Eco-Friendly Digital Marketing Internship

GoToMeeting is a Web-hosted service created and marketed by Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems. It is a remote meeting and desktop sharing software, which means that it enables the user to meet with other computer users via the Internet. Definition from Wikipedia.

Quick Facts

Devoloped in 2004 

Designed to allow the desktop view of a host computer to be broadcast to a group of computers connected to the host through the Internet. Transmissions could be protected with high-security encryption and optional passwords. By combining a Web-hosted subscription service with software installed on the host computer, transmissions could be passed through highly restrictive firewalls.^{[ THIS IS WHAT I CALL A TECH DEFINITON ]}

So is it any good?

I will use it on Friday for a more indepth review but my quick opinions are as follows: Compared to the other software programs available like Skype I would say it has a little work to do. It’s website is not attactive compared to its competitors, you immediately know it’s a paid service before they even explain any advantages….

I have had the pleasure of interning with a fellow Michigan State University entrepreneur named Derek Mehraban whose only fault is attending some UofM basketball games. He has started Ingenex Digital right here in Michigan. He is the man when it comes to digital marketing. I found out how important it is in the future of my profession of marketing/advertising. At this time they are very few classes which devote a lot of time to digital marketing. Some other entrepreneurs I have met at MSU who devote a lot of time to the internet are Brett Kopf & Megan Gebhart. Check out Brett’s video and look at how companies like Ford are realizing the importance of Digital Marketing on sites that they create seperatly from Ford.com  I will be focusing on MSU Student Entrepreneurs who use digital marketing in the next issue of ing magazine. I would like to thank Derek for being one of the first students to come out of MSU and understand the importance of digital marketing and better yet start his own company.

I am here to tell you the story of my journey to finally being a twitter user regularly. To being with, I hated Twitter for many reasons. First being all the words like twit, tweet, tweetups…enough already…I believe these words make you seem uneducated. Reminds me of a Dum Dum pop. Second being how does anyone go crazy over writing 1 liners. Is that 1 sentence really making everyone crazy about twitter? 

So I started to investigate, ask Why Twitter? Most people have said they hated it in the beginning. But something happened as they used it regularly. They got Twitter-mania (can I copywrite this word?). Their network started to expand. People they never knew started following them. These people were different and had cool 1 liners to say….mania baby mania!!! I will say Twitter should improve your email subject lines. I even pimped my twitter design.

Why I like Twitter

1) It teaches you how to put condense information in a few words. This is incredibly important when talking with busy people. They just want you to get to the point.

2) It expands your network. This is very important. Shoot out a link and since it is short subject matter people will click on it. They will even repost it. They are loyal to their network. They want to support their network.

3) Easy to chat with unknowns. There are even big wigs on there like Derek Mehraban. I find that people on twitter WILL respond. Ask them for help and they WILL respond. This had a higher response factor than email!

HOWEVER I still will not say words in public like Tweet, Twit….My twitter name is Adam_Grant and not AdamGrant who I guess talks about drinking a lot bringing down my name. Come on AdamGrant you are making other people with your name look like they need to join AA.

The 2010 Honda Insight will be a catalyst that has the potential to make owning a hybrid an affordable option for Main Street, with price tags below $20,000. The past two years at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is exemplary of  the green trend, all of the auto companies presented new models on a green platform, only Honda has been able to make it affordable, for now at least.

There are three elements consistent in hybrid engine design that contributes to better fuel economy.

1) Having both an electric engine and gasoline engine that shuts down during peak power usage.

2)A battery capable of storing large amounts of energy

3) The ability to recapture energy during braking

These are the staples for hybrid design that the automobile industry is working towards as a whole to make the most efficient and affordable. But what about those potential hybrid consumers on a budget? More importantly, what about those consumers that are about to get pink slipped? What options do they have to drive a fuel efficient vehicle while not falling into debt?

There are a variety of options to change transportation behavior: buy a hybrid, carpool, ride a bike, ride a bus, teleconference, all of which require a change in behavior. Aftermarket computer chips are an option that does not require any change whatsoever. A variety of companies offer performance grade computer chips that are installed on the electronic control unit(ECU) of an engine and will optimize an engine’s performance to create higher horsepower and torque and can be utilized for higher fuel efficieny, up to 5 mpg. Once installed, the programmer’s smart system immediately recognizes vital information of the vehicle’s engine, powertrain and transmission, and can be adjusted without having a deep understanding of computer programming. Hypertech offers a Max Energy E-con Programmer, specifically designed to imporve fuel economy, it retails at $329.99 and is available on 22 different car models.

