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Green Light Distrikt
Green Light Distrikt is about entrepreneurship focused on the cleantech sector. GLD U provides cleantech courses . Edited by Chris Williams with frequent guest posts from friends, experts and industry insiders from clusters across the globe. Our goal is to provide a place where cleantech entrepreneurs in various clusters across the globe can learn from one another. Green Light Distrikt is creating the "Hitchikers Guide to Clentech" to provide a resource for cleantech entrepreneurs. Read more
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Business Insights
January 28th, 2012
How to Leverage Data to Increase Clean Tech Sales
TOPICS: Business Insights, Marketing, NEW YORK
In last month’s post “How to Grow Electric Vehicle Sales”, I discussed the importance of understanding your target customers so you can successfully market your new clean tech product or service. For instance, the people who bought the early Toyota Prius - typically middle aged, upper middle class, highly educated, environmentalists – were willing to prioritize environmental benefits at the expense of performance and cost more than others. How can you find out if you are reaching your target customers? Data.
As data analysis tools have become increasingly sophisticated, business leaders have been challenged to put to work the immense amount of data they have with which to understand their existing customers (online shipping, online surveys, even in-store shopping using rewards cards) and potential customers (website visitors, newsletter subscribers, social media followers). Let’s walk through the three keys to leveraging data to evaluate if your current marketing strategy is reaching your target customers.
Read more past the break and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on events, blog posts and more.
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November 28th, 2011
Reincarnating “Skunk Works” approach in Cleantech
TOPICS: Business Insights, Entrepreneurship, London
1943, is the year in which the antecedents of Lockheed Martin’s “Skunkworks” can be found. Since those early days the famous division has produced famous planes such as the U2 and the Blackbird. These tremendously innovative projects were all founded upon the idea of small, unconventional teams of engineers and innovators operating in a large corporation.
The ground breaking innovators in the “Skunkworks” were shielded as if working in start-up firm, isolating them from bureaucratic interference. Considering their main customer was the government, this was a huge and extremely effective achievement.
November 23rd, 2011
The Polarization of Energy
TOPICS: Business Insights, CleanTech Events, NEW YORK
It’s no secret that at the core of the Supercommittee’s failure earlier this week is the increasing polarization of American politics. Huffington Post contributor and law professor June Carbone illustrates this transition over the past half-century:
“A half century ago, neither political party disproportionately consisted of those who favored a my-way-or-the-high-way approach. Unbending ideologues did not make it into leadership positions. Today, it may be the only way to get elected – for one of the parties. That party has framed the debt limit as a matter of principle and used it to fire up the base. For a group inclined to see the world in terms of absolutes, compromise can accordingly only be seen as betrayal.”
What’s causing this polarization? It’s certainly not that Americans feel that this polarization is good for the country. Eight in ten Americans disapprove of Congress, more than half disapprove of the President, and three-quarters believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction. So what gives? Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more. + Continue Reading
October 21st, 2011
What You Need to Know About Ethanol, Part I
NEW YORK -Ethanol is so five years ago. 2011 is the year of electric cars and shale gas. Or is it? Considering the following:
- Since 2004, U.S. ethanol consumption has grown four-fold, while gasoline consumption has been flat.
- Driven to cut the national deficit, politicians are increasingly advocating for the reduction or elimination of government supports for ethanol. Two such House bills were introduced earlier this month.
- The Obama Administration supports both the ethanol mandate and increased fuel economy. Since ethanol delivers fewer miles per gallon than gasoline, this will lead to an inevitable clash between the Administration’s energy and economic priorities.
- “High energy prices contribute to high food prices by making food production more expensive and encourages more people to use grains like corn to make ethanol, which also drives up corn prices” (Slate).
So even though ethanol isn’t the sexiest energy story of 2011, it’s incredibly relevant to the politics of energy, food and global trade. Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more.
July 25th, 2011
Stop Marketing the “Good for the Environment” Benefit
TOPICS: Business Insights, Entrepreneurship, Marketing
Last week I had the pleasure to drive the Chevy Volt for the first time (and let me tell you, it’s fun to drive). The owner was an early adopter, but doesn’t have the psychographic profile that you would assume: he’s not an environmentalist, he’s not particularly concerned with escalating gas prices, and he’s not typically an early adopter. He simply hates the inconvenience of going to the gas station. In fact, he hasn’t been to the gas station in eight weeks, or 1,500 miles. Not bad considering that the Volt (MSRP $37,780 before rebates) battery can only take you 50 miles on battery-only range or 375-miles with the gas generator. In contrast, the Toyota Prius (MSRP $23,050 before rebates), the most fuel-efficient sedan available, can take you 571 miles on a tank of gas, but you eventually have to go to a gas station.
This scenario offers insight into what marketers have known forever but that businesses have generally failed to convey when selling green products and services: that consumers buy things that benefit them directly, such as cost effectiveness, convenience, health and safety. Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more. + Continue Reading
