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)

The team behind ckdt has specialty knowledge and experience in healthcare and bio-pharmaceutical communications.

We partner with Ph.D. level pharmaceutical experts and creative specialists in healthcare communications to develop solutions that are not only scientifically accurate and persuasive, but most of all get noticed.

Voltaren re-positioning campaign for Novartis

ckdt communications has extensive experience in introducing and promoting over-the-counter and prescription drugs, as well as medical devices.

We serve start-up biotech companies, mid-size national players and large trans-nationals.

Healthcare clients we have worked with include five of the top ten pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

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

Some of our Healthcare Clients

Ares-Serono (Merck Serono), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ciba (BASF), Discovery Technologies (DTI), Essex (Merck-Shering), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, IBSA, Janssen-Cilag (Johnson & Johnson), MSD (Merck), Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Starfish Medical, Straumann, Sulzer, ZLB Plasma (CSL Behring).

Brand Leverage in Healthcare

The healthcare and biopharmaceutical field is increasingly crowded in many areas, with mounting cost pressures and new entrants wanting to carve out a piece of this profitable and growing industry. As new products are launched in competitive specialties, pharmaceuticals go off patent or new applications are found for existing moieties, the need to differentiate and brand products has never been greater. more…

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 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.