The question is: why are you only able to find these on automobile supply websites, trade publications, and AutoZone? Why aren’t these things at Meijers’, Sears and Target? Buying a performance chip is less expensive with a little les R-O-MPG in the long-term. So when are after-marker computer chips going to break out of the gearhead market and into the green market?

The decline in auto sales over the past few years creates even more opportunity for such a product to thrive in the market. Aftermarket companies such as Hypertech could reach those consumers who want to go green but can’t afford a $26,000 or even a $20,000 hybrid. Sure, ponying up for the Hybrid is the most eco-friendly and will give you more eco-bragging ammo, but let’s face it, people are strapped for cash and not in the new car market, sales volumes over the past few years have shown that. Spending $3,000-$4,000 more for a hybrid, that gets 10-12 more mpg, whereas an E-con Programmer is 1/10 the price increase opposed to buying a hybrid and saves 1/2 as much in fuel economy. Cheaper short-term, comprable long-term.

However, there are some barriers to entry dependant on the success of aftermarket chips. Installing a computer chip is in violation of most car’s warranties that disqualifies an eligibility for engine repair. This is a contractual agreement with the auto companies that aftermarket companies will struggle to overcome, given that the auto companies have tenfold the bargaining power.

So, maybe that is why aftermarket chips are not part of the mass market, there could be other reasons. They could just be slouches for marketers. Regardless, there is an opportunity for a company to introduce a product into the market that is aligned with current trends and nothing is being done about it. Tsk Tsk.

Going green is a constant subject that most companies are trying to be involved with. But where does one start? What are some of the little things that can be done to make a big difference? And are these choices healthy for your company regarding profits, maintenance of programs and successes?

According to Fortune Small Business, here are a couple easy steps to follow to get on track with being Eco-Friendly!

Get smart about recycling.

Look at what your company consumes and find ways to recycle, reduce and reuse.

Little things like recycling paper and introducing less-toxic supplies and materials can make a huge difference. Companies such as Green Earth Office Supply sell recycled-paper products to businesses. Another good source is The Green Office, an online retailer of recycled, environmentally friendly, and sustainable business products, school supplies, and paper- and for not a huge price difference than the stuff most non-green friendly suppliers sell.

You can also refill computer ink cartridges rather than add them to the landfill. The same goes for obsolete computers. There are companies, such as California-based Ecohaul, that will, for a fee, remove, refurbish and, short of that, properly dispose of old office equipment and supplies.

Although this may not be the most important thing to be concerned about- but you also might want to check to see if you qualify for any applicable tax credits…

Think outside the gas tank.

Transportation can have a huge impact on the bottom line for businesses large and small. If you need a company car, consider going hybrid. As consumers continue to embrace automotive alternatives, more models are entering the market and incentives continue. In fact, the IRS just announced the 2009 hybrid Saturn Aura was recently certified for an alternative motor vehicle credit. There’s plenty of information on the latest in alternative transportation at car-centric websites such as Edmunds.com and carmax.com too.

Do your research.

Co-op America, a green advocacy organization and eco-driven online catalog, has earned a Business Seal of Approval award for its product assortment as well as offering an inspiring assortment of hints and tips on how to go green. And there are strong resources outside of the United States, such as Friends of the Earth Scotland, an organization that offers a useful online audit to assist in the greening of your office.

Just a little food for thought… There are a lot of companies that make going green much easier now (just look at some of the links included here!)

