Whilst perusing GreenBiz.com, I came across a 728×90 banner ad for Michigan, Economic Development Corporation.

It’s actually an expandable, rich media ad…which is alright. Now, I don’t really want to go into it too much, but the tagline below the company name is so small, nobody in the world can see it. It talks about a battery and charging ahead…see below.

Original:

Is this Jeff Daniels on the ad?

Expanded:

Above ad expanded; video auto-plays.

Now once it’s expanded, you get the message. By why should I go over it in the first place, why bother? Maybe they are banking on the fact that it’s at the top of the page and your mouse cursor, at one point or another seemingly will past over this 65,520 square pixel plot of screen.

Here is the landing page involved. Frankly, I don’t really care about all that. What I do wonder – is why Jeff Daniels is on the ad? Does Jeff Daniels have a high click-through rate (CTR)? I mean, it’s really the only reason I clicked it. I don’t see Jeff on the expandable ad and I don’t see him on the landing page.

Jeff D., why you there?  Is it supposed to be Joe Biden?

I ran across a pretty robust green ad network, Sustain Lane.  Some of the publishers are Backyard Nature, Green Car, Green Options, and a whole slew of others.

Sustain Lane Green Ad Network

Ad networks typically offer a lower CPM from contacting the website directly.  It also allows a decent website to keep its direct CPMs up, while selling off its remaining or remnant inventory to said network.  This allows sites to keep their brand elevated, while avoiding the ‘easy go around,’ Google content network.

There are quite a few network channels for advertisers to target, including Healthy & Beauty, Home & Garden, Cause & Awareness, Green Auto, B2B, Organic Food, and others.  Often segmenting and other demographic targeting will increase the CPM, so its a trade-off.

Sustain Lane also has a number of advertising solutions, such as display (standard and rich media), video, takeovers and roadblocks, emails, microsites, widgets, and webinars.  Not bad.

If you have a green product your advertising, I’d certainly check it out.

>> Sustain Lane, Green Ad Network homepage

>> Sustain Lane green guide website

For a few years now, IBM has rocked, what I consider, a ‘ho-hum’ approach in its advertisements. One of IBMs earlier (maybe later) commercials I remember with this style starred an “I” superhero. “I” stood for ideation, innovation, some other things; it didn’t stand for implementation.  IBM will help you “do,” help you take action and implement changes.

The reason its ‘ho-hum’ is that it’s somewhat Wes Anderson, although I’ve never walked out on an IBM commercial (because of the commercial, its more because I want something from the fridge). Unlike Rushmore, IBM is chuckle funny, half-smile laugh with its monotone nature and droll sense of humor.

Is it odd that IBM would take a similar approach in its banner ads? I guess not, in staying with the IBM brand/advertising theme…but it is a banner ad. Normally the Bill-Murray-standing-on-a-diving-board-for-way-too-long-while-smoking-a-cigarette ads are ignored. Below are some [condensed] ads to promote their green campaigns, Smarter Planet, etc. The first is grey and its focus is smarter energy. The second is blue and focuses on smarter water management.

IBM Make Energy Smarter banner ad

IBM Make Water Management Smarter banner ad

I ran into these ads on a green news network, similar to GTAN, but better. The blue in the second ad may actually be the same color as the horizontal bars in a typical IBM commercial. Or maybe just similar. Just similar I think. The grey ad reminds me of chainmail armor.

The site the ads appeared on target businessmen/women and executives. While the chance of the message may not be the highest, branded IBM logos always attract attention. The solid color and “dead” area may actually attract clicks as well.

While the ads may not be the best at attracting clicks or eliciting action once a user arrives at the destination page, IBM can chalk it up to branding. On a side-note, it’s interesting how one ad targets homeowners and the other targets either companies or municipalities.

>> Earlier IBM green article
>> IBM green website

IBM Smarter Planet

Yesterday, I was watching the live stream of the US Open.  (Don’t tell anyone.)  On top of this being one of the best features of the modern world, there was also an advertisement that was of interest to a particular GTAN author—me.  Between segments of sub-par golf, IBM spread the word for building a smarter planet.

Since the first television ad ran in November of 2008, IBM’s Smarter Planet campaign looks to showcase its historical and relentless commitment to creating a smarter world—meaning improving green technologies and coaching its clients’ companies to operate in a globally intelligent framework.
As IBM’s green website section states:

The challenges have become clear: the need for clean water and air; affordable and reliable delivery of energy; the dwindling supply of fossil fuels; the reality of climate change and its implications for future generations.

At IBM, our approach is twofold: we are working to make our existing products and processes more efficient for both the environment and for business, while also developing new innovations that can accelerate the adoption of products and services that have lesser environmental impact.

