I’ve begun preliminary research on a branding strategy for a new solar paneling business. As much as I believe in the concept of “going green,” I struggle with branding a business as such. I do think that the concept will stick around for the long run, but eventually the commonly heard phrases associated with being environmentally-friendly will be trite and overused (if not already?).

Argo, how do you create a branding strategy for a business that’s main goal is to promote energy efficient power without sounding too trendy? I wish I could answer this with confidence, but I’m still trying to figure it out myself!

1. Stay away from a logo design that is too trendy. This article from LogoLounge shows some of 2008′s most trendy logos. Of course, it’s easy to be influenced by the current trends in logo design, but you don’t want your logo looking dated only a few years after spending big money on your branding.
2. Differentiate yourself from competition. David Airey’s Ecomatrica logo is a great example of how to create a logo that reflects an earth-friendly image, without looking like every other “green” logo out there. Rather than using shades of green, which is reflective of many other earthy logos, he used shades of blue; thus differentiating Ecomatrica from it’s competition.
3. Be creative with your name. Is the goal of your business is to promote a cleaner fuel? Is your new product an environmentally-friendly shopping bag? Well, name your company or product something that will stand out from all the others out there. NatureWorks, LLC created a new product called Ingeo – and I think the name defines so much. I immediately think “ingenious” “geographic” and “green” without any of those words being in the identity. Get creative with your business name, make it memorable and unique, it will be stuck with you for a long time!

Can you think of any other recommendations for branding an earth-friendly business?

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Green Branding

Post from: in her words

Add Green to Your Workout Routine

You many have heard about the BPA controversy dealing with plastics, specifically water bottles. In sum, research shows that many plastics contain a chemical called Bisphenol A, or BPA. This chemical mimics some of our hormones, thus complicating reproductive and fertility functions. Sounds scary, huh? Well, before you throw out all your plastics, let’s look a little more into this.

All plastics are made of different chemicals. To see what category your water bottle falls under, look at the bottom of your plastic containers and you will see a number within the recycling mark. If your water bottle has a “7″ on the bottom, you may want to rethink using it. Although it has not been proven that BPA is harmful to our bodies, research on lab rats does show we should err on the side of caution.

To be safe, check all your water bottles, and ditch any with a 4, 6, or 7 on them. Codes 1, 2, 3, and 5 should be BPA free. Also, any plastics with a code 1 on them (such as bottled water from the grocery store) should be used ONLY ONCE (think “code 1″ for “one use”) and then trashed. These water bottles hold bacteria in the small cracks that form after one use. But to be eco-friendly, buy yourself a non-BPA, reusable water bottle – there are plenty of them out there (Sigg or HDPE Nalgenes are great choices).

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BPA Blues

That being said, here’s a great find – and an even better way to help the environment: If you’ve ever used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, you know how great they work on scuffs and hard-to-clean soils. You also know how quickly they disintegrate after a few uses. Well, I just came across this cleaning cloth, appropriately found at greatcloth.com. It works just like the Magic Eraser, but this thing will last for years. I believe it is supposed to work for a good 5 years. You can use it on any hard surface, and it will clean just about anything. The best part is you just wash this thing like you would a rag, you can even bleach it, and it’s just as good as new. So if you want to cut back on those harsh chemicals and paper towels, you should try it!

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Microfiber Magic