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.

In addition to its traditional customer base, the regional Banque CV had developed a strong international and private banking business. ckdt suggested using its annual report as a platform to communicate the new strategic direction.

The concept married image components and key messages with the legal requirements for this corporate document.

With a theme of “New Horizons”, the multi-lingual, five-colour annual report contrasts the traditional view (expressed in text) with the chosen imagery.

The panoramic fold-out images illustrate the bank’s new perspectives for its target groups: shareholders, financial analysts, and customers, as well as, regional and worldwide partners and employees.

Talk with someone who knows how to market financial services. 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.

Researchers on microchimerism at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) wanted to provide an online platform for peers and researchers, as well as affected patient populations.

ckdt created a simple website that includes commonly used, inexpensive CMS tools. This makes for easy updating by the research staff without the need for technical knowledge.

The microchimerism.org website is unusual because such research is normally not made available to a broad community. The researchers felt that due to the ground-breaking nature of this area and its potential impact, the latest information needed to be widely accessible.

Talk with someone who knows healthcare marketing. Contact ckdt today.

We love the website! We were truly impressed by the service and expertise of ckdt in creating a site for us. They were prompt, efficient, and excellent listeners — really understanding our specific needs.

- J. Lee Nelson, MD; Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Professor, Rheumatology, University of Washington

The website was optimally created for any browser and operating system with a simple interface for viewers. They made it extremely easy for us to maintain, thus minimizing costs. ckdt also helped us with search engine optimization, and our website has been number one with major search engines like Google and Yahoo!

- C.S. Chennakesava, PhD, Prof Lee Nelson Lab, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

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.

Installation in Turkish travertine limestone, carved in China

Chinese craftsmen have been carving stone for thousands of years. ckdt helped make this craft available to home owners, designers, and architects through a marketing strategyand website for Dancing Stone.

Its products are custom manufactured to exacting quality standards and detailed specifications in a specialized factory in the Beijing area.

Using a soft market introduction for the company, ckdt created a corporate design, website, advertising and printed collateral including basic materials for a trade show presence.

After the photography of existing home installations in Western Canada and the United States, ckdt chose a distinguished visual identity that emanated craftsmanship and high-end design.

Using a visually driven approach, the website makes use of product photography, testimonials, background information and technical specifications to provide an online presence that would support the word-of-mouth marketing such a business is often primarily based on.

Through SEO techniques for a stronger web presence, the site is now reaching customers all over North America enabling the company to ship its products through various ports of entry across the continent.

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

This series of ten training videos was created for negotiation and arbitration in construction, insurance, real estate and other disputes. It is used to train practicing lawyers

who volunteer their time to settle cases out of court through the American Arbitration Association.

Training lawyers in mediation and arbitration translates into significant time and cost savings for all parties

The videos were filmed in San Francisco with AAA trained lawyers specialized in various areas of conflict resolution and dispute settlements.

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.