So what does an ad do during the US Open stream?  Well, it was the first time I really noticed it.  Unlike most TV systems, live (or controlled) internet streams force you to watch a commercial.  We are aware of the current paradigm and power-shift happening with TV advertising, brought on by the popularity of DVRs.  Current network controlled internet streams seem to be a viable alternative.

In addition to actually watching the ad, most streaming ads are accompanied by banners or an entire page take-over that offers varying levels of interaction, from a simple click to game-play.  The IBM commercial I saw was just a shrunken TV ad…as far as I could tell.  Here is a sample below (not sure if this was the actual IBM ad I saw):

>> December 2008 interview with IBM’s Rich Lechner, VP of Energy & Environment
>> IBM’s green mini-site

PS.  Was pulling for ya Phil…

HP Power to Change campaign

Yep, I’m a bit late on this one.  On June 2, HP announced its Power to Change campaign.  The purpose of the campaign is to get the word out about the impact of leaving a computer on 24/7.

According to the HP press release, “the campaign encourages users to download a new desktop widget that tracks the cumulative energy savings associated with participants turning off idle PCs when not in use.”

The widget is compatible with all PC platforms.  If 100,000 users shut down their work computers at the end of each day, HP estimates that the energy savings would exceed 2,680 kilowatt-hours.  It would also reduce carbon emissions by 3,500 pounds per day.  Eliminating this excessive energy use is the same as removing more than 105 cars from the road each day.

HP has a history of energy efficiency. In January of 2008, HP set a goal to reduce energy consumption of its volume desktop and notebook PCs by 25% by 2010.  HP accomplished this a year and a half ahead of schedule.

The commercial below is informative, not very flashy.  It tells of the 100,000 workers not turning off their computers, etc…  The next in the series of commercials has a bit more of an attention-grabbing nature.  Here we go, 100,000 workers…

>> Visit the HP Power to Change site
>> Power to Change on Twitter

I ran into an article on the WSJ about Lipton Tea promoting its sustainable farming methods on the National Geographic website. The National Geographic features a series of videos, a Facebook fan page and Twitter alerts.

Lipton to create sustainable tea farms...

These “mini-sites” are typically linked from a main-page or sidebar under a “features” title and run for a contracted period of time.  In my experience, the price can range anywhere from $50,000 to well over $1 million.

Recent, green-centric campaigns with National Geographic include Down Chemical and Frito Lay’s Sun Chips. With Lipton’s lofty goals of attaining a “rainforest certification” from the Rainforest Alliance for 500,000 of its tea farms by 2010 and all by 2015, they are anxious to get the word out.

The video I watched focused on a tea farm in Kericho, Kenya. Some of the Lipton sustainability programs include:

• planting indigenous trees to offset carbon emissions
• farming practices that increase yield on fields, to keep from cutting down more forest; no longer slash and burn farming practices
• generating own forms of renewable energy to be used in the farming

The Lipton video also features another of its humane programs, which offers free housing to its works. Tea farm workers also receive medical care and children of workers receive a formal education. Lipton tea pluckers are paid three times higher than the Kenyan national average.

Lipton expects to use the Kenyan tea farms as a model for all of its farms. To sweeten the deal for independent growers, Lipton offers to teach the new practices, which not only increases the yield, but they also pay a higher price to farms that follow these policies.

The Rainforest Alliance must recertify Lipton’s practices on a yearly basis.
I haven’t seen any commercials for this promotion; right now it appears to be purely Internet-based.

>> Lipton’s Mini-Site on NatGeo
>> Lipton website

Facebook has a number of green applications...

We are all aware that Facebook apps are on the rise…but while some fail – others flourish.  In general, a Facebook app must offer the user some sort of benefit, be useful, and be maintained to remain active and profitable.

The problem lies in figuring out what users want, what will go viral and how to accomplish those goals.  Many of the green applications I ran into were just “here are some eco-friendly ideas” apps; but some are much more, getting the word out and making some serious money for good causes.

(Lil) Green Patch

I’ve spoken about Lil Green Patch previously.  According to the application page, Lil Green Patch has 5,034,650 monthly active users.  Lil Green Patch has sponsors that dedicate money to rainforests as a person uses this application.  As far as I can tell, this is the most successful of all the green apps.

Greenback Search

Greenback Search promotes just that, Greenback Search—a search engine that gives money to green causes for every search performed.  Greenback is powered by Yahoo – so you will get the same “good” results you are used to.  I actually wished more people used this—it is pretty effortless.  The app is growing, but there are currently only about 8 monthly active users.

