy through a monthly bill just like they pay for electricity from their utility. The SunRun pricing offer is a price at least as good as the utility’s plus a guarantee the price won’t go up for 20 years! That’s how you become the largest installer of residential roof top solar in the United States.
#4 John Friend, Yoga Produces Business Results
Going green is more than solar or electric cars. It is fundamentally about people and their quality of life. I sought out an interview with John Friend after a seeing a yoga class at Clif Bar’s new and very sustainable headquarters building. This is a pioneering interview on how a business makes money aligning with the best interests of their work associates.
#5 Geoffrey Moore, Crossing The Sale Chasm Crossing The Chasm is one of the most valuable business books I have read. It opened my eyes to how to win new customers for a pioneering new company or product. In this video Geoffrey Moore talks to how to find the right customer that will buy your green or clean tech product. And how to use those early-adopter sales to grow a larger and profitable business.
Bill Roth is the founder of Earth 2017. His book The Secret Green Sauce profiles best practices of businesses making money and a difference.
$10 billion. That is the annual dollar amount of the potential roof top solar installations being proposed to customers by Clean Power Finance’s national network of 1,550 installers.
Coal vs. solar’s potential Clean Power Finance is enabling this multi-billion dollar deal creation by providing small businesses like roofing or electrical contractors with the ability to offer their customers high quality solar power proposals including attractive pricing options. Clean Power Finance’s network of installers is extremely powerful and can even compete with coal power plants on volume. The DOE reports that over the 13 months of 2011 and January 2012 2,343 MWs of coal-fired power plants were installed. If all the proposed projects by the Clean Power Finance network of installers had been installed during this same time period it would be 2,600 MWs and we wouldn’t need the coal at all. Continue reading →
It’s Easy And Free
This program is pretty easy to use. You can bring up to six devices per day into one of Staples’ 1500 retail locations. It doesn’t matter if you bought the digital devices from Staples or whether they were made by HP. You carry your devices into a Staples store and drop them off at the service desk location which from my experience is right inside the front door. The service desk associate will give you a receipt listing what you have recycled. It’s that easy and it’s free!
The digital items included in this program cover most office digital inventory including computers, mobile phones, monitors, shredders, keyboards and mp3 players. No refrigerators, stoves or similar appliances. Continue reading →
Transformational Consumers are a fast growing $300 billion consumer market segment actively searching for products that align values with value. In response to getting hit in their pocketbooks with a new economic tax created by global warming plus health fears tied to unsustainable business practices, the Transformational Consumer is doing a major rethink on what they buy and who they buy from. With an “in me, on me and around me” focus they are searching for solutions tied to their home, personal finances and health. 
