Getting In:
5 Roles for Public Relations in Going Green
There’s no doubt about it - much of the word-of-mouth and media buzz these days centers on three domains: Clean Tech, Green Investing and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Changing your portfolio strategy to embrace these domains means changing your public relations strategy too.
What role does PR play in the new Clean Tech and Green World?"
 Forges your New Green Brand
From the top tier press – Wall Street Journal , USA TODAY, National Public Radio – to the media world’s new voice of influential bloggers, all are looking for great stories and innovative clean,green technologies. PR professionals work to launch both your company and your portfolio company’s reputations through radio/tv interviews, speaking engagements , blogs, events and articles which imprint your environmental strategy on the public.
 Attracts the Best & the Brightest Green Startups
Following the “Birds of a Feather” principle, tomorrow’s Clean Tech stars prefer financial and legal advisors who understand what terms like “Triple Bottom Line” and “open disclosure of supply chain management” mean. This is true not only at the initial term sheet stage but in presenting company plans and competitive advantages publicly. With companies like Nth Power and Navigant Consulting setting stride, today’s private equity players have to proactively broadcast that they are “in the mix” too.
 Shortens Sales Cycles
One of the critical roles of PR is in reshaping vocabulary and language to appeal to a wide and diverse audience: press, business partners, customers and future investors. Simply put, the more bloggers and journalists write or feature a company’s products, the shorter the overall sales cycle. Since most Clean Tech products and services require significant education and industry infrastructure changes, we encourage early stage PR investment in this category.
 Helps Green-Shift Your Current Portfolio Companies
Short of attracting green startups, a great interim strategy is to green-shift your existing companies. PR can assist in research, strategy evaluations and S.W.O.T. analyses exploring what cleaner, green sourcing, operational and product marketing strategies (to name just a few) would most positively impact a company’s position.
As Ray Anderson, CEO of of Interface inc. describes well in his book , Midcourse Correction, taking a company in a green and sustainable direction affects much more than the marketing veneer and Mission Statement of a company, but affects core fundamentals of the business plan. Happily – decreasing waste and transport costs is not only environmentally preferred and sustainable – it makes financial sense.
 Ups Your Green Valuation
The proliferation of stock indices which track the Clean Energy sector (eg. WilderHill’s ECO, Clean Edge’s CLEN and CELS and dozens more) shows that investors care not only about excellence in financial fundamentals , but excellence in environmental and CSR practices.
Companies still in an embryonic stage? It is not too early to start your green-shift messaging and media plans. Bona fide, authentic green shifting implies significant operational, sourcing and sometimes even hiring and human resource practice changes.
Considering all five roles, investing in public relations to clarify your new environmental or CSR direction protects both your client’s interests as well as your own.
For a no-obligation half-hour consulting session on the role of public relations for your green product or service, please contact us at 321.281.8378 or lthorell@ta-agency.com
Best regards,
Apologia.
Some might take issue with the brands we have selected as examples. These companies are not selected as"canonical icons" to be lifted on pedestals as symbols of perfection. What matters most is that they each make explicit attempts to promote good values, taking extra time and part of profits to do this – outside the direct selling of their company's product or image.
Lisa Thorell & Team - Thorell Associates - Orlando, FL - P/ 321.281.8378
www.ta-agency.com
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