How about an email marketing campaign?
In a world where customers are continuously bombarded by communications a company shall find the best way to catch their attention and let them listen to their messages. In such a setting who is more likely to be the winner is an organization with real interests to share and a smart way to do it.
An Email Marketing Campaign could be one solution to do that. If cleverly planned this instrument could commit a company’s public to its activities and highly improve its image.
You just need three things in order to start with it:
-    Contacts: they might be interested in receiving your news, it thus takes a long preliminary job in order to build relationships with customers and partners.
-    Good contents: you will have to draw your public attention and keep on doing it with captivating and appealing news.  Before starting with your campaign assure you have enough subjects to talk about for the very first period.
-    An email service provider to do it: at least you have to manage just a few contacts you can organize in a mailing list by your own, you will need a program created specially for this purpose. Let’s see how I managed it.
Searching the Web you will find many email service providers created to implement, send, track, and manage your email campaigns. I found out that some of the leaders in email marketing solutions are Vertical Response, Emma, iContact, and AWeber. Reading reviews and trying these four services I learned their commonalties and their differences and I came up with the best solution for me. They are all good in reaching the contacts and allow to import your contacts from an external database, which is really time-saving. Stats, an important tool in order to check the effectiveness of you campaign, are available also for the whole of them.
iContact is very good and affordable if you have a quite small database, as the cost considerably grows up with the increasing of the subscribers. With its more than 300 templates and the possibility for you to design your own, it is the best choice for those companies who will focus their email campaign more on the impact of the message itself than on the contents, as, with respect to other solutions, text is quite wasted in here. It also offers easy ways to setup forms to capture new subscribers from your website and, if you wish to enable that, a double opt-in for added security to your subscribers.
Another good program is Vertical Response.  Unlike iContact this service is much more efficient with the increasing of the list.  They have a good customer support available for online or phone help. They even offer 10,000 free email credits to qualified non-profits.
My Emma is also good, but a little less diffused than the other services considered. It is a nice-to-use program and its cost is quite low for small lists. As for iContact one of the strengths of this service is the design offered. Nevertheless, it is not recommended for business purpose as it does not allow differentiated communication or the creation of lower level lists.
My final choice went to Aweber. This service is recommended for medium size senders as it offers a complete set of features and good flex in use. With respect to iContacts and MyEmma, it has less graphical options, but, as my mailing campaign will be focused on interesting contents, I prefer not to have the text limitations those services have. What I liked the most about Aweber is its reliability and its strong anti-spam policy. This provider guarantees a full and personalized customer service, accessible by chat, phone, or even twitter, and with one person assigned to you for all support calls.
We will see what results this communication will bring. For now, I am happy to be involved in this new challenge that will see me always up to date and in the very first line to surprise my public with interesting and innovative news!

Marta Battiston

Spotting cultural trends has been a foundation for designing business strategies for ages. Before web 2.0, the dot-com bubble, there was the invent of cable television, all of which drastically changed the media landscape. Aside from technological changes, economic recessions are nothing new either, individually creating new trends and opportunities. In stressful times, people are still able to maintain a sense of humor. How many economists does it take to fix a light bulb? None. It will fix itself in the long-run. Adjusting the same joke to current trends, how many, marketers does it take to switch their light bulbs to an HFL, energy-efficient bulb? Despite the current recession, there are sub-trends of the environmental movement that are the forces responsible for strategies to be changed, questions to be asked, and subsequent jokes to be changed.

The 12 Trends is optimistic in spite of the economic crisis. The authors look past the recession by explaining the importance of not ignoring these eco-trends. Although the article may have been written before the Obama administration released the details of the recovery plan, which appropriated a large chunk to funding environmental projects. The trends do not relate to the macro-level government regulations but rather the grass-roots, societal changes that the future holds. For example, car sharing services, where 8 to 10 people where share ownership to a car and pay a usage fee, is a trend that is gaining traction overseas in metropolises like Paris, challenging the fundamental ideals of American individualism, especially towards car ownership.

The ego-centric mindset of greed inspired consumerism is on the decline according the ECO-STATUS trend. Consumers who are able to collaborate online will align themselves with companies and others who give as much as they take. ECO-STATUS is a behavioral change where being environmentally conscious is ammunition for bragging rights with peers. Conversations starting, “So, how many ponies are under your hood?” are changing to “What’s the MPG?” Because of this, marketers are striving to brand themselves as ECO-ICONIC. Pretentious Prius-driving Yuppies from San Francisco who like the smell of their own farts were early adopters of this trend.

Green products and services are changing the agency culture as well. A British media agency specializes on being easy on the environment by building sand sculptures, burning logos into logs and cutting designs into surf for brands like Adidas and Volkwagen. A TBWA shop creates direct mail pieces that go beyond green by using vegatable-based inks, purifying all waste water and only using paper that comes from a sustainably managed forest.

Getting caught with your green pants down is something all companies need to avoid. ECO-NAKED is the trend of industry watchdogs shaming companies for greenwashing, marketing themselves as ‘green’ while not practicing those promises. Such practices has the potential to kill a brand. It is up to brand managers to carefully analyze the green operations in comparison with their marketing. Web 2.0 has afforded industry watchdogs the resources to voice their displeasure with greenwashers. Reputation managements is crucial within the blogosphere for companies to remain connected with their supporters and more importantly, their cynics. Ultimately, an eco-marketing strategy must coincide with a brand’s story, niche and voice. Watchdogs smell insincerity from a mile away.

More and more corporations are starting to combine their advertising efforts with the trend to go eco-friendly, a relationship known to some as eco-advertising or eco-vertising.  This relationship allows corporations to benefit from advertising about their attitude and interventions in regard to eco-friendly business. 

