According to KPMG’s Cleantech Report Card, BC may be the third largest cleantech cluster worldwide. The Canadian province has had a carbon tax since 2008 and its governmentbecame carbon-neutral in 2010. BC sits on enormous natural gas reserves, and its hydro-enabled energy prices are low. So what will drive cleantech adoption?

For a major breakthrough, a two-pronged approach is needed:

• Implementation of a planned cap-and-trade system, a favourable investment climate, strong R&D and incubation, and low corporate taxes
• Strong public demand supported by lifestyle branding for green buildings, low-emission transportation, waste-to-energy conversion, and a sustainability-oriented consumer mindset

The Dokie, BC, windfarm under construction (courtesy cleanenergyclassrooms.ca)

Despite a favourable cleantech climate in Canada (the government’s posture not withstanding) the public’s concern with climate change is decreasing and adoption of new consumer paradigms is slow. Examples are NIMBY resistance to incineration and the current smart metering backlash against BC Hydro.

In Europe, cleantech, such as new garbage collection methodologies and WtE conversion had to be successfully sold to an initially skeptical public using massive public awareness campaigns. That process continues to be both consumer-driven and top-down.

While 83% of US shoppers now make some form of green choice (Natural Marketing Institute), they need to both see the benefits and feel that a sustainable lifestyle aligns with personal values.

For broad acceptance, cleantech has to offer tangible value. It has to be cost-competitive, supported by credible claims, and become an integral part of the normal lifestyle by a large part of the population.

In today’s disorienting culture, consumers search for safety, meaning and values. While tribes, sectarianism, brands, and niche lifestyles are flourishing, much of the public is looking for “the right thing to do”. This is where values marketing comes in.

In order to succeed, green products need to primarily provide a cost benefit, since this continues to be the number one consumer driver. It should also be easy to use, “cool” to engage with, and desirable for one’s personal brand image. Not surprisingly, the Toyota Prius is not bought primarily for its fuel efficiency, but often more for personal prestige and lifestyle reasons.

Successful products are 50% content and 50% packaging/design, as Apple has proven time and again. Businesses and service providers need to do a better “packaging” job by using lifestyle and values-based, “eco advantage” branding free of green-washing.

Global cleantech venture capital funding has grown 23% in Q311 and BC offers many opportunities. In order for these to grow into mainstream services and brands, businesses need to not only innovate, but also successfully market and leverage their innovation into consumer and financial good will.

Investing in green branding strategies not only manages down-side risks, but builds significant public trust. This will translate to the bottom line and grow into a brand asset value that can be significantly higher than a company’s IP.

When smart metering was in its infancy in California, ckdt principal, Stephan Burckhardt, helped build awareness around intelligent homes and this new technology. He was involved in a large public affairs campaign for major urban waste disposal issues in Switzerland, which has some of the toughest environmental standards worldwide.

ckdt created environmental and social reports for major global companies, and Stephan developed strategic communications for an industry-leading 3BL (triple-bottom line) project in Ghana.

Burckhardt with sustainable energy guru and recipient of ten honorary doctorates, Amory Lovins.

The communications and marketing components surrounding issues of migrating to best practice clean technology, and, even more importantly, building the required political will, stakeholder consensus and public buy-in are complex and more critical than ever.

The public will not move to large scale behavioural change without B2B and consumer stakeholders

1.   Understanding the issues
2.   Seeing the benefit of the “move to clean” while accepting inevitable down-sides
3.   Forming an emotional link and buy-in to the above and
4.   Leveraging these into permanently changed behaviour (the most difficult and critical step)

Strategic marketing and values-based environmental communications are key success factors, especially with adverse or conflicting economic drivers, one for which ckdt has been and is making significant and lasting contributions.

Contact ckdt today to discuss your green, clean energy technology or service issues and see how carefully crafted and well executed communications and branding can significantly contribute to your bottom line success.

He has superior technical skills in communications, is dedicated and involved, has an imaginative approach to his work and is a constructive and open-minded team player.

- Tom Engelsman, President, Landis & Gyr Energy Management (now part of Toshiba)

I think the new website is excellent — really excellent.  It’s comprehensive, professional, and persuasive.

- Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, Chairman, CSR Developments; Director, Triton Logging

We are very pleased with Stephan’s work; he is proving very thorough and easy to work with… Great job!

- Stuart Harrison, VP Marketing / Sales, Domestic Automation Company (PG&E smart metering trial)

By effectively connecting consumers with branded products and services online, affiliate marketing has powered large sectors of e-commerce through various forms of online advertising and SEO tools, as well as the extensive use of Web2.0 blogs, forums and social networks.

Affiliate marketing is growing rapidly across many sectors that now include financial services, healthcare, publishing, travel and entertainment. The affiliate industry is continuing to expand during these economically difficult times. Affiliates are expected to spend US$2.3 billion in the US alone this year according to Forrester Research.

Branding in the brick and mortar world builds trust, identification and loyalty with consumer groups. As these move online, the models pioneered by Amazon, eBay and other successful online merchants are being adopted by vendors in many mainstream sectors with the affiliate channel opening up new opportunities every day.