HGTV Green Home Giveaway Sweepstakes

This was pretty cool, although I had no clue it was happening.  To get the word out, HGTV was giving away a 2009 Green Home and a new 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid.  This package totals $750,000.  Not bad.  The sweepstakes are over, but they still have 10,758 monthly active users.

Save the Planet

Save the Planet also donates money to charity –your money.  It relies on small donations by its users.  Causes include ending world hunger, fighting global warming, saving the rainforest, feeding rescued animals and about 10 others.  Small donations add up and with this many causes to donate to, they better add up.  There are currently 233,003 monthly active users.

Carbon Offsets Game

For ever quiz question that is answered correctly, the Carbon Offsets Game will donate money.  That’s pretty cool as far as I’m concerned.  Carbon Offsets has 79 monthly active users.

Green Guide Tip of the Week

While there are no kind of donations here and there are quite a few apps that offer tips for green living, I wanted to point out this one because it was developed by a pretty big name, National Geographic.  It’s just another way for National Geographic to get in front of people.  Well played.  This currently has 37 monthly active users.  Unlike some of the other apps, this one must be kept up-to-date by the developers or “tips” get stale and you can expect users to drop the app.

Did I miss a good green Facebook app?  Let me know.

GE Ecomagination

For some time now GE has been promoting and branding its company as environmentally conscious through innovation and imagination.  Most of the efforts funnel people to the ecomaginaton.com – which is actually a pretty neat and comprehensive site, complete with an Advertising & Images Section.

General Electric is a multinational, behemoth of a company, with divisions in finance, aviation, aerospace, healthcare, entertainment, energy and more.  In 1991, a short documentary, Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons, and Our Environment, challenged the eco-conscious image of GE.  About a decade and a half later, GE responded.

As a major polluter—the 4th largest corporate producer of air pollution in the US, based on year 2000 data by researchers at the Political economy Research Institute—GE got smart and launched Ecomagination to push its green initiatives and develop new technologies in solar power, hybrid locomotion, efficient lighting, water purification and more.

If you have a TV, you have probably seen the Ecomagination commercials, especially on NBC, a division of GE.  Here is one of my favorites, a play on tree hugger—house hugger.  Basically I’m just a fan of the tree shuffle; it reminds me of George Costanza shuffling across Jerry’s apartment.  Have a look:

In addition, they have their online and print ads, which can be seen here.  GE has sections dedicated to their impact on water, energy, industry, investment and climate.  GE has been working vigorously to clean-up its image and this site goes a long way towards branding and promoting its green ingenuity.

GE Ecomagination - Fuel Efficiency Now Print Ad

Domtar Paper Products

I saw this Domtar EarthChoice® ad (shown on the right) the other day on a green news website.  While I think it’s a quality product and respect the promotion, I am not sure the promotion is taking full advantage of the medium and I feel improvements could be made to increase ROI.

160x600 Green Internet Banner Ad

I’ve been in Internet marketing and advertising for some time now, so ads tend to grab my attention, but not necessarily for their color scheme or imagery.  In this case, the green does pop off the page and the font size of “green” drew my attention along with the tagline “The new transparent.”  But the top graphic is pretty stock and generic.  The main issue I have with this 160×600 is that the actual product is ambiguous.  Why is green the new transparent?  In an 8 size font I see that the product is “high quality paper with a conscience.”  Why should I have to squint to figure out you sell paper?

The destination page of the ad is also a problem – as it takes me to the homepage on the website…so I land in the middle of nowhere — still a little confused.  Please take me directly to the Domtar EarthChoice® page.  I clicked the ad because I am an environmentally conscious paper buyer (if I noticed the bottom of the ad), so take me to the page for your environmentally conscious product.

Certainly the ad is properly targeted, on a green news site with a business end executive readership.  However, I cannot imagine this ad having a great click-through rate, given the ambiguity of the message…maybe a .03%.  Just a guess – and I could very well be wrong!

While this particular online campaign could use some improvement, keep it up Domtar with a quality, environmentally friendly paper product.

Yahoo! Make It Green

“Dream up ideas that’ll green up our planet” – the tagline for Yahoo!’s new Make It Green Promotion.  Yahoo! is accepting green ideas to help improve people’s lives.

People can submit ideas for green products, ideas, and do-it-yourself projects.  Ideas a voted upon and the winner may appear on the Everday Edisons TV show.

Interesting Addition

A November 2008 Yahoo! Green study showed that 77% of the people surveyed consider themselves “green.”  The survey described green as people actively living their lives conscious of their health and environment.

There were four different types of green consumers, Deeply Committed (23%), Trendy (24%), Practical (13%) and Passive (17%).  Read more about the Yahoo! Green study.

>> Make It Green