Despite the message the eco-friendly ads these corporations are sending  many are forgetting that the means through which they are sending them are far from eco-friendly.  Using mass print media such as magazines or newspapers, fliers or billboards all of which require paper, printing, transportation, and numerouse other un-natural and environmentally deterring resources to create.  The big question is, is it the profit margin of this new niche market they are trying to capitalize on or are they really hoping to make a difference? 

Although some corporations unfortunately might be making the choice for the wrong reasons there are many out there that are leading the way in eco-vertising. 

For starters Toyota known today for being one of the leaders in Hybrid cars took their eco-friendly outreach to a whole new level when introducing their 3rd generation Prius at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.  Instead of handing out glossy brochures inside large plastic bags to be carried around the show by as many people as they can get their hands on, they chose to continue to make positive changes by handing out paper cards in the shape of their new car with seeds embedded in them.  When placed in soil and given water and light the seeds in these cards provided beautiful flowers for their audience to remember them by all summer long.  Stepping out of the box and into an eco-friendly mindset Toyota not only lead the way with their eco-friendly car but also stood as one of the eco-vertising leaders at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show!

So how many other ways can a company eco-vertise? 

Curb, a natural media company based in London, UK has answered this question with their unique eco-vertising concepts.  Clean advertising and snow tagging are two out of the many I found interesting in their bag of tricks.

• Clean advertising: laser cut stencils are put on surfaces like a pavement and the surface is then cleaned to let the message shine through the dirt and grime.
• Snow tagging: company logos/messages are branded into the snow for a winter advertising.

Despite the out of the box thinking and unique eco-vertising techniques being developed there are other ways to go green which can start sooner than you think.  One niche that I personally have become a big fan of that is growing exponentially is the use of digital media as a platform for advertising.  It requires nothing but the power of technology that is already on the desktops and palms of your target audience.  Digital media eliminates the need for most (or at least some to start with) print material and provides mass outreach like never before, best of all this method of going green saves you some green at the same time!

Derek Mehraban (CEO, Ingenex Digital Marketing) continues to develop the digital media presence for individuals and businesses so they can eco-vertise to reach their audience.  Mehraban is not only focused on providing an eco-friendly service but like Toyota, he supports this green initiative through other parts of his company.  In Mehraban’s case it is not an eco-friendly pamphlet but a unique eco-friendly internship program that helps interns like myself reduce the carbon footprint on the world.  

Deepti Dewan Chowdhry

In the interest of eco-friendliness (naturally), I bring you this update from an unlit bedroom with the power of my laptop’s battery.

So much of what we hear lately is about going green. As a Michigan State student (and lifelong fan), I’ve been yelling “Go Green!” as long as I can remember. Fortunately, the agricultural history of America’s first land-grand institution backs that phrase up, and with the help of the estate of Nick Drake, combined for a beautiful ad for the university and a reminder of who’s been going green from the start.

So what does it take to “Go Green?” My boss, Derek, recently let me know about a really great piece from trendwatching.com, a site that gives some great insights into trends across all industries — in other words, a goldmine for entrepreneurs. The article, Eco-Bounty, is part of their monthly trend briefing, a detailed profile of whoever or whatever is making the most buzz.

The key bit of information the article provides for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone else feeling the eco-friendly movement starting to gain speed is laid out in a very simple way: being green isn’t just nice to Mother Earth — it’s where the money is. Want green? Be green.

Eco-consciousness is becoming a status symbol. Excess is out and cheap is chic (you have to wonder if Steve and Barry are wishing they’d not overextended themselves to the point of bankruptcy last year — I can imagine Starbury Shoes are probably looking pretty good to a lot of families right now). From solar-powered boats to grass-covered roofs, there are a lot of ways that individuals and businesses can make themselves stand out in a way to showcase their brand as trendsetting, young, and conservational all at once. Greenwashing is already becoming a concern for eco-conscious consumers, so companies who want to claim their eco-friendliness had better be prepared to back it up.

With a recession in full-swing, there’s no better time than the present to start thinking about conserving, whether you’re a college student trying to stretch out that food budget for the week, or a CEO looking to save on energy costs — making an investment in green now will keep you from going in the red later.

Nate Erickson

David Meerman Scott’s “The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly” is being used as the lead text for Michigan State University’s New Media Drivers License course offered to Communication Arts and Science graduate students.

The New Media Drivers License (sm) is a graduate level course designed to provide its students with the tools and techniques to best use new media and digital communication tools which include: Facebook, Linkedin, Blogging, Podcasting, New Marketing, Digital Public Relations, Google Tools, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) including Google Adwords, and Presentation Zen techniques.

More information on David Meerman Scott and “The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly” can be found on Scott’s website.

Deepti Dewan Chowdhry