Being part of an online community from groups on Facebook or LinkedIn to Twitter feeds, and interacting with its other members, builds trust that can — with care and over time — be converted into sales.

The explosive growth of social networks has made them the hot, go-to place for online marketing. They do however need to be part of, and integrated into a broader marketing mix. The same holds true for affiliate marketing campaigns.

Driven by the recessionary need for value, the renewed focus on ROI has made both social network and affiliate marketing highly attractive lower-risk, lower cost propositions.

Nevertheless, due to the unregulated frontier mentality of these emerging media, the risks for companies can be considerable. That is a lesson certain large consumer brands had to learn the hard way through negative viral campaigns launched against them, which they were unable to contain.

Affiliate marketers and networks are making so much money, merchants of all flavours would be foolish not to pay attention.

With the tremendous pace of change and increasing competition from other market entrants, established player Swisscom needed to demonstrate it was changing in synch with the times.

Under the theme of “Moving in a Changing World” the Swisscom report was executed in two separate volumes, with the image component kept in a strong visual language dramatizing the dynamics of today’s communications marketplace.

Talk with someone who knows the service business as well as technology. Contact ckdt today.

In its second phase of growth, StarFish Medical wanted to reach a broader international market. ckdt helped the company better define its USP, differentiate its brand, and strengthen its online presence with target audiences from engineering to R&D and senior management.

Marketing activities included market research, advertising, media relations, video production, and a new website with a non-proprietary CMS, video and animation.

Talk with someone who knows technology. Contact ckdt today.

CSRD (Clark Sustainable Resource Developments – now Triton Logging) developed a major resource project in Africa. The mandate of ckdt was for a new website and an in-depth backgrounder of this complex, triple-bottom-line (3BL) project.

It gave this resource start-up higher visibility, the professional look it deserved, and better exposure to its stakeholders, partners and funders across three continents.

After 40 years, the hardwood trees in Lake Volta are still ready for harvest

CSRD had signed an agreement with the government of Ghana that would allow them to harvest the submerged hardwood in the world’s largest man-made lake.

With the recent agreement to join operations with Triton Logging, the project will now go ahead to make this operation the largest source of “green” tropical hardwood in the world (no release of carbon from harvested timber).

The backgrounder, written and designed by Burckhardt, included highlights and sections on the 3BL areas of the environment and community, as well as research and operations.

Talk with someone who knows technology and the service business. Contact ckdt today.

I think the new website is excellent — really excellent.  It’s comprehensive, professional, and persuasive.

- Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, Chairman, CSR Developments; Director, Triton Logging

Great work!  It looks terrific. Very creative, very informative.

I think it takes the viewer to parts of Ghana, it almost places them there.

- Michael Bush, CEO, CSR Developments

To help launch technology start-up Oprius Software at an industry event in Los Angeles, ckdt provided a marketing strategy and an integrated marketing campaign that included corporate identity management, web strategy, writing, media relations, and advertising specialties.

Primary site structure Oprius Software

The company went from being unknown to becoming a visible player in its target niche by quickly putting itself on the map in a highly professional manner.

Oprius was able to start on its hard climb to profitability in a very short time, especially considering the current economic challenges in the marketplace.

Talk with someone who knows technology. Contact ckdt today.

This production was a contribution to the fundraising efforts the technology industry association VIATeC makes every year.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and food have been collected and raised for the Mustard Seed food bank over the past years for the Holiday season.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1frq4F_ufE[/youtube]

The video not only

The video not only inspired member companies to give more in a competitive spirit, it served as an image piece to demonstrate the tech sector’s lively, fun and generous culture, and attract more talent to the area.

Talk with someone who knows the service business. Contact ckdt today.

Our integrated online and print campaign, in a highly specialized and dry technical publication, obtained a high level of recall even years later. ckdt created a series of image

ads with complex intellectual challenges aimed at high-IQ scientists. The full-page ads drove them to the corporate website for the solutions.

Discovery Technologies ad campaign drives web traffic

Once the pharma research start-up had its target audience on their site, it was able to start creating a relationship by involving them in the company’s sophisticated technology.

The integrated e-branding campaign enabled Discovery Technologies to position itself as the go-to market leader in its biotech research niche.

ckdt followed up with corporate publications, which have a longer shelf-life, to re-enforce the company’s successful launch. Six years after its conception, Discovery Technologies was sold for $6 million.

Talk with someone who knows technology. Contact ckdt today.

Visual Identity is an important aspect of branding whether in the corporate, product, or service area. Yet branding encompasses far more than a pretty logo (of which we’ve created many).

ckdt has built powerful brands for start-ups, spin-offs, as well as growing industrial, service, and retail companies. It has also led extensive branding efforts in complex global companies.

Such projects include brand analysis and competitive positioning, brand creation and management, corporate and company naming and taglines, branding hierarchy, as well as integrated brand campaigns across traditional channels and electronic media.

Though the logo sets the tone, it is only the tip of the branding iceberg. It should be the first taste of an entire, satisfying meal. We’ll make sure your customers will want to taste your brand and take more than just one (c)lick!

Talk with someone who knows branding. Contact ckdt today.