But first, here’s a little background. Last Thursday, April 17th, I led an Exchange Series panel at the SF ad:tech Conference entitled Green Marketing in the Digital Age – Establishing Credentials While Sidestepping the Landmines. Focusing on methods of leveraging technology and digital media to become part of the Green Revolution, it featured the expertise and advice of Carl Pope, Director of The Sierra Club, Michela Abrams, President and Publisher of Dwell, and Matt Kohler, Senior Brand Manager for Clorox’s new Green Works Global line.

The panel reaffirmed my gut instinct: That people are eager to learn new ways to help both their clients and themselves how to successfully be sustainable and get the word out. And this was the right crowd to be invested in such a discussion. When I asked how many marketers were present, +-90% of the people in the audience raised their hands.

My 15-minute PowerPoint presentation appeared to set the stage well. I deliberately created a ‘sexy’ template to show the room that a Green Story is not about a stale bowl of granola — far from it. Sustainability is about: Smart Style. Simplicity of Story. Sanguine and Sublime Sense.

My fellow speakers embodied these attributes fully. Carl Pope of the Sierra Club is always a pro speaker. He has spoken to U.S. Presidents as well as many international leaders. He is thoughtful, deliberate and absolutely clear. When he spoke, the room went quiet.

Michela Abrams of Dwell is always a brainchild on matters of publishing. She quotes publications statistics effortlessly. As the newly appointed Chairperson of American Publishers, she wants that community to be ‘in the know’ when it comes to being proactive with sustainability movements.

And Matt Kohler was a surprise. Though a young man, he was articulate, confident, and thoughtful beyond his years. He is certainly clear that initiatives like Clorox’s Green Works line is the positive movement forward for companies no matter what their focus.

The discussion was appealing to the marketing community due to its simplicity and its practicality. I was approached by over 30 people afterwards—passionate, smart people who are proud of their organizations and wish to make stronger strides in the green movement: companies like The Gap, Adobe, Intel, and Cisco. I began to make plans to speak at other events almost immediately after the discussion ended.

I could, and hopefully will, travel with this panel. We definitely got the